One of the Key strategies seen at master level is to use greater mobility to switch the attack from one target to another. The side with less mobility pieces can have difficulties in bringing pieces to defend on the other side of the board.Here is a very instructive example with notes based on analysis by … Continue reading "Switching the Attack : Reshevsky vs Gligoric"

European Senior Chess Championship 2018 took place from 3rd-13th August in Drammen, Norway. The Championship was played in 9 rounds, Swiss system, with time control 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move one, with the total prize [...]

The 11th Arad International Chess Festival is a 9-round Swiss open taking place from 5-12 August 2018 in the Continental Hotel in Arad, Rumania. The event is organised by the Vados Chess Club Arad. In Group A 254 players took part. The winner is GM Levente Vajda with 7,5 points out of 9. Eight players [...]

“A dream becomes a goal when action is taken toward its achievement” Bo Bennett (businessman) This is an opening beginners do not understand at all. First of all Black invites White to occupy the center with pawns; secondly Black moves the same piece a few times in a row, losing tempi. Why would anyone choose … Continue reading "Need Sure Points? Alekhine’s Defence Edition"

8th international chess festival „Riga Technical University Open 2018” took place on August 6th – 12th in already traditional venue – international exhibition centre “Kipsala”. In the A group 260 players took part. The winner is GM Robert Hovhannisyan with 7,5 points out of 9 and better tie-break from the second placed GM Manuel Petrosyan. [...]

The 27th Kavala International Open is a 9-round Swiss tournament taking place from 5-11 August 208 at the Foyer of Prefecture Amphitheatre in Kavala, Greece and is organized by the Kavala Chess Club and East Macedonia & Thrace Chess Union. In the Group A 133 players took part. The winner is GM Vojtech Plat with [...]

It’s often possible to sacrifice a rook for a minor piece, pawn and positional compensation. My Dad says that Tigran Petrosian and Leonid Stein were both great masters of this, and there are plenty of more recent cases. Here’s a game by Vishy Anand featuring a very positional exchange sacrifice with 26…Rxc5. Black gets a … Continue reading "Positional Exchange Sacrifice"

Ethereal, a future star of computer chess software

The captain of the Italy team GM Arthur Kogan was in Sofia and found some time to speak with our editor GM Marian Petrov. MP Hello Arthur, welcome to Sofia. You are here for the VIII World Team Chess Championship for Blind and Visually Impaired. Can you tell us more about it? AK It was [...]

Continuing my analysis of last season’s games, game number 2 was a B team game against a lower rated opponent. I was unwell and emailed my captain to tell him I couldn’t play, but he didn’t pick up the message so I turned up and reluctantly had to take part. I made less than nothing … Continue reading "2017-18 Season (2)"

The 7th Annual Washington International is a 9-round Swiss tournament taking place in Rockville, Maryland, USA from 11-15 August 2018. The A section is for players with a FIDE rating of 2100 or above. The time control is 90 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 20 minutes to the end of the game, with a [...]

Chinese no. 1 Ding Liren returns after injury in his home city of Wenzhou with a 4-game match against former World Champion Veselin Topalov from Bulgaria. The match is accompanied by a match between former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi and Nana Dzagnidze from Georgia. The time control is 90 minutes for 40 moves, then [...]

Beginners serious about studying chess know that they can improve by studying the games of master players. However, with so many master level games available, how does the beginner choose an appropriate player to study? By finding games that reinforce the game’s principles clearly. While most advanced players don’t study the games of Paul Morphy … Continue reading "Why Study...

The Olomouc Chess Summer is a festival taking place from 11-18 August 2018 in Olomouc, Czechia. We broadcast the GM and 2 IM tournaments, plus the Open. Players receive 90 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes to the end of the game, plus a 30-second increment starting from move one. Live game with [...]

The AICF Women Grandmaster is a 12-player round-robin tournament taking place from 9-16 August 2018 in Gochi Bowli, Hyderabad, India. Players receive 90 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes to the end of the game, plus a 30-second increment starting from move one. Live game with analysis will be provided daily with the [...]