Online chess community where you can play chess, learn strategies and tactics, read chess news, see book reviews, find rules & tips, get free downloads, and more! http://www.chess.com/ 2007 Chess.com My first chess set in the late 1950s and early 1960s was a chess set from E.S. Lowe  Company, Inc. They were cheap, hollow plastic chess sets that came with a red and black chess board.  They were not weighted, and I filled in my chess pieces wi...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/es-lowe-and-chessTue, 17 Nov 2009 14:44:07 -0800http://blog.chess.com/billwall/es-lowe-and-chess"An Invitation to Chess: A Picture Guide to the Royal Game" was one of the first books I read when I started playing chess in the 1960s.  It explained the chessmen, the moves, the object of the game, and it had lots of pictures and chess diagrams...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/an-invitation-to-chess2Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:32:09 -0800http://blog.chess.com/billwall/an-invitation-to-chess2International Business Machines (IBM) has been involved with chess for a long time.  IBM has always been a staunch supporter and sponsor of chess tournaments.In 1956, IBM was looking for computer programmers.  IBM put an ad in the December 1956 ...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/ibm-and-chessThu, 12 Nov 2009 17:37:16 -0800http://blog.chess.com/billwall/ibm-and-chessSome people have compared that an International Grandmaster (GM or IGM) title is equivalent to a Ph.D. in Chess.  But a chess player who wishes to become a Grandmaster does not enroll in an accredited university and take classes, get assigned a t...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/chess-playing-doctorsSun, 08 Nov 2009 12:51:33 -0800http://blog.chess.com/billwall/chess-playing-doctorsIn 1987, the Grandmaster Association (GMA) was founded by Garry Kasparov and Bessel Kok to give a voice to grandmasters that were dissatisfied with the World Chess Federation (FIDE).  The GMA soon disbanded.In 1993, the Professional Chess Associa...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/association-of-chess-professionalsFri, 06 Nov 2009 20:44:51 -0800http://blog.chess.com/billwall/association-of-chess-professionalsIn 1957, Ian Fleming (1908-1964) wrote From Russia, With Love, his fifth James Bond novel (after Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, and Diamonds are Forever).  His first book that mentioned chess was Moonraker, published in 1955.  Flemi...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-chess---from-russia-with-loveSat, 31 Oct 2009 14:52:58 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-chess---from-russia-with-loveWilly Iclicki was born in Belgium on January 12, 1955 and later settled in Monaco.  In 1988-89 he was the organizer of the Iclicki Master tournaments.  He was elected FIDE Treasurer in 1990 and served until 1999.  He was editor of Echess from 1...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/willy-iclicki---monacos-best-chess-amateurFri, 28 Aug 2009 16:50:10 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/willy-iclicki---monacos-best-chess-amateurAs of June 13, 2009, there are four players rated over 2800 (chess.com ratings).  The players are: Ouachita (Bobby Johnson) - 2848 LucidDream - 2833 Nonnetrovouno - 2808 cuendillar - 2807 None of these top four players seem to have any ti...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/top-chess-players-at-chesscomFri, 12 Jun 2009 23:06:46 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/top-chess-players-at-chesscomWe all have heard that chess makes you smart (whether true or not), but can chess help you become valedictorian?  My nephew, Jonathan Wall (who plays chess on chess.com), graduated this weekend in Miami and was class valedictorian.  He was als...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/valedictorians-and-chessMon, 01 Jun 2009 11:09:12 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/valedictorians-and-chessIt is estimated that 700 million people know how to play chess.  It is estimated that over 200 million people play chess online.  There are about 8 million registered chess players with various chess federations.  FIDE, the world chess federati...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/countries-and-chessMon, 22 Dec 2008 10:59:33 -0800http://blog.chess.com/billwall/countries-and-chessThe post-game press conferences of the World Chess Championship have been delayed by more than half an hour as each player, Viswanathan (Vishy) Anand and Vladimir Kramnik, had to take their mandatory drug tests.  Anand calls it completely point...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/drug-testing-and-chessWed, 22 Oct 2008 11:35:19 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/drug-testing-and-chessThe latest news item is the chess-playing hacker, David Carl Kernell.  David was born on October 27, 1986.  His parents are Michael Kernell, Tennessee democratic state senator from the 93rd district in Memphis, and Lillian Landrigan, medical doc...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/a-chess-playing-hackerFri, 19 Sep 2008 22:43:55 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/a-chess-playing-hackerThe Black Krazy Kat is a defensive system for Black where the black pawns are on f6 and g6, the knight is on f7 and the bishop is on g7.  A typical opening setup is 1.e4 Nh6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 f6 4. Bc4 Nf7 5.Nf3 (or other moves) 5...Bg7.  Yo...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-opening---black-krazy-katMon, 18 Aug 2008 20:49:07 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-opening---black-krazy-katThe moves 1.e4 b6 is known as Owen's Defense, Queen Fianchetto, or the Greek Defense.  It was popularized by John Owen (1827-1901), an English vicar who played under the pseudonym 'Alter.'  In 1858, he used this opening to beat Paul Morp...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-chess---owens-defenseSat, 16 Aug 2008 20:47:22 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-chess---owens-defense1.d4 e5 is known as the Charlick or Englund Gambit.  Henry Charlick (1845-1916) introduced ...e5 in the 1890s.  His variation continued 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 d6.  In 1930, Karl Behting (1867-1943) of Riga, Latvia published analysis of this...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-opening---charlick-or-englund-gambitFri, 15 Aug 2008 22:00:35 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-opening---charlick-or-englund-gambitPerhaps the rarest opening defense is the Hippopotamus Defense (1.e4 Nh6), also known as the Adams Defense.  Still, it's a playable defense in reply to any move that White may make on his first move.  Over the years, I've collected about...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-opening---the-hippopotamus-defenseThu, 14 Aug 2008 21:52:57 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-opening---the-hippopotamus-defenseI like to experiment and play unorthodox openings, especially when it comes to blitz chess.  One of the more stranger openings is the White Krazy Kat, which is 1.Nh3 e5 2.f3 d5 3.Nf2.    1.Nh3 (the Amar or paris Opening) usuall...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-opening---the-krazy-katSat, 09 Aug 2008 22:21:12 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-opening---the-krazy-katThe move 1.a4, called Ware's Opening, is probably the rarest first opening move.  It doesn't do too much except to be different.  So where did the Ware come from?  It was first analyzed and played by Boston player Preston Wa...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-chess---a-rare-ware-to-beware-if-you-dareFri, 13 Jun 2008 22:43:24 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-chess---a-rare-ware-to-beware-if-you-dareThe Grob Opening (1.g4) was extensively analyzed and played by International Master and Swiss champion Henry Grob (1904-1974).    A few years ago, I wrote a booklet on the Grob, which can be a playable opening if you know what you a...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-chess---my-grob-blogFri, 16 May 2008 18:49:31 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-chess---my-grob-blogPerhaps my favorite chess book is Irving Chernev's The 1000 Best Short Games of Chess.  It was my second chess book.  My first, which I found in a used book store in June, 1969, was Reuben Fine's Practical Chess Openings, written...http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-chess---my-favorite-chess-booksSun, 06 Apr 2008 14:07:40 -0700http://blog.chess.com/billwall/off-the-wall-chess---my-favorite-chess-books