I love chess olympiads. The great players, the pageantry, the drama, and, most of all, the unrelenting weirdness of the lower boards. What do I mean by that? Well, because the event is open to all countries, a wildly eclectic mix of professiona...
After winning the world championship title from Alexander Alekhine in 1935, Max Euwe did something rare -- he voluntarily gave his opponent a rematch, without putting obstacles in the way or seeking a weaker opponent to play first. The rematch t...
Be it annoying, mildly painful, or downright inappropriate, the pawn poke is a key theme in understanding pawn structures and color complexes. Once mastered, your opponents will feel like they are locked in a room with a deranged 5 year old waving...
The Kryptonite Effect Many fans of chess are confused when one player in the world’s top 10 totally dominates another top 10 player in game after game. How does one explain this? In boxing they say “styles make fights.&rdquo...
Dear Chess.com Members, After Chess 012, Chess 013, Chess 014, and Chess 024, Chess.com University is back with its fifth college-like chess course! Our college-like courses provide the best and most effective chess education available online. I...
According to the book of Exodus, the 10 Commandments were inscribed on two stone tablets and given to Moses on the top of Mt. Sinai -- literally, "from on high." The 10 commandments of chess, on the other hand, were written by the experts at Che...
There is no need to explain the importance of tactics for a tournament player. I bet you've all heard the cliche "chess is 99% tactics," or an anecdote about a grandmaster who was a famous endgame specialist. (Was it Smyslov? I don't remember.) ...
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Even devout Petrosian fans cannot deny that combinations are aesthetically pleasing by definition. However, keen tactical vision is no longer a unique commodity. Sharp combinatorial awareness has become a required skill of all serious chess play...
Professor: Bonjour, class. Class: Bonjour, to you as well, Professor. Lucian: What’s with the French? Thomas: Were you trying to confuse us? Professor: No, not at all. Zephyr: Then why use French to say good afternoon? Ryan: Do...
After taking the world championship title from Jose Raul Capablanca in their 1927 match (covered last week), Alexander Alekhine defended his title twice against Efim Bogoljubow: in 1929 and again in 1934. Like Emanuel Lasker, Alekhine has also b...
The Vieux Carré or French Quarter, cradled in the crescent of the Mississippi River, was the original site of La Nouvelle-Orléans. Although during the 19th century New Orleans expanded and become more Americanized eroding the influe...
Million Dollar Fantasy QUESTION 1: Chess.com member Einet890 asked: “If you were to train me for two years to become a GM and had a million dollars on the line, what would the training look like?” ANSWER: This kind of question c...
There is arguably no other game with the timeless staying power and global reach of chess. Unlike most of the other games and sports played today by millions around the world, chess has a history that spans millennia. While chess has change...
As many fans of Paul Morphy know, there have been some historical fiction written about him. On my Morphy website I host two short stories about Morphy: "The Best American Chess Player" by Dan Heisman and"The Day Kasparov Played Morphy" ...
The majority of chess players like opening traps. I believe the main appeal of setting a trap is not the chance to win the game instantly. What really makes an opening trap attractive for chess players of all levels is the thrill of a hunt...
"I noticed that the pre-registration for the Open section of the Holly Heisman Memorial (HHM) fundraiser chess tournament on Aug 3 (in Wynnewood, PA just outside Philadelphia) has several titled players. I am only in the 1500's. Is there any way I...
Last week, we examined the rook lift as an attacking tool. Of course, a rook is not only an attacking piece -- it can be mobilized for positional reasons as well. In this article, we will analyze several instances in which the rook lift serves a...
Professor: Welcome back. Class: Welcome back to you, too, Professor. Rachel: So what are you going to talk about today? Professor: Well, the last two sessions had to do with queens winning queens. Ryan: Were you planning to present more of...
As we move further from the misty past and closer to modernity in our exploration of the endgames of world championship matches, we come to the battle between the incumbent champion, Jose Raul Capablanca, and the challenger, Alexander Alekhine. ...
One hundred years ago the chess world witnessed one of the greatest chess tournaments of all time, Saint Petersburg 1914. Its storylines were numerous and compelling: Capablanca's early domination, Alekhine's first major international success, Rub...
For just the second time, Chess.com's Death Match will feature two ladies. GM Nadezhda Kosintseva will take on GM Irina Krush in Death Match 26 on Saturday, July 26 at 12 p.m. Eastern (GMT -5), 9 a.m. Pacific. The event will be live on Chess.com...
Warning! This is a fairly advanced article. I try to write for players of all ratings, so sometimes I explore basic stuff, and other times I bow to the 1800-and-above crowd. Though the opening in question is too advanced for beginners, I hope that...
There are so many groups on Chess.com that site members can join but which groups are the best, and why? Below, you will find a list of the absolute best groups on Chess.com. #1 Chess.com University Chess.com University is the largest group ...
