Elista Finals round two: GM Mihail Marin comments

6/8/2007 – Four draws may seem like a boring day at the Candidates Final in Elista. But there was plenty of excitement and two very insteresting and instructive games. GM Mihail Marin shows us how Boris Gelfand piled on the pressure, while Gata Kamsky coolly defended; and how Alexei Shirov set the board on fire against Levon Aronian. There is a lot to be learnt from these games and the GM commentary.

Elista F3: Leko and Gelfand win, Junior beats Fritz

6/8/2007 – At halftime in the Candidates Finals in Elista Peter Leko scored another win against Evgeny Bareev, while Boris Gelfand did the same, but with the black pieces, against Gata Kamsky. Levon Aronian came very close to victory over Alexei Shirov but threw it away with a blunder in the end. Junior beat Fritz in a theoretically very interesting game in the computer match. Big pictorial report.

Infinite analysis

6/8/2007 – In the new ChessBase Workshop, our columnist revisits an old Fritz feature, Infinite analysis, and offers a new spin on it suggested by our readers. We also examine the related (and often misunderstood) "Lock engine" command. Learn more in the latest Workshop.

Kramnik on cheating and what to do about it

6/7/2007 – "Did you cheat in Elista?" That is the first question we put to Vladimir Kramnik on this touchy subject. "No, I never cheated in my life," he replied, "not in winning or losing, buying or selling games, and of course no cheating during a game." In part three of our interview the world champion speaks about accusations raised against him in Elista. Warning: this segment contains harsh language.

Elista Finals round one: GM Mihail Marin comments

6/7/2007 – Great news: the Candidates Finals in Elista will be annotated by Romanian grandmaster Mihail Marin, whose simple and instructive commentary turns the games into a wonderful training session for the ambitious player. Marin will provide express commentary on the day after each round, while the next ChessBase Magazine will carry comprehensive analysis. Look, enjoy and learn.

Dragging the hippopotamus from the Marshall

6/6/2007 – Frank Marshall was one of the world’s best players for a good chunk of that time. The American grandmaster was also a great opening innovator. Our Playchess trainer Dennis Monokroussos thinks that, to be frank, marshalling multiple games seems a fitting tribute to such a player. Visit Dennis' pun-filled lecture on Thursday at 9 pm ET!

Andrew Martin: Home advantage

6/6/2007 – Last week our Playchess trainer was in Hamburg, where he met a couple of good ol' friends, grandmasters all of them. what better way to start the radio show this week than with two games from the Hamburg Open. Andrew Martin shows us games by GMs Ftacnik and Berg. See you on the server.

Elista F01: Junior-Fritz drawn, Grischuk, Aronian, Leko win

6/6/2007 – President Ilyumzhinov's "Ultimate Computer Challenge" began with a grandmasterly draw between Deep Junior and Deep Fritz. In the afternoon the humans were fighting it out in the Candidates Finals, with Grischuk, Aronian and Leko winning their games, against Rublevsky, Shirov and Bareev respectively. Report with games, notes and pictures.

President's Cup computer vs computer match

6/5/2007 – It starts tomorrow, together with the finals of the Candidates Matches in Elista. The "Ultimate Computer Challenge", sponsored by FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, pits the reigning computer world champion Deep Junior against Deep Fritz, which beat world champion Vladimir Kramnik in 2006. To get in the mood for the machine match here is an article in the Washington Post.

A Turkish report on chess in Greece

6/5/2007 – "Greece is one of the most beautiful countries in the world," says Ali Nihat Yazici, President of the Turkish Chess Federation. "It has a strong chess tradition for 25 years". Ali should know – he is one of the most dynamic organisers in the world today. He writes about the Third World School Championships 2007 and the First International Chess Marketing Seminar in Kallithea. Pictorial report.

Elista Tiebreaks: Shirov, Gelfand, Aronian qualify

6/3/2007 – Alexei Shirov won two games in succession and drew the third against Michael Adams to move into the finals. Boris Gelfand beat Rustam Kasimdzhanov by the same score. Levon Aronian had a much tougher time against the bravest and most exciting player in the field: Magnus the Magnificent Carlsen, whom it took all the skill Lev could muster to beat. Full report with pictures and commentary.

Edward Winter presents: Unsolved Chess Mysteries (7)

6/2/2007 – The chess historian Edward Winter presents another selection of mysteries from Chess Notes. It includes an alleged game by Albert Einstein, the origin of the Trompowsky Opening, the termination of the 1984-85 world championship match, and the Marshall brilliancy which supposedly prompted a shower of gold coins. Readers are invited to join in the hunt for clues.

Elista R06: Bareev, Rublevsky advance, Polgar and Ponomariov out

6/2/2007 – Three players faced “must-win” games to stay alive in the event – only one of them managed it. Shirov beat Adams, to force the match into a playoff, but draws for Rublevsky and Bareev see them through to the second round, at the expense of Ponomariov and Polgar respectively. Magnus Carlsen pulled off a fine trick to hold Levon Aronian and force a playoff. Last chance saloon in Elista.

Kasparov live: Najdorf Vol. 3

6/2/2007 – What do you need to succeed in the Najdorf? Analysis and preparation is one thing of course but creativity and energy over the board is also essential, says Garry Kasparov. No wonder that the Najdorf was one of his most favourite and successful weapons. On his new DVD “Najdorf Vol. 3” you can feel the unique intensity of this great chess genius. Buy it now or read more.

Elista R05: Carlsen strikes back, Grischuk advances

6/1/2007 – After his loss against Levon Aronian 16-year-old Magnus Carlsen bounced back to win today's game and equal the score. Judit Polgar, fighting with her back to the wall, staved off defeat by mating Evgeny Bareev. A solid draw saw Alexander Grischuk through to the second round at the expense of Alexander Malakhov, whilst draws in the other games leave everything to play for tomorrow.

Vladimir Kramnik on the world of chess (Part 2)

6/1/2007 – Why is Veselin Topalov, former FIDE world champion, not playing in the Mexico world championship? Is it fair that if Kramnik does not win it he gets a rematch? Would he accept the winner of Mexico as the new champion? What is the ideal format of a world championship: tournament or match? How many games, what time controls? Kramnik answers in part two of our video interview.

The rest of the game

6/1/2007 – ChessBase has released a flurry of training DVDs, not only on the openings, but on other phases of the game as well. Two of these latter are Rustam Kasimdzhanov's "The Path to Tactical Strength" and Karsten Mueller's "Chess Endgames 3". Get a sneak peek at what's included on these training disks in the latest ChessBase Workshop.

Roman Dzindzichashvili in his prime

5/31/2007 – His name is hard to pronounce (gin-gee-hah-shvi-li is an approximation), and he is mainly engaged in producing books and videos these days. But our Playchess trainer Dennis Monokroussos acquaints us with the style of this top-notch GM with a tactical gem taken from 1973. See you all tonight on the server – Thursday at 9 pm ET!

North Cyprus, where all your wishes are fulfilled

5/31/2007 – Passing through difficult periods of its history, today North Cyprus has become a cultural center, full of legends, museums, castles and churches. The 200,000 people living in the northern part are friendly and hospitable, making you feel that you are part of a big family– like the chess family in Gens Una Sumus. WGM Elena Partac tells us about the Duzkaya international chess tournament.

Nigel Short tops the field at the 2007 Canadian Open

5/31/2007 – Ottawa, the capital of Canada, will host the 44th annual Canadian Open Chess Championship, at the four-star Ottawa Marriott in mid-July. It will be a star-studded, one-section event, with GMs Nigel Short, Vadim Milov and Sergey Tiviakov leading the field, which could top more than 250 players. Apart from chess there are lots of exciting things to see in the region. Reason to attend...

Elista R04: Kamsky and Leko through to the finals

5/31/2007 – Peter Leko won his third straight game to defeat Mikhail Gurevich, whilst Gata Kamsky did the same to Etienne Bacrot. Both are now at 3½:½ and in the next round. Wins for Grischuk and Bareev put them on the brink of match victory, whilst Aronian regained the lead against Carlsen. Adams moved ahead of Shirov after the latter blundered. Six decisive results, on a black day in Elista.

Bulgarian Chess Federation to FIDE: Let Topalov play!

5/30/2007 – Before the world championship match between Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik in Elista both players signed an agreement that said the loser of that match would not play in the 2007 World Championship in Mexico. That was Topalov, whose federation is now pleading for him to be allowed to participate – as the ninth player in the event. Press release.

China wins Women's Team Championship by two points

5/30/2007 – Their oldest player is 22, they are dedicated, determined and physically extremely fit. Nobody could stop the Chinese team, which took the golden trophy in the World Women's Team Championship in Yekaterinburg with consummate ease. Silver and Bronze went to Russia and Ukraine. Our correspondent from the tournament site, WGM Elmira Mirzoeva, provides a spectacular final report.

Vladimir Kramnik on the world of chess (Part 1)

5/30/2007 – How is his health, has his illness been cured? How does he like married life? What were the problems regarding his participation in the upcoming world championship in Mexico? What happens if he does not win this tournament? Is he sufficiently motivated to try? We have conducted a long video interview with World Champion Vladimir Kramnik and bring you, in multiple parts, his candid answers.