Chess News

General chess-related articles and information about SparkChess development; this section is for everyone interested in chess.

Winning! At chess, with Nigel Short

Former World Chess Championship Challenger Nigel Short has written his first book, Winning. The English Chess Federation selected Winning as one of four books under consideration for its 2021 “Book of the Year.” Although Winning did not win, it got a special mention. Like Nigel Short the chess commentator, Nigel Short the chess writer is educational and entertaining. More 🡢

Tolstoy playing chess with the son of Vladimir Chertkov

Leo Tolstoy, Anish Giri, and Chess

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) named Anish Giri its “Person of the Day” for September 13, 2021. Giri had just won the Tolstoy Cup, a nine-round, all-play-all rapid chess event with a time control of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move. Games won by Leo Tolstoy (in 1906) and by Anish Giri (in 2021) are explored. More 🡢

Chess and Weight Loss: In-Between Moves

Unlike checkers, where captures are compulsory, in chess one may delay a capture by playing an in-between move, also known as an intermezzo or a zwischenzug. When losing weight, there are likewise plateaus in between big changes. More 🡢

Bulmaga-Stefanova Round 3, photo by David Llada, FIDE

Women’s FIDE Grand Prix Series: Gibraltar

The Women’s FIDE Grand Prix Series concludes in Gibraltar. The last chess tournament in the series, a 12-player round robin, runs from May 22 to June 2, 2021. The two players who score the most cumulative points in the Grand Prix series qualify for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, which determines the next Challenger to the Women’s World Chess Champion. More 🡢

April Fools’ Day: Chess Miniatures and GothamChess

On April Fools’ Day, it’s possible to trick oneself and others. Highlighted is Marvelous Modern Miniatures: 2020 Games in 20 Moves or Less and International Master Levy Rozman’s matches with International Master Greg Shahade and with the bird-feed seller Dadang Subur. More 🡢

In Online Chess, Don’t Turn Draws into Losses

Turning a draw into a loss and only drawing when one’s team needed a win both happened in the two most recent U.S. Amateur Team Championships. Two heart-breaking chess positions are discussed in this article, though undoubtedly more than two sad games were played. More 🡢

Exclusive: Free eBook from Forward Chess

We have an exclusive offer for our SparkChess players: a free interactive eBook from Forward Chess! There is a catch, though: the offer expires on March 20. More 🡢

Chess: U.S. Amateur Team West

The U.S. Amateur Team Championship—West (USATW) was first held in February of 1984, attracting 29 teams. This year, the USATW was hosted by the Mechanics’ Institute, the oldest chess club in the U.S. For the first time, the chess teams played online rather than in-person. Three more U.S. Amateur Team Championships are coming up online, on the last three weekends in February. More 🡢