Articles

New Features, New Records, And... New Champions?

New Features, New Records, And... New Champions?

CHESScom
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May's monthly update is here and we're recapping the Candidates Tournament, hooking the world's number one player up to a lie detector, and highlighting some of the chess world's true artists. Also, a much-requested dashboard for following event...

Chess Is Art!

Chess Is Art!

GM Gserper
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Chess has often been described as a mix of sport, art and science. This laconic definition long ago became an axiom for many generations of chess players. However, in the last 20 years or so, things changed dramatically. Yes, it is still sport; ju...

The Best Openings For Black For Beginners

The Best Openings For Black For Beginners

CHESScom
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There's no way around it—every chess game starts with the opening. These first few moves are crucial to determining how the rest of the game will go. Because of this, learning how to play the opening well can drastically improve your results...

The 9 Most Awful Chess Sets You Could Buy

The 9 Most Awful Chess Sets You Could Buy

PedroPinhata
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I would like to start this article with a warning: what you are about to see cannot be unseen. I'll understand if you click away right now. But if you're brave enough to power through this, get ready to see the nine most awful chess sets you've ev...

9 Iconic Chess Photos

9 Iconic Chess Photos

NathanielGreen
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What makes a photo "iconic" and not simply interesting or even outstanding? If you find that a difficult question to answer, you are not alone. The two leading dictionaries in the world can't exactly agree either.  Merriam-Webster: iconic, ...

The 7 Best Chess Movie Scenes

The 7 Best Chess Movie Scenes

NkosiTheChessPoet
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I still remember my childhood evenings, watching Searching for Bobby Fischer over and over, the script becoming nearly a manual for my chess pursuits. Even in the mornings before venturing to my earliest scholastic tournaments, I found inspiration...

Are We Entering A New Golden Age Of Chess?

Are We Entering A New Golden Age Of Chess?

CHESScom
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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. ...

The Unexpected Danger Of "Beginner" Moves

The Unexpected Danger Of "Beginner" Moves

GM Gserper
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Last month marked 88th birthday of GM Eduard Gufeld, who was born March 19, 1936 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Even though he died over 20 years ago in 2002, he is well-remembered for his entertaining style of play and strong sense of humor. Among many pictur...

How To Watch The 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournaments

How To Watch The 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournaments

CHESScom
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The games begin on Thursday, April 4, 2024, for the FIDE Candidates Tournament and FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament! They are being held simultaneously in Toronto, Canada.  This article has all the information you need to watch, follow, a...

How To Become The Chess World Champion

How To Become The Chess World Champion

NM CoachJKane
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Many chess players dream of someday becoming world champion. It's a long and difficult journey to get there. You need to play amazing chess, but you also need to know how to qualify and the steps to take along the way. In case you want to become t...

Meet The Man Behind The World's Top Chess Podcast

Meet The Man Behind The World's Top Chess Podcast

Mick
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NM Ben Johnson is the mastermind behind Perpetual Chess, one of the world's most-loved chess podcasts. He has spoken to grandmasters, world champions, adult improvers, content creators, and other luminaries of the chess world every week since star...

The Timeless Attacking Idea

The Timeless Attacking Idea

GM Gserper
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One of my first chess books was Richard Reti's Chess Textbook. The title of the book was a bit misleading, since the book was absolutely useless for total beginners. I assume that it was implied that any Soviet schoolboy knew the rules of chess as...