Mexico countdown: preparations and technical meeting

9/12/2007 – With just two days left to the first round of the World Championship tournament in Mexico City, preparations are in full swing, with the stage being built and decorated, and the players briefed on the technical aspects of the match. Watching it all unfold is our friend Ali Nihat Yazici, President of the Turkish Chess Federation, who has sent us a big pictorial report.

How to conquer the d-pawn openings

9/12/2007 – Whatever you prefer against 1.d4 you are always in danger of facing some annoying d-pawn opening like 2.Bf4. We all know that there is something wrong here, but who of us is ready to put the white player back in his place, off the top of our heads? Andrew Martin's new DVD shows you the way for no less than 12 Queen's Pawn Openings. Buy his DVD now or read this review with sampler.

Big press conference – live broadcast in doubt

9/10/2007 – The players have all arrived and settled down in Mexico City, the world championship starts on September 13 (round one), and today all eight participants are scheduled to give a press conference. This takes place at 1:30 p.m. Mexican time. A live broadcast was planned, but now is in doubt. In case it happens we give you all available information on how and where you can catch it.

Croatian talent Lara Stock makes WGM

9/10/2007 – She is just fifteen, and well on her way to becoming Croatia's strongest female player. At the Ninth International Chess Festival in Trieste (Italy) she scored 5.5 points in seven games, defeating two GMs and chalking up a 2550 performance. That was enough for her final WGM norm – a draw in the last round would have made it a full GM norm. Meet Lara Stock.

China beats the UK by 28-20 points

9/10/2007 – Who, 25 years ago, would have imagined this possible? The decisive factor in this defeat was undoubtedly the Chinese players' tenacity and staying power. Time after time, the British players saw precious half points slip through their fingers in the fifth and six hours' of play, bowing to the time-limit and the incredible resourcefulness of their opponents. Illustrated report with an historical picture.

Kasparov in DNA: Anand is the favourite in Mexico

9/10/2007 – Today the Indian news portal DNA asked former world champion Garry Kasparov to predict who would win the world championship in Mexico. "I'm not trying to please your readers by saying that Vishy Anand is the clear favourite," he replied. Kasparov also takes the blame for the decade-long split in the chess world, calling his 1993 decision to break with FIDE "a mistake". Excerpts from the interview.

Who is this chess player – it was the Vish!

9/10/2007 – We asked you to guess who this smart young boy was, and provided some more or less helpful clues. Turns out it was Vishy Anand at six, depicted in an interesing article written by Manisha Mohite for the Indian news portal Sify, which printed a retrospect for the 60th anniversary of Indian Independence. Today, of course, Anand is the world's number one. The Story of Indian Chess

Second International Women's Tournament in Baku

9/9/2007 – This event, in a country that truly loves chess, features three local talents and seven international stars from seven different countries. The venue is Baku, the Pearl of the Caspian Sea, where our reporter Ali Nihat Yazici feels at home, because one can get around very nicely in Turkish. He has sent us a big report on the start of the event, which includes pictures and video impressions.

Edward Winter presents: Unsolved Chess Mysteries (14)

9/8/2007 – The latest selection from Chess Notes consists of ten positions, including fragments from games ascribed to Capablanca and Nimzowitsch. Was an alleged Bernstein victory a composition? What is known about a position in which Black resigned despite having an immediate win? Can more be discovered about the classic Fahrni pawn ending? Readers are invited to join in the hunt for clues.

Start your powerplay now

9/7/2007 – Not so long ago, Daniel King recorded the first parts in his exciting "Powerplay" series, which is intended to end up in a comprehensive video chess course on no less than nine DVDs. Bob Long has watched all four DVDs that have come out so far and found the latest one, 'Start right – start now', to be the best. Why don't you buy it now now or read Bobs review.

China leads the United Kingdom by 18-14

9/7/2007 – It's déjà vu all over again. After defeating Russia in Nizhniy Novgorod a week ago the Chinese team – four top GMs, two juniors and two ladies – is well on its way to do the same to the United Kingdom team, headed by Mickey Adams and Nigel Short. After four of six rounds they lead by four points. WGM Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant is the highest scorer with 3.5/4. Big illustrated report.

Birthday celebrations with live chess in Odessa

9/6/2007 – It has become a good tradition – once again chess events became an integral part of Odessa City’s birthday celebrations. There was blitz tournament for everyone in the Passage trading center, a mega-simul on 213 boards and a Living Chess display near the Vorontsov’s Palace. GM Mikhail Golubev and Lena Ivanova (photos) have filed a big illustrated report.

Mexico preview: Levon Aronian, the great Armenian hope

9/6/2007 – Last week our Playchess trainer Dennis Monokroussos examined two encounters between Kramnik and Anand; this week he continues his preview of the participants in the upcoming World Championship tournament in Mexico City with a portrait of the young and very much up and coming Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian. Be there and watch.

Aroshidze wins Banyoles, Nigel Short talks about chess

9/6/2007 – It was Georgian GM Levan Aroshidze who took first prize at the Tenth Banyoles Chess Festival, which ended in late August. Top seed Nigel Short had to retire from the event after five rounds (having scored 4½ points) due to an acute back ailment. But not before he gave fans a highly entertaining two-hour lecture on his chess career. We have videos thereof.

Private Pähtz on the attack at the NATO Championship

9/5/2007 – The 18th NATO Chess Championship is taking place in Beytepe-Ankara, Turkey. Combat dress uniforms are discouraged, the soldiers play in civilian clothing. The top seed is IM and former Junior World Champion Elisabeth Pähtz, who is leading with 13 other players after three rounds. But is this wisp of a girl a real soldier in the NATO forces? You better believe it.

Anand: I never really thought of chess as a career

9/5/2007 – Thirty years ago, in the south Indian city of Chennai (Madras), a young boy showed an unusual talent for chess. But in spite of the general perception that it was a game for old fogies, the family of Vishy Anand spent time, money and effort to fuel the ambitions of their son – who is now the highest ranked player on the planet. Anand talks candidly about the beginnings in this charming Sify interview.

Seventh PAL/CSS Freestyle Tournament with $16,000 up for grabs

9/5/2007 – A "Freestyle tournament" is one in which computer assistance – or help in any conceivable form – during the game is allowed and encouraged. The Seventh PAL/CSS Freestyle tournament will take place on the Playchess server on Sept. 7th-9th and 15th-16th. The main sponsor, the PAL Group in Abu Dhabi (UAE), has provided a $16,000 dollar prize fund. Join the fun.

Chess in Amsterdam and Haarlem

9/4/2007 – With any chess tournament, there is always the question of what to do on those days when you are not playing. Unless you are a dedicated soul, who spends the whole of the rest day analysing, you will want to find some ways to relax. Steve Giddins, an expert on the subject (of relaxing) takes us to the beautiful city of Haarlem, where the BDO tournament was held. A chess tourist's guide.

NH Tournament: Rising Stars beat Experience Grandmasters 26½-23½

9/3/2007 – After ten tough rounds of top-level chess it was the younger players – Karjakin, Cheparinov, Smeets, Stellwagen and Negi – who were victorious. The veterans battled to within a single point, but a 1½-3½ disaster in the last round spoiled it for them. The best player was Sergey Karjakin (score: 7/10, performance: 2759), who earned a ticket to the Amber tournament next year. Final report.

Navara beats Short 7-3 in CEZ Trophy

9/3/2007 – The CEZ Chess Trophy 2007, August 30 to Sept 2nd, had two ten-game rapid chess matches: former world championship challenger Nigel Short took on top Czech grandmaster David Navara; and chess legend Jan Timman faced the top female Czech player Jana Jackova. Six games were in regular chess, four in Fischer Random Chess (with shuffled pieces). Illustrated report.

The GM Journey of Amon Simutowe

9/2/2007 – Born in Zambia, a country of resplendent beauty, the lad had originally set his dreams on being a striker for the Zambian national football team, after starring at the youth level. However, his life was changed forever when his brother Solomon introduced him to chess at the age of ten. Today Amon Simutowe is the first sub-Saharan African to complete his GM norms. Portrait by Daaim Shabazz.

4th Dato’ Arthur Tan Open: the “Empire” Strikes Back!

9/1/2007 – It happened again! Just like in the year 2005, the 4th IGB Dato’ Arthur Tan Malaysia Open again saw the triumph of an untitled player, Li Chao, against a sea of GMs, IMs and WGMs – 87 players from 15 countries. Also, as was the case two years’ back, this untitled player again turned out to have originated from China… Big pictorial report by Edwin Lam Choong Wai.

Spanish, Sicilian, Slav, Najdorf, Caro-Kann, Nimzo, King’s Indian and Petroff

9/1/2007 – Alexei Shirov, Latvian/Spanish Super-GM, is not only one of the most exciting players in the world today, an uncompromising fighter who never fails to inspire chess fans with his attacking ideas. He is one of the finest and most prolific chess trainers as well. Look at the widely diverse series of high-class training DVDs he has produced. Pick a couple and improve your chess with Alexei Shirov.

FIDE Ethics Commission rules on Short and Topalov/Danailov

8/31/2007 – After intense deliberation over the complaints brought against Nigel Short, who had criticised top FIDE officers, and Veselin Topalov and Silvio Danailov for accusing Vladimir Kramnik of cheating during the 2006 World Championship, the Ethics Commission has issued severe reprimands against the latter, while Nigel was warned for using the word "dunderhead". Full judgements.