The solution to last Monday’s problem is that White can draw with 1. Kb7! Kc4 2. Kc7 d5 3 Kc6. But 1. Ka7 loses to 1…Kc4 and 1. Kb8 loses to 1…Kc6. The problem shows that care is needed even in simple positions. This week’s problem illustrates the dangers of taking pawns with your queen […]

The 15th Annual Manhattan Open will be held from July 29-31, at the Hotel Pennsylvania, 401 Seventh Ave., New York, USA. The event has 6 sections: Open, Under 2200, Under 1900, Under 1600, Under 1300 and Under 1000. Each section has either a 3-day schedule (July 29-31) or 2-day schedule (July 30-31) to participate in. [...]

The German Chess Federation, ZMDI Chess Festival Dresden and UKA Meissen are organizing the German Masters 2016 from 30th July to 7th August in Dresden. The tournament will be a ten-player round robin with top German female players and will serve as a good warm-up for the Chess Olympiad in Baku. Participants: Elisabeth Pähtz, IM, [...]

(Φωτογραφία): Στιγμιότυπο από το μεσονύχτιο ομαδικό τουρνουά μπλιτς που έγινε το Σάββατο το βράδυ στην Παλαιόχωρα. Συνεχίζεται το 9ο Διεθνές Τουρνουά της Παλαιόχωρας, στη νότια Κρήτη. Συμμετέχουν 228 σκακιστές και...

World champion Magnus Carlsen was crowned with the traditional txapela, a winner’s symbol in this region, at the closing ceremony of the 9th Bilbao Grand Slam Masters Final. With four wins, one loss and five draws on the scoreboard, Carlsen has secured clear first place with a round to spare. In the last 10th round [...]

Second-seed Rahul Srivatshav P of India pounced on a defensive misstep to take down Ukrainian top-seed Fide Master (FM) Viktor Matviishen in Friday’s sixth round and wrest the solo leadership in the 14th Dubai Juniors Chess Tournament – Sheikh Maktoum Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club. Official website The Indian [...]

In the past three weeks I’ve looked at three events designed to bring chess to a wider public. Nette Robinson staged a combination of a blitz tournament and a jazz gig, which appealed to both chess and music fans. Nette is also a talented artist, and has combined chess with art in the past. Matthew […]

Vladivostok in Russian Far East is currently holding a series of summer chess events. The festival opened with Tikhookeanskiy Meridian, 11-round Swiss rapid tournament with the time control 15 min + 10 sec. Among 76 participants, Grandmasters Grigoriy Oparin, Dmitry Kokarev and Ivan Rozum shared the first place with 9,0/11 points each, leaving the nearest [...]

UAE’s Candidate Masters Sultan Al Zaabi and Omran Al Hosani drop to joint second place in Dubai Juniors Chess Tournament  Top 10 standings after round 4 1 Rahul Srivatshav P IND 2273 4 2 FM Mohammad Fahad Rahman BAN 2157 4 3 FM Matviishen Viktor UKR 2390 4 4 CM Ahmadzada Ahmad AZE 2099 4 [...]

(Στη φωτογραφία η Σταυρούλα Τσολακίδου στον αγώνα του 2ου γύρου). Ξεκίνησε στη Σλοβακία η Σκακιστική Ολυμπιάδα για παίκτες κάτω των 16 ετών με τη συμμετοχή 54 ομάδων. Η ελληνική ομάδα αγωνίζεται με τη Σταυρούλα...

Live games with computer analysis

World champion Magnus Carlsen has secured the winner’s trophy in 9th Bilbao Grand Slam Masters Final with one round to go. Carlsen has 16 points from 9 games (football scoring), five points ahead of the nearest follower Hikaru Nakamura. This will be Carlsen’s third “Txapela” from Bilbao. In the ninth round Carlsen scored a victory [...]

A young student of mine asked me why he should learn a number of different openings rather than simply apply sound opening principles. On the surface, you might dismiss this question as rather silly, but he brings up a good point. When learning how to play chess, we learn that there are specific principles to […]

Komodo and Stockfish have played a brilliant Stage 2 of the Top Chess Engine Championship, that finished today with an exciting final round. Both engines scored 22,5/30, leaving opposition four points behind. Komodo, with a slightly better SB tiebreak, has clinched the gold medal. However, the real race remains in the upcoming Stage 3, that [...]

Four Emiratis, 9 others lead in Maktoum Bin Hamdan Cup International Junior Chess Tournament Candidate Masters Sultan Al Zaabi and Omran Al Hosani continue to show fine form in 110-player Dubai Juniors Chess Tournament Top 14 standings after round 3 1 Rahul Srivatshav P IND 2273 3 2 FM Mohammad Fahad Rahman BAN 2157 3 [...]