Though I’ve written about chess psychology in my book (How to Reassess Your Chess 4th Edition – almost 90 pages on the subject!) and in articles on Chess.com, I will continue to do so from time to time since it’s an ext...
Can you identify some of the most famous chess players ever? Find out in another fun contest here on Chess.com. If you whiffed on our devilishly hard 2014 Holiday Puzzler, take heart: all you have to do this time is fill in the last name o...
Sometimes we can observe a peculiar situation in chess: one of the pieces on the board practically doesn't exist. Yes, it is there: we can see it, we can feel it, but we cannot move it. Therefore, in most of the cases, for a practical purpose su...
When my journey to the chess world was still in its nascent stages, I picked up a dusty old copy of My System, settled down in a comfortable chair, adopted a grave, contemplative expression, and started to read. Everything went smooth...
Although Vasily Smyslov was only the world champion for one year, he is nevertheless remembered as among the greatest players ever, and his matches with Mikhail Botvinnik dominated chess in the 1950s. All in all, they played three matches, with ...
Caveat: The terms I use in the below essay are strictly my own invention and are not, by any means, generally accepted nomenclature. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * \ Chess Comes of Age / Around the end of the 15th ce...
While going over a game with my student, B.B., I noticed that his position wasn’t particularly desirable. I also noticed that he didn’t think there was much to learn from the wreckage before us, and he wanted to move on to another game...
The Let's Play Chess.com Streamers Challenge will kick off on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. Pacific on Chess.com/TV and Twitch.tv/chess. Watch the most popular chess video streamers in the world go head-to-hea...
© 2015, José Diaz Links Interview with José Diaz José Diaz Official Website
I am not going to reveal a big secret if I say that the vast majority of chess players love tactical play and hate slow maneuvering. Indeed, tactics are beautiful and exciting and positional chess is weird and boring. That is, if you don't under...
Everyone gets tired from time to time, stress kills, and the periodic brain melt is pretty much impossible to prevent. — IM Jeremy Silman, Why Do Grandmasters Blunder? No matter how hard he works, or how strong h...
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...
Q: What do Leigh Franklin James, Paul Hugo, Paula Little, Paula Minton, Sylvia Sharon, Kenneth Harding, Marie De Jourlet, Lana Preston, Paul H. Little, Jack Warren. D.R. Mason, Hugo Paul, Jack Warren, Dr. Lamb Library, Dr. Guenter Klow, Dorothy ...
I’ve written several articles that discuss the dynamics of chess teacher and student, and the kinds of things a student should expect from lessons. Though the teacher will give his charge a study program, there is nothing more useful and ins...
Chess is a game with a long history and many more statistics and records than there are squares on the board. Chess fans have been fervently compiling facts and numbers on the game, inspired by the truth that unlike so many other competitive pur...
These days you can find anything on the Internet. For example, if you like hard rock and chess, then this video is for you! You can notice that they set up the board correctly (the a1 square is black!) and the position from their ga...
There’s cheating in chess? What a silly question. Of course there is, and the transgressions are many and varied. But when I came to the game as a callow youth, I didn't pay much attention to it. Naturally, I knew certain practices were i...
As beginners, we learn myriad principles that guide our chess development and steer us away from common positional vices: Develop knights before bishops. Do not move a piece twice in the opening unless strictly necessary. Knights on the rim ...
In 1935 a surprising thing happened. The fourth world champion, Alexander Alekhine, widely considered a genius, lost a match to the Dutch master, Max Euwe. Euwe was unique among world champions for several reasons. First, he was the only one who...
This is the story of Kārlis Ozols that should be called, "When Chess Players Go Bad." The story is one of amazement, puzzlement and disgust. Kārlis Ozols had been a chess player in ...
Chess.com member Nietsoj wrote: “I read your recent post where you answered a question about aiming for a 2000 rating. Just as so many other amateur players, I have the same goal, and I am wondering what a realistic training program would look li...
I will not hide the fact that I love to hear the spectators react after a sacrifice of a piece or pawn. I dont think that there is anything bad in such a feeling; no artist or musician is indifferent to the reactions of the public. -- Mikh...
© 2015, José Diaz Links Interview with José Diaz José Diaz Official Website
The first part of this article has brought a great response and many reader suggestions. But I have a confession to make. It was a totally tongue-in-cheek article and I am surprised that the majority of our readers took it for face ...
