Reactions to Milener's draw diagnosis

5/7/2008 – In his recent chess-3 essay Gene Milener claimed that chess variants like shogi indicate that the high draw rate in chess is due to insufficient piece power in the game. He then described a variant that would add piece power while being as close to chess as possible. Reactions to the essay ranged from interest to disdain. Here is a selection of feedback from our readers.

Edward Winter's Chess Explorations (1)

5/6/2008 – Moving on from mysteries, the chess historian Edward Winter now turns to myths. Euwe's 'sportsmanship' in playing a rematch against Alekhine in 1937, allegations that Frederick Yates gassed himself, and the Lasker v Janowsky match wrongly called a world title contest. These cases are explored by the Editor of Chess Notes, who sets out the facts here.

Baku R13: Gashimov, Wang and Carlsen win Grand Prix

5/5/2008 – There are three winners of the First FIDE Grand Prix in Baku: Vugar Gashimov, Wang Yue and Magnus Carlsen, all of whom ended at 8.0/13 points. The leaders Gashimov and Wang drew their games, while the incredible Magnus Carlsen scored his second win in succession (when it mattered!) to join the leading group. We bring you games, results, prizes, photos and videos.

Baku R12: Five wins, two draws, Gashimov and Wang lead

5/5/2008 – Azeri GM Vugar Gashimov defeated Alexander Grischuk to take the lead away from the Russian player. He joined Wang Yue of China in the lead. Magnus Carlsen defeated Michael Adams to join the pursuers half a point behind. Peter Svidler and David Navara won their black games against Gata Kamsky and Teimour Radjabov. Full report with analysis, pictures and videos.

GM Nigel's Radio Revs – here to answer your questions

5/5/2008 – Once a week grandmaster Nigel Davies gives live online training on the Playchess server, from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m. UK time. That means it starts at midnight CEST, 6 p.m. New York or 08:00 a.m. Sidney. This time, due to team commitment, the show will be on Tuesday, May 6th. Send in your questions.

Plovdiv: Playoffs of the European Individual Championships

5/4/2008 – Sergey Tiviakov and Kateryna Lahno won their titles outright, but there were a number of playoffs for the medals and places in the FIDE World Cup. Reconstruction everything was not easy, but we have tried to prepare a clear overview of the games, results, medal winners and qualifiers. We bring you these together with a big pictorial report from Plovdiv.

Plovdiv: Tiviakov, Lahno win European Individual Championships

5/3/2008 – One round before the end eight players were tied for first. All top games of the final round were drawn, except that Sergey Tiviakov defeated Emil Sutovsky to take the title of European Champion all by himself. In the women's section Kateryna Lahno became the champion with and identical score (8.5/10) and a 2600+ performance. Full report with commentary by Sergey Tiviakov.

Baku R11: Wang Yue beats Svidler to join Grischuk

5/3/2008 – The period of sole leadership for Alexander Grischuk is over. The Russian GM drew with Magnus Carlsen in round eleven, while Wang Yue from China scored a victory over Peter Svidler. Grischuk and Wang now lead with 7.0/11 and 2800+ performances. Ernesto Inarkiev defeated Etienne Bacrot after the latter committed the blunder of the tournament. Full report.

Plovdiv: Exciting final round on Friday

5/2/2008 – In the men's section of the European Individual Championships 2008 no ness than eight players are tied for first – and they all play each other in the final round. In the women's section GM Kateryna Lahno of the Ukraine leads, with four internationally known player in hot pursuit. Others can only pray. Come and watch the final action on the Playchess server.

Baku R10: Heavy rain and six draws in FIDE Grand Prix

5/2/2008 – It was raining cats, dogs and half-points today, our friends in the Azerbaijan capital tell us. Karjakin came close to beating Gashimov with black, and Peter Svidler was two pawns down against Bacrot with white. Both games were drawn. Only Ivan Cheparinov continued his remarkable comeback with yet another win, with black against Radjabov. Full report with exciting rain pictures.

Plovdiv: Three players lead in men's and women's section

4/30/2008 – 6.5 points from eight games – that is the score shared by three grandmasters in the men's section and two grandmasters and an IM in the women's section. Emil Sutovsky, Pavel Tregubov and Sergei Movsesian lead in the former, Kateryna Lahno, Anna Ushenina and Pia Cramling in the latter. Three rounds are left in the European Individual Championships 2008. Illustrated report.

Baku R9: Grischuk wins, leads alone in Baku

4/30/2008 – Another exciting round with four decisive games – even the three draws were generally hard-fought. The prodigy duel Karjakin-Carlsen was drawn after 55 moves. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov beat David Navara with black, Radjabov and Adams beat Kamsky and Svidler with white. Alexander Grischuk vs Ernesto Inarkiev ended in victory for Grischuk, who took the sole lead in the table. Full illustrated report.

Baku R8: Inarkiev and Mamedyarov win

4/30/2008 – Ernesto Inarkiev beat David Navara when the latter got into terrible time trouble and let it slip. Inarkiev's drawing average in this tournament is 25% – two out of eight games. Local hero Shakhriyar Mamedyarov defeated Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine, who seems to be running out of strength. And Wang Yue continues to apply Tiger Balm White before the game. Full report with pictures and videos.

Everyone loves the Dragon Sicilian

4/29/2008 – Maybe they don't enjoy playing or facing it, but if nothing else it's often a lot of fun watching games in that variation. That's what our Playchess.com lecturer Dennis Monokroussos will do this week. A treat for present-day dragoneers.

Topalov in TV bank commercial

4/28/2008 – Guess who did a cute little ad in Bulgarian TV. Oops, we told you who in the headline, didn't we? Well, it is really nice 30-second commercial and well worth watching. The dialog is in Bulgarian, but one of our readers supplied us with a transcription and a translation. You can view the commercial on YouTube.

Baku R7: Four wins in a fighting round

4/28/2008 – Gata Kamsky scored his first duck in Baku against local boy Vugar Gashimov, to relinquish his lead in the table. Gashimov used the victory to climb to the top. Carlsen beat Radjabov with black, Sergey Karjakin took a full point from Ernesto Inarkiev. And Ivan Cheparinov won his second game in succession, beating Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Full report with pictures and videos.

Plovdiv: Movsesian and Sutovsky lead

4/27/2008 – Two players, Sergei Movsesian of Slovakia and Emil Sutovsky of Israel, are in the lead, each having conceded just one draw in the first six rounds of the European Individual Championships 2008. In the women's section three IMs share the top slot. The event is taking place in Plovdiv, a town that is older than Rome, Carthage or Constantinople. Big photo report by Diana Mihajlova.

Baku R6: Kamsky beats Adams, joins the leaders

4/27/2008 – British GM Michael Adams was under a lot of pressure by Brooklyn Boy Gata Kamsky, who was two pawns up. Just when it seemed that Adams was heading for a draw Kamsky outplayed him very nicely in the rook ending. Now Gata shares the lead with Alex and Wang. Ivan Cheparinov scored a full point, with black, against Ernesto Inarkiev. Full report with pictures and videos.

Have you found your favourite Fritz Trainer DVD?

4/25/2008 – John Watson, famous author and one of the great critics of chess books and software, did. Kasimdzhanov's King's Indian DVD is not the latest one in the Fritz Trainer series but it will give you lots of ideas and enjoyment. 'You'll like it even if you're a 1 e4 player who never intends to get near the King's Indian as White or Black.'. Buy it now or read Watson's review with sampler.

Baku R5: Wang Yue beats Karjakin with the Berlin

4/25/2008 – Actually the Chinese GM was, in his own words, "lucky to win this game", with the Berlin Defence of the Ruy Lopez. Around move 25 his Ukrainian opponent started to lose concentration and play dubious moves. In the end Karjakin could not hold the rook ending. All other games of round five were drawn. Express report with games, pictures and videos.

Baku R3: a fighting day with five decisive games

4/24/2008 – It was certainly an exciting third round, with victories chalked up by Magnus Carlsen, Vugar Gashimov, Etienne Bacrot, Sergey Karjakin (picture) and Alexander Grischuk, who is now in the lead with 2.5/3 at the Grand Prix in Baku. Five players share the second slot with 2.0 points. Ivan Cheparinov, the second of Veselin Topalov, has still to score anything. Full report with pictures and videos.

Plovdiv: ten players with perfect scores

4/24/2008 – After three rounds of the European Individual Championships 2008 there are ten players in the men's section who have won all three games. 36 players have conceded a single draw. In the women's section five players have perfect scores, followed by 22 with a single draw so far. We bring you games and standings, and a insider impressions of the atmosphere in this pictorial report by Diana Mihajlova.

Edward Winter presents: Unsolved Chess Mysteries (28)

4/24/2008 – The cast in this further selection from Chess Notes includes not only Morphy, Steinitz and Lasker but also Charlie Chaplin and Harpo Marx. Other players are Harrwitz, Greco and Ruy López. As usual, readers are invited to join in the hunt for clues. And now there is also an opportunity to obtain inscribed copies of books by the chess historian. Fascinating material.

Baku R4: Adams beats Navara, Wang Yue beats Cheparinov

4/24/2008 – What is wrong with Ivan Cheparinov? The young Bulgarian GM, just a few points shy of 2700 on the rating list, has lost all four games so far. Today he went down to Wang Yue, whom he had knocked out in round four of the FIDE World Cup last December. Meanwhile Michael Adams beat David Navara. The Prime Minister of Azerbaijan visited round four. Full report with games, pictures and videos.