Are We Entering A New Golden Age Of Chess?
Established veterans face a new generation of up-and-coming talent in the Candidates Tournament, with three contenders under the age of 21. Meanwhile, teenagers continue to set new records and break the boundaries of what we thought was possible.
Also, the Martin bot has gained sentience and keeps sending us threatening messages about taking over the world. But that doesn't seem like something we need to be concerned about... right?
Here's what this update covers:
Product & Engineering
The Chess.com team, for one, welcomes our new AI overlord.
- March's murder mystery has reached its conclusion. Over 12 million of you put on your detective caps to discover who killed the Green Pawn (spoiler alert: it was Tina Tempo).
- Luckily, there are plenty of new bots for you to enjoy playing: the all-new Generation Bots are here, representing Gen X, Gen Z, and... Generation Martin?
- Those aren't the only new bots in town, with the brand-new GM Ben Finegold bot (aka Bot Finegold) making its debut, featuring plenty of sharp wit and sharp tactics.
- You may have spotted new gameplay animations during your online games; see your opponent's active theme when the game starts, and enjoy a more festive celebration screen.
- Last month, we added 4,948 puzzles, bringing the total number of playable puzzles to a whopping 839,869. Only a matter of time before we reach a million!
If you are in tech and would like to join our team, we're hiring!
Events
There's a buzz in the chess world right now, with the biggest event of the year underway.
- Eight of the world's top players compete in the 2024 Candidates Tournament to see who will challenge the reigning World Champion! Who are you rooting for?
- GM Magnus Carlsen won his third GRENKE Chess Classic in Germany, defeating creative Hungarian GM Richard Rapport in the final.
- Saint Louis University has won their third consecutive Collegiate Chess League season, after overcoming Webster University in the title match.
- March's Bullet Brawl winners were GM Hikaru Nakamura (twice) and GM Daniel Naroditsky (twice), staking their claim as two of the fastest players around.
- Titled Tuesday saw strong performances from young players in March, with winners including GMs Alireza Firouzja (twice), Pranav Venkatesh, Bogdan-Daniel Deac, and Denis Lazavik. Also, two up-and-coming young prospects named Magnus and Hikaru.
Community
Another month, another list of reasons why the chess community is one of the best in the world.
- Opening Roulette is back for April, and the focus is the (in)famous London System; play some unrated games, practice your opening repertoire, and win prizes.
- Some of the leading female voices in chess celebrated International Women's Day last month with a special roundtable discussion. Listen to stories about what it means to be a woman in chess, and find out what people are doing to make chess a better and more welcoming space for everyone.
- Speaking of community members doing amazing things: members of the New York chess scene raised over $11,000 for The Gift of Chess on a recent charity walk.
- Round One of the 2024 Daily Chess Championship is over; we're going through your submissions and announcing prizes for the best games, moves, video reviews, and blogs soon.
- Do you have a story about how chess has impacted your life? We'd love to hear from you. Tell us here, or read inspirational stories from other community members.
Content
Who should you support in the Candidates, and what does Magnus think? Let's find out.
- The Candidates Tournament is here, and we've got all the information you need. Who will win the tournament? Check out what the stats say here.
- Stats might say one thing, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Take the quiz and find out which super-grandmaster you should support!
- The Women's Candidates Tournament also features incredibly strong grandmasters, all aiming for a shot at the Women's World Championship. Who should you support?
Chessable
It might not be real, but we kind of wish it was. Check out Chessable's all-new, all-fictional exercise program in the video below. Also, cool new courses!
- IM Jovanka Houska has released a comprehensive, beginner-friendly guide to the popular Caro-Kann Defense. Find out how to take your opponent by surprise as Black!
- GM Surya Ganguly, the former second to GM Vishwanathan Anand, has released Lifetime Repertoires: Sidelines and Flank Openings for Black. Not sure what to do when your opponent plays something other than 1.e4 or 1.d4? Check out a free masterclass here.
ChessKid
IM Alice Lee, FM Faustino Oro, and GM-elect (!) Yagiz Erdogmus. Remember the names; you'll be hearing a lot more about them in the years to come.
- Ten-year-old Fausti Oro won a game while streaming on his YouTube channel. No big deal, right? Well, the game was against world number-one Magnus Carlsen!
- Speaking of ChessKid ambassadors and winning things... 14-year-old Alice Lee won the Women's American Cup, defeating GM Irina Krush in the blitz play-offs.
- Yagiz Erdogmus is a familiar name to anyone who followed the 2022 ChessKid Youth Chess Championship, which he won in dominant fashion. He now has an all-new distinction: he will be the world's youngest current grandmaster after earning his third norm!
Fair Play
Another month, another 22+ million rating points returned to their rightful owners.
Fair Play stats for March:
- 323,954 reports created
- 58,760 Fair Play closures (including 15 titled players: 5 NMs, 5 FMs, 1 GM, 4 CMs)
- 66.6K mute actions
- 57.6K accounts muted
- 135.4K abuse closures
- 22,720,687 rating points refunded
Support
Questions? Problems? The Support Team is here to help.
- Average Time to First Response: 1 day, 20 hours
- Total Requests Received: 79,293
- Average Quality by Member Rating: 95%
- Total Ratings: 5,610
Thank you for being part of the world's largest chess community. Let us know your thoughts and ideas in the comments below!
Missed an update? You'll find last month's edition here.
