Parallels Summit 2013 attendees will have the opportunity to test their chess skills against Grand Master Magnus Carlsen. RENTON, WA – December 19, 2012. Parallels, the hosting and cloud services enablement leader, has announced a unique opportunity for Parallels Summit 2013 attendees to meet and challenge one of the smartest minds of our day, Magnus [...]

The National Chess Federation of the Philippines is pleased to invite you to participate in the 1st Chairman’s Cup International Chess Championship to be held at the Teachers Camp, Baguio City, Philippines on January 13 – 21, 2013. The 1st Chairman’s Cup International Chess Tournament will be played over 9 rounds using the Swiss System. [...]

In the latest issue of the New In Chess Yearbook (#104), there's a survey by Cuban IM Jose Vilela on the variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.0-0-0 Nbd7 10.Bd3 b5 11.Rhe1 Bb7 12.Qg3 b4 13.Nd5 exd5 14.exd5 Kd8 15.Nc6+ Bxc6 16.dxc6, and now the main move is 16...Nc5. I don't play either side of this line, but as I was a huge fan of the 6.Bg5...

The 12th Rochefort Open tournament is set to take place on 16th-22th February 2013 in the Congres Palais, in Rochefort, France. Just days before the huge Cappelle-la-Grande Open, the Rochefort Open is an excellent occasion for the players to test their preparation and use the perfect training opportunity. Over 100 players, of which more than [...]

Now we’ve had a bit over a week since the end of the London Classic I decided it was the right moment to look back at the tournament and take stock. My final score was somewhat disappointing; my aim was to pick up at least one win and, while I knew it would be difficult [...]

Στο  Μεγάλο Αρσενάλι, στο μεγαλύτερο νεώριο του Ενετικού Λιμανιού  της παλιάς  πόλης των Χανίων, θα χτυπά η καρδιά του σκακιού την πρώτη εβδομάδα της νέας χρονιάς. Οι καλύτεροι νέοι και νέες του αθλήματος θα δώσουν από...

Grandmaster and Asian champion Parimarjan Negi will start his campaign against Radoslav Wojtaszek of Poland in the first round of the AICF-AAI Chess Cup that got underway here in a glittering opening ceremony. For the first time in the annuls of Indian Chess history the tournament will cross the category 18 barrier according to ELO [...]

Τα Χριστούγεννα πλησιάζουν και εύχομαι καλές γιορτές σε όλους! Θα ήθελα να σας στείλω ένα μικρό δωράκι και γι’ αυτό ετοίμασα ένα νέο βιντεάκι για το πώς να αντιμετωπίσετε τη Γαλλική άμυνα αλλά και πώς να παίξετε μια...

After two rounds of the Classical games of the MAKITA Women Chess Match being played between Indonesia and France at the Sekolah Catur Utut Adianto in Jakarta, the younger Indonesian girls have taken a 5.5 to 2.5 lead. Following their first round 3-1 win, it was another win for the Indonesians in second round, this [...]

The 24th International Chess Tournament “Carlos Torre Repetto in Memoriam” took place on 14-19th December at Centro Cultural Olimpo in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. The tournament consisted of seven playing groups: Open Master, Yucatan (players rated 1700-1899), Merida (players rated 1500-1699), Kukulcan (players rated under 1500), Children’s U12, U10 and U8. The main Master group...

Τα σύντομα βιογραφικά των υποψηφίων της Σκακιστικής Ενότητας, όπως μου τα έστειλε ο Χρήστος Γκορίτσας.  Θα δημοσιεύσω, αν λάβω, και τα βιογραφικά της Νέας Σκακιστικής Κίνησης –  Κίνησης για την Αλλαγή – Μετώπου...

I have touched previously on a few of the players I have known, including Bad Hair Guy and Dr. Porsche, and on Meetings With Remarkable Chess Masters, but just as the chess board can be seen as a kind of miniature model of the Universe, so too can chess players represent the wondrous and amusing [...]

A while ago I offered a post in praise of an old issue of the Informant (issue 26, from 1978), but really it was in praise of the actual physical volume as compared to a computer database. (Not that I have anything against databases!) This time I'd like to return to that issue and note another gem excavated therein. Many of you have been around chess long enough to know who Tony Miles (1955-2001)...

Right after the London Chess Classic finished, another fun, elite event began. Beijing hosted the World Mind Games, and that included a chess component with separate rapid, blitz and blindfold competitions divided into men's and women's groups. Both fields featured a good chunk of their respective elites: the men's field included Levon Aronian, Sergey Karjakin, Teimour Radjabov, Hikaru Nakamura...

Just a quick note to thank the many positive commenters in the "Open Thread" for their support. It is for them, and most certainly not for the carpers (or in this case, carper), that I will continue. Without further ado...