The day my daughter was due was approaching. There was not much to do but wait. Another day passed. I couldn’t concentrate on work. Another day, and then another. I couldn’t write; my words were blocked. I couldn’t sleep. Another and another. When I tried to read, my attention wandered. Another, another, another. I couldn’t play chess—or shouldn’t have played chess, but I did. I played chess very badly. It had been my habit for some time to play a 30-minute rapid...
Hikaru Nakamura thought he needed 5.5/9 in today's second blitz session to clinch his first Grand Chess Tour win on home soil. He scored exactly that, winning the 2018 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz over a still-surging Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and a pesky Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. The win is his second of the season. He also won the 2018 Paris event. Chess.com conducted a video interview with Nakamura on his success. Watch Hikaru Nakamura On Winning The Saint Louis Rapid And Blitz from Chess...
On March 24, 1937, the leading Soviet chess magazine 64 published a theoretical article about a new opening system the magazine called the "Panov Defense." I challenge you to identify the moves of this opening line. Yes, you can Google it if you wish! Just don't confuse the "Panov Defense" with the "Panov Attack" in the Caro-Kann defense. Give up already? OK, here is the game that started the new system: I almost can hear your protests that the opening of this game is called The...
If chess is a balanced game, you need some inaccuracy by your opponent to win. IM Nazi Paikidze jumped on a mistake by her opponent in the 2018 U.S. women's championship to win a beautiful game and the title.
Recently I had a look at this classic and liked what I saw! Panchenko's material is similar to the way how I envisage the ideal chess instruction. A position is set up and the student thinks about it for a while. Then what he thought of is discussed with the coach and this process is improved. In coaching of utmost importance is the quality of the material. Panchenko's book makes sure that this is the case. With the positions organised in various chapters, all addressing important themes in the...
It's considered bad luck in many parts of the world to break a mirror, but for Ding Liren, even breaking his hip only barely slowed him down. Just 2.5 months after falling off a bicycle in Norway and being forced to withdraw from the tournament, Ding Liren beat Veselin Topalov in a match from August 10-14 by the score of 3.0-1.0. That pushed his rating over 2800 for the first time. He becomes only the 14th player to clear the crescendo (Topalov has the fifth-highest live rating of all...
The "Immortal Game" is one of the most famous chess games ever played! Played in 1851 as an informal match between two European math professors, Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky, this game has become a true showcase of classic 19th century chess where startling attacks and sacrifices were all the rage. The Game White: Adolf Anderssen Black: Lionel Kieseritzky 1. e4 e5 2.f4 The King's Gambit. This risky gambit opening was very popular in the 19th century! White sacrifices...
To begin day one of the St. Louis blitz, Hikaru Nakamura and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov led the field. To end day one, they were still tied for the lead. However, the day could not have been more dramatic as the lead changed hands in eight of the day's nine rounds. Both players missed key opportunities and Mamedyarov's blunder in his game with Nakamura was a brutal oversight. Here's the round-by-round lead for today's 1st day of blitz at #STLRapidBlitz #grandchesstour with @GMHikaru and @ShahriyarMamedy...
Welcome again to another learning chess experience. You will look at eight positional puzzles and, as you finish each one, you will click the question mark (“?”) underneath the board next to the light bulb. This will allow you to see all the instructive prose. If you fail the puzzle, don’t worry! This isn’t a contest, it’s just an enjoyable way to learn new things. PUZZLE ONE DIAGRAM (Black to move) Black, who has a small edge, has a couple interesting...
