George Walker George Walker's life (1803-1879) spanned one of the most remarkable periods of chess. As a chess player, he met and played such personalities as John Cochrane, William Lewis, Alexander McDonnell, Labourdonnais, Pierre Charles S...
Jacob Henry Sarratt (1772-1819) Jacob Henry Sarratt, born in 1772, worked primarily as schoolmaster but was much better known for his avocations which, of course, included chess. After Philidor's death, Verdoni (along with Leger, Carl...
San Luis, Argentina, 2005: A double-round-robin tournament was held to determine the FIDE world champion. In those days the world championship was still split after Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short left FIDE for their 1993 match. The chess world l...
For 10 video lessons, GM Melikset Khachiyan is here to analyze his preferred variations of different openings. Melik is one of our favorite coaches but he is also a world-class player. Our lessons will come from games of his own and his students. ...
"At the root of all advances in the science of chess-play lies the necessity of discovering an intelligible system of notation, by means of which the squares of the board may be easily defined and the moves of the pieces recorded." —...
The French Defense has been vexing players on the White side since it was first introduced by the Parisians in the historic match between London and Paris in 1834! Black permits White to build a sturdy center, only to devote the remainder of the g...
After World War Two, the chess world (and the world in general) was abruptly changed. It is very clear that a demarcation line can be placed at 1945 between the old classical chess and modern chess. There were many changes in the chess world aro...
Alexander Alekhine won the title from Jose Raul Capablanca in their 1927 match. The Franco-Russian master had an unusually wide opening repertoire compared to the earlier champions, and he loved to experiment with different openings. So while A...
"A master cogitates carefully, perhaps a half-hour on a move. Finally, he chooses the correct square for the correct piece and places it there. A grand master is much more skillful. He hardly thinks at all; he throws the piece into the air and it ...
If Buckle had entered the Tournament list [in 1851], and been pitted against Staunton, I think he would have proved victor, as the fine edge of Staunton's play was then taken off, a fact amply demonstrated in his matches with Anderssen and Willia...
To the chess-players of England the 18th century was just a fading memory. Philidor had died and Verdoni, a man with a forgotten first name, took up his reins as professional at Parsloe's in London until he himself died in 1804. At this poi...
We've known for a while that the former world blitz number-one GM Maxim Dlugy would play in this month's Death Match 32. Now we know his opponent: blitz maven and past Death Match champion IM Yaacov Norowitz. The match will be three hours of bli...
I’m still going through some (sadly) neglected games, comments, and lectures. This time I’ll look at a game of one of the site’s best chess historians, Spektrowski, and I’ll also answer a question or two. The most p...
The Traxler Counter Attack With best play, does Black have a chance with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 ? In Part I we examined White's response 5. d4 White's two most common responses however are 5. Bxf7+ and ...
Last Friday, we discussed the first half of José Raúl Capablanca's chess career, tracing his meteoric rise through the lens of his finest positional wins. In 1921, after a decade of heated negotiations and parley, the final te...
This series is all about attacking chess and combinations and fun. And all of them are in puzzle form (some easy, some difficult) so you can see how your tactical IQ stands up to the old, sometimes forgotten greats. And, if you learn a tiny b...
Today we will be looking at a completely different landscape on the chess board compared to last week's King's Indian structure: the light-square focus of the Dutch Stonewall. The Stonewall is not a specific series of moves so much as a set...
Gambits are an important part of chess. Although most of them come from White’s initiative, there are also many sound counter gambits for Black that have developed over time. Understanding how to play with and against gambits is important fo...
Who is the LeBron James of chess? The National Basketball Association playoffs are in full swing, and the best players in the world are battling it out, hoping to win an NBA championship. LeBron James fell just short of a championship last sea...
Last week, we discussed that in good hands a symmetrical position can be a very dangerous weapon. But judging by my own experience, it is more common that chess players try to use symmetry to achieve a draw playing against stronger opponent or whe...
There's nothing quite like the joy of cooking up a fresh opening idea and springing it successfully on an unsuspecting opponent. The thrill of a great novelty is part of the mystery and lore of chess. Who can forget the first time they saw the gam...
There is a popular misconception amongst amateur players that a symmetrical position in chess inevitably leads to a draw. We already discussed here why playing a "copycat chess" can be extremely dangerous for your own position. Yet, there is a g...
The ancient Estonian city of Tartu lies about 2500 miles from Paris, France. In the 19th century Tartu didn't exist as such but rather was known as Dorpat under the umbrella of the Imperial Russian empire. Dorpat lay in Livonia, a part ...
I'd written about Paulsen several times in different places. HERE is my article at Chess.com of which I'll consider this an extension. Why write more on Louis Paulsen? I am fascinated with the 19th century and chess during that era. ...
