Morelia R4: Anand, Carlsen win, Anand leads in Morelia

2/22/2007 – Alexander Morozevich played an excellent game, holding out against Vishy Anand's aggressive intentions until just before the first time control. There the Russian GM lost track, an important pawn and eventually the game. Meanwhile Magnus Carlsen scored a fighting 60-move black win against Vassily Ivanchuk. Pictures and videos.

Florencio Campomanes turns eighty

2/22/2007 – Three weeks ago Florencio Campomanes suffered a serious car accident and has been hospitalised in Antalya, Turkey, ever since. Today the long-time (1982-1995) president of the world chess organisation celebrates his eightieth birthday. We congratulate him and bring you a comprehensive look back at the Campo years.

Phuket is back – an invitation to paradise

2/22/2007 – Phuket is ready and prepared to host the next Bangkok Chess Club Open at the opulent Graceland Resort & Spa. The sights of crystal clear blue-green water, white sand beaches, and tropical island flora and fauna should be enough to entice anyone to visit, but throw in the weighty GM-billed tournament and this one simply can’t be resisted.

Kasparov speaks to the Foreign Policy Association

2/21/2007 – "History teaches us they are ideas worth fighting for and worth dying for," said Garry Kasparov in his speech to this prestigious organisation in New York. "The current Kremlin regime under Vladimir Putin is in some ways a new and difficult cancer to diagnose and treat." Strong words from the former World Champion. Video and transcript.

Sometimes a weakness is just a weakness

2/20/2007 – Contemporary chess is about concrete, dynamic play. Material is sacrificed, weaknesses are accepted, and pieces move to strange squares – as long as it works! Nevertheless, say our Playchess lecturer Dennia Monokroussos, we some need to heed Freud's adage.

Morelia R3: Anand beats Carlsen, leads with Ivanchuk

2/20/2007 – Another exciting round, with Anand outplaying Carlsen with black and joining Ivanchuk in the lead. Alexander Morozevich turned a dangerous position into a clear win against Aronian, but missed a key line that would have got him the full point. Veselin Topalov and Peter Leko fought a theory battle that ended in a draw. Full pictorial report with GM commentary.

Andrew Martin – Lights, Camera, Action

2/20/2007 – This week's Radio ChessBase Show on Playchess.com comes from Davenport, Iowa, where the temperatures are freezing but the chess action red hot. Using modern technology IM Andrew Martin will bring you pictures, whether you want them or not...

Morelia R2: Ivanchuk beats Topalov

2/19/2007 – The shock of the day came at the end of the first time control. Veselin Topalov, a pawn down against Ivanchuk, played a colossal blunder that lost instantaneously. Carlsen pressed against Levon Aronian with black, Leko was unable to overcome Morozevich. Anand drew Svidler after overcoming technical difficulties. Full report with analysis and video.

Snowflakes are fallin' on the Aeroflot Open 2007

2/19/2007 – After months of temperate climate the traditional Russian winter has returned to Moscow, where the Sixth Aeroflot Festival is taking place in Moscow from February 13th to 23rd. The prize fund for all tournament groups is $200,000. After six of nine rounds GM Stanislav Novikov leads. Games, results and impressions from Moscow by Misha Savinov.

Morelia first round pictorial report

2/18/2007 – After struggling with such mundane things as jet lag and instable Internet connections your ChessBase team has finally settled down in Morelia and will be resuming normal reporting from now on. We start by supplying you with visual impressions of the first round, of the players taking up battle at the highest levels of chess. Pictures and videos.

Morelia R1: Carlsen beats Morozevich

2/18/2007 – Magnus Carlsen beat Alexander Morozevich in a game lasting five and a quarter hours. Anand held Topalov to an effortless draw with the black pieces. Svidler and Aronian drew in 39 moves. Ivanchuk had Leko on the ropes but ran into deadly time trouble, and the game ended in a dramatic draw. Full analysis by GM Mihail Marin.

Super-GM Morelia-Linares begins today

2/17/2007 – Ready for another top event? The traditional Linares tournament, which since 2006 has been split in two halves, is starting its first leg today (Saturday). The venue is the state theatre in Morelia, Mexico, and participants Topalov, Ivanchuk, Leko, Morozevich, Svidler, Carlsen, Anand and Aronian. We bring you pictures and the pairing.

Zurab Azmaparashvili replies to Nigel Short

2/17/2007 – In an Indian newspaper the British GM called the FIDE Vice President a "dunderhead" who, as a member of the Appeals Committee during the world championship 2005 in Argentina, had spent most of his time away from the playing venue and was therefore singularly unsuited for the job. Now Zurab Azmaiparashvili fires back and Nigel short replies.

Teimour Radjabov withdraws from Morelia-Linares

2/16/2007 – The Mexican leg of this Super-GM is starting on Friday, with Topalov, Anand, Leko, Svidler, Aronian and others participating. But after a burglary of the hotel room of his father and trainer, and what he perceives as lack of support by the organisers, Teimour Radjabov has withdrawn his participation. He will be replaced by Vassily Ivanchuk. Breaking news.

Antalya – an invitation to Chess Part II

2/16/2007 – During our recent visit to Antalya we had an opportunity to witness a very moving spectacle: 1,300 children taking part in the Turkish Youth Championship, in age groups between 8 and 18. The venue, a five-star hotel resort, was swamped by chess playing kids, some showing remarkable talent, all showing great enthusiasm. Pictorial report.

Putting fire into the Petroff

2/15/2007 – Many players look on the Petroff or Russian Defence with the suspicion that it is a drawish and often boring opening. Who could be better suited for countering this view than Alexei Shirov? On his Petroff DVD he reveals the depths of this opening in no less than five hours of entertaining, instructive lessons. Buy it now or read more.

How Short defused the Advance Variation

2/14/2007 – Of the Caro-Kann, that is, which was considered an attacking system. But in the early 1990s British GM and 1993 World Championship finalist Nigel Short devised a system that starts off quietly. The fireworks come later, with quiet moves following unexpected violent ones. Let our Playchess lecturer Dennis Monokroussos show you the key game.

The Cables of Elista

2/14/2007 – Some time ago pictures surfaced, purporting to show computer cables hidden in the ceiling of a toilet used by Vladimir Kramnik during the world championship match in Elista last October. They were, we were told, reported to the authorities, who were keen to hush things up. In fact the Topalov team was put under considerable pressure (Silvio Danailov: "I was in fear for my life"). Pictures and story.

The Cables of Elista

2/14/2007 – Some time ago pictures surfaced, purporting to show cables in the ceiling of a toilet used by Kramnik during the WCh match in Elista. They were, we were told, reported to the authorities, who were keen to hush things up. In fact the Topalov team was put under considerable pressure (Silvio Danailov: "I was in fear for my life"). Pictures and story.

Edward Winter presents: Unsolved Chess Mysteries

2/14/2007 – Since Chess Notes began, over 25 years ago, hundreds of mysteries and puzzles have been discussed, with many of them being settled satisfactorily, often thanks to readers. Some matters, though, have remained stubbornly unsolvable – at least so far – and a selection of these is presented here. Readers are invited to join in the hunt for clues.

Andrew Martin – The Chess Clinic

2/13/2007 – Next week our Radio ChessBase Show on Playchess.com will pause while showmaster IM Andrew Martin travels to the United States to open a "Chess Clinic". This Wednesday he shows us that Black is more than OK, if our featured games are anything to go by. See you on the server.

The truly universal simultaneous master

2/12/2007 – Got a minute to spare? Here's a tiny but highly enjoyable video clip of a simultaneous master with a difference. Actually there have been players who could give simuls in different games, even blindfold, for instance Harry Nelson Pillsbury, who could play chess, checkers and whist at the same time. But this master takes it to a new level.

Dreev triumphs at Parsvnath International Open

2/11/2007 – Players came in heavy woolen clothing, braving "freezing temperatures" that went down to +10° Celsius. In the end it was seasoned Russian GM Alexey Dreev who took clean first in a field that included 345 players including 13 grandmasters. We bring you results, as many games as could be scratched up, and lots of pictures in this illustrated report.

ACP Survey: What do you think about draws?

2/11/2007 – Short, unfought draws are the bane of chess fans. That at least is the public perception. The Association of Chess Professionals (ACP), which has 227 members, has launched a questionnaire to find a remedy.