Ponomariov: 'I am on my way back!'

9/28/2005 – In 2002 the 18-year-old Ruslan Ponomariov won the FIDE World Championship to become the youngest title-holder in history. A year later he was scheduled to play a reunification match against Garry Kasparov. After venue changes and long negotiations the match was eventually cancelled. For the first time Ponomariov speaks about this traumatic time in an exclusive interview.

San Luis World Championship – who will win?

9/27/2005 – Recently Garry Kasparov estimated that there was a 95% chance of either Anand, Topalov or Leko winning the world title. Nigel Short argued that, surely, the other five world-class GMs had more than a 5% chance, and offered Kasparov a 1:17 bet. Now statisician Jeff Sonas gives us the precise mathematical figures.

European Youth Championship: the winners

9/26/2005 – This very popular tournament was organised by the Serbia & Montenegro Chess Federation and held in Herceg Novi, a small tourist town in Montenegro, very close to Croatian border. 643 players from 42 different countries took part, playing in ten groups, from Under 18 to Under 10, boys and girls. We bring you top results, games and pictures.

Tomsk wins European Club Cup

9/25/2005 – It was as close as you can get: three teams tied for first, with an equal number of match points. Tomsk-400 won the title by half a point in board points. And the women's section? It was as close as you can get: three teams tied for first, with an equal number of match points. NTN Tbilisi won the title by half a point in board points! Big illustrated report.

Ilyumzhinov: 'In principle Kramnik can play the winner'

9/24/2005 – A few days before the start of the World Championship in San Luis FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has stated, in an interview with Russian newspaper Sports Express, that classical chess world champion could get a chance to play against the winner. In principle. The condition is that two million dollars prize money are found, and that the FIDE champion accepts the challenge.

San Luis: the players arrive

9/24/2005 – Some came a full week early, by plane from their European or Russian homes; others flew to Buenos Aires and took a bus to their final destination in San Luis. We have sightings of Topalov, Svidler, Adams, Polgar, Leko and Kasimdzhanov. Morozevich is on the way, Anand is due in on Monday. Looks like the games can begin.

Maradona and Needleman – Karpov's Argentine Adventure

9/24/2005 – On a recent goodwill trip to Argentina former world champion Anatoly Karpov played a couple of interesting game. One was in "living chess" against the soccer star Diego Maradona, who is now a talkshow host. The other was in a simultaneous exhibition against chess youth. Oh, and he also challenged Fischer to a match. Illustrated report (with more pictures).

Feedback on intelligent mistakes

9/23/2005 – The ChessBase Workshop column on "intelligent mistakes" and chess computer handicap modes has generated a great deal of response (and suggestions) from our readers. We take a look at a sampling of these responses in the latest ChessBase Workshop.

Short challenges Kasparov: who will win?

9/23/2005 – In less than a week the FIDE World Championship will take place in San Luis. Garry Kasparov has said that there is a 95% chance that one of the trio Anand, Topalov or Leko will take the title. Nigel Short, who is the official commentator at the event, would like to wager money on one of the other five – at 17:1 odds. What are the true chances?

21st European Club Cup in Saint-Vincent

9/22/2005 – This top event is taking place in the a mountain town in Italy, with 48 men's and 11 women's teams. Ther is a sterling array of grandmasters, amongst them Vladimir Kramnik, who leads the NAO Chess Club. But last year's winners are now languishing in 11th place. We bring you games, results and pictures, as well as an interesting interview with Vladimir Kramnik.

Volokitin wins Young Masters in Lausanne

9/22/2005 – Ukrainian champion Andrei Volokitin, 19, won the prestigious Young Maters tournament in Lausanne, Switzerland, beating reigning US champion Hikaru Nakamura in the final of the eight-player knockout event. Third was Shakhiyar Mamedyarov, 20, from Azerbaidjan, ahead of India's Pentala Harikrishna. Report, games and pictures.

'It's like London, Gastings and Gaaga-Moscow'

9/22/2005 – Alexander Morozevich is one of the most talented and imaginative players in the world, a true “belle époque” chess master who could well produce the most interesting games at the San Luis world championship. "Moro", who can be taken lightly by nobody, fears Peter Leko most. Here are his answers to the ten question of the organiser.

FIDE World Cup with $1.5 million prize in Khanty-Mansiysk

9/21/2005 – The world chess federation has found a sponsor for its 128-player knockout World Cup, to be held from Dec. 3rd to 25 this year. Remarkably the prize fund will be US $1.5 million, with FIDE President Ilyumzhinov putting up $300,000 of his own money. The venue is Khanty-Mansiysk in Russia. We can tell you where on earth that is.

Chess on TV: Golden Blitz in Jazz Town

9/21/2005 – Why is there so little chess on TV. Why must this great game play hundred and second fiddle to other shows? The recent Golden Blitz tournament in Moscow was designed with a television audience in mind and was a make-or-break test for chess on TV. In a big illustrated report Misha Savinov tells us how things went in this pioneer effort.

Is 2.Qh5 the future of chess?

9/20/2005 – The young American star Nakamura has recently played 2.Qh5 after 1.e4 e5 and 1.e4 c5. What will he do next? IMs Jacob Aagaard and John Shaw discuss this and anything else of interest in the world of chess. The show starts on Wednesday at 20.30 CET.

Whitewashing Young Masters in Lausanne

9/18/2005 – Eight of the strongest, most promising talents in international chess, male and female, are playing a knockout tournament in the Swiss town of Lausanne. In the first round we were treated to a demonstration of what a 200+ Elo point difference and a bit of experience mean: a 2-0 whitewash. Illustrated report.

Kasimdzhanov vs Anand – a preview of San Luis

9/18/2005 – The will clash at the FIDE world championship in San Luis later this month: Indian Super-GM Vishy Anand and the Uzbek title-holder Rustam Kasimdzhanov. In his Monday night Playchess lecture Dennis Monokroussos us a very instructive game played between the two earlier this year. Enjoy!

Almira Skripchenko – Discovering China part two

9/18/2005 – Jinan is south of Beijing, a city with a population of over five million, which recently staged a chess tournament with twelve ladies from different parts of the world. "Beautiful and famous chessplayers welcome!" was the motto. Almira Skripchenko, who was one of the players, sent us a big report with her own personal impressions.

Van Wely, Peng win Dutch Championship

9/17/2005 – In the end it boiled down to the better nerves, which according to the official bulletin were "shrieking". In the final round reigning champion Loek van Wely drew Sergey Tiviakov to retain his title. In the women's section Peng Zhaoqin went through with a two-point lead. Illustrated report.

Adams: 'The strongest player will win'

9/17/2005 – Michael Adams, Britain's strongest GM ever, has twice been a hair's breath away from the world championship title. Once he lost to Anand in the semi-finals, last year in the finals to Rustam Kasimdzhanov. In San Luis later this month Adams gets another go at it. Here are his answers to the ten (well, to eight) questions of the organiser.

The making of a world record

9/16/2005 – On August 1st former women's world champion Susan Polgar played against 326 players, breaking the previous world record held by IM Andrew Martin, and a number of others in the process. We received a letter from Martin asking for details. Susan Polgar replied, describing the world record attempts in fascinating detail.

Kasimdzhanov: 'Nerves will prevail'

9/15/2005 – Rustam Kasmidzhanov was the surprise winner of the last FIDE (knock-out) world championship in Tripoli, defeating the likes of Ivanchuk, Grischuk, Topalov and Adams on his way to the title. In San Luis the GM from Uzbekistan will defend his title. Here he answers the ten obligatory questions of the organiser.

Youth Championship in the Black Mountains

9/15/2005 – The European Youth Chess Championship 2005 has started,with 643 players from 42 different countries, in the town of Herceg Novi, on the coast of Montenegro. It lasts from September 13-24. Our reporter Ali Nihat Yazici was so enchanted by the venue that he is appealing to all our readers: call and come!

Ponomariov, Kosteniuk win Golden Blitz in Moscow

9/14/2005 – A knockout blitz tournament was held in the Jazz Town Casino in Moscow, with eight male and four female players. It was organised by the ACP and broadcast on NTV + Sport. The winners were former FIDE world champion Ruslan Ponomariov and reigning Russian women's champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. Illustrated report by Pufichek.