Ray Linville’s high point as a chess player occurred when he swiped the queen of GM Hikaru Nakamura in a 60-second bullet game in 2021. This game was reported in a “My Best Move” column of the Chess Life magazine, published by the U.S. Chess Federation.
At Chess.com, he has been an editor (part-time) since 2019 and has edited news articles and tournament reports—including those of the Candidates and World Championship Tournaments and other major events—by titled players and noted chess writers as well as Game of the Day annotations by leading grandmasters. He has also been a contributing writer of chess terms, e-books, and general interest articles for ChessKid.com.
He enjoys “top blogger” status at Chess.com. His blog has won the award for Best Chess Blog from the Chess Journalists of America for several years. In addition, he has also been the recipient of first-place CJA awards for feature article, humorous contribution, online review, and educational lesson as well as honorable mention in the categories of personal narrative and historical article.
Madonna, the Queen of Pop, is widely known for her versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation. But how many are aware of her interest in chess? Madonna has a reputation for being an avid chess player, chess is routinely ...
What is hearty, healthy, and packed with flavor that players search for after arriving at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, a windy coastal town outside Amsterdam in the Netherlands? Dutch split pea soup (known locally as erwtensoep...
With very little fanfare, Duolingo has rolled out live chess. It is now available through its player-vs-player (PvP) mode. It previously launched its new chess course in mid-2025. An actual chess game being played in PvP mode on Duolingo (the ...
The year 2025 has been an unbelievable one, most remarkably because of the outstanding play by elite grandmasters but also because of the amazing statements that they and leading chess officials made last year. Have some fun and see if you can c...
The chess world is ready for a new year and all that it will bring: prestigious tournaments, shocking blunders, rating rises and falls, unexpected winners, crushing defeats. However, what will be the major events that will capture your attention t...
Have you seen the term “farming” in reports about chess players or chess tournaments and wondered what it means? Although the term is not new, it seems to be used more frequently. Here’s what you should know about farming in ches...
The year 2025 was an incredible one for the chess world. Fortunately, chess photographers were on hand to capture all the action. Do you remember these significant moments? Photo Index Carlsen Beams With 3rd-Place Prize Losing Is Lonely P...
Can you believe that a confection chess set was the winning entry in a gingerbread house competition? A delicious entry, called Pawn Stars, that featured 32 chess pieces with lively personalities took first prize at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Ashe...
Duolingo, the online platform that has provided free language lessons for more than a decade, has recently added chess to its repertoire. It seeks to benefit from the continually expanding worldwide interest in the royal game that we love. Chess...
Can the lowly pawn deliver a checkmate? Has it ever happened in a top game involving grandmasters? Surprisingly, this way of delivering checkmate is not impossible, but it is rare. Several amazing games—historic as well as contemporary&mdash...
Several important chess personalities passed away in 2024. All deaths create losses—for families, friends, fans, and communities. In the chess world last year, several notable stars who died, some unexpectedly, will be particularly missed. H...
Have you played a game when the opponent offered you a surprising sacrifice, and you took it and lost the game? You just succumbed to the legacy of King Pyrrhus. Here’s what you need to know to avoid such an experience again (or to trick an ...
Last year was a phenomenal year for chess successes as well as chess blunders. Critical mistakes by top grandmasters capture our attention. Here are several shocking blunders that the best players in the world made in 2024. Do you remember them? ...
Lady Gaga set the music world and chess community on fire with how she used a chessboard and its pieces to bring a dramatic musical performance to life at the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Lady Gaga and the white queen ponder ...
Last year was amazing for surprising chess events, but not all the drama happened over the board at a tournament. Fortunately, chess photographers were ready to record the action. Do you remember these dramatic chess scenes? Photo Index Guk...
Chess has again found its way into a TV game show. Recently a sequel to Jeopardy! selected chess as one of the six categories in its Double Jeopardy! round. The Show Jeopardy! Using Chess As A Clue On Celebrity Jeopardy! Easy Chess Clues On ...
Two teams face off in the Super Bowl. Will the winning team be the one that has better chess knowledge? Here’s why chess knowledge may give one team an edge: Control The Center In Chess and Super Bowl Intermezzo In Chess And Football T...
Were you shocked to see a prominent rapper and actor wearing a castle as his headpiece on the red carpet at the 2025 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday? Was this avant-garde headpiece inspired by the rook in the game of chess? Here’s wha...
Were you fascinated by The Queen’s Gambit, the 2020 miniseries by Netflix, and how chess is a unifying theme of the story about Beth Harmon’s life? Imagine a new novel that uses chess to connect storylines about a chess prodigy and his...
When you think about chess in 2024, who comes to mind? Several players were in chess news very prominently last year. This is a test to see how many you know by just looking at their photos. Who are these chess players? (Photo credits below.) ...
As the chess world celebrates the arrival of a new year, what will be the major events that will capture our attention in 2025? So that you can be prepared for all that will happen, here is what you can anticipate. Be ready for them: FIDE Will...
The chess world is celebrating the wedding of GM Magnus Carlsen and Ella Victoria Malone on January 4, 2025. We all know Carlsen, but we know little about his wife. Who is she? Does she play chess? Here’s what you need to know: Who Is El...
A chess opening being mentioned more recently because elite grandmasters have been playing it is the Norwegian Rat. Even with the catchy name, little is known about it. Here’s what you should know about this opening: What Is The Norwegia...
Several important chess personalities passed away in 2023. They include the oldest woman grandmaster, a renowned trainer for a world champion, a prominent chess author and teacher, an avid blitz player, and the oldest living grandmaster. Here are ...
When you have been following a team chess event, have you heard the term “Board One”? Can you explain the term to someone else who plays chess? Knowing what it means helps to understand how players of one team are competing against pla...
