I first read The Queen’s Gambit when I was a teenage chess expert, a lesser prodigy than the book’s main character, Beth Harmon. I noticed that what happened to Beth had happened to me too. Like Beth, I had been told that “Girls don’t play chess.” More 🡢
The ChessClub and Scholastic Center of Atlantaclosed on March 11 because of the pandemic. Its founders, Karen Boyd and Grandmaster Ben Finegold, are streaming online and planning the club’s in-person re-opening. The Dallas Chess Club vacated its rented location in June. Its staff is running in-person chess tournaments at hotels. WIM Alexey Root tells how each club is dealing with the pandemic. More 🡢
Chess variants where one plays with a partner, such as bughouse, tandem chess, or hand & brain, are amusing. In contrast to a standard chess game, where you control each of your moves, your partner may make a move for your team that you didn’t expect. Likewise, parts-of-speech games entertain because of unexpected results. More 🡢
Chess is like boxing without brain damage, combative, and a fierce battle. Top chess players used to assemble notebooks—and now create databases—about their opponents’ openings and strategies. More 🡢
Grandmaster Sergey Kasparov has undertaken an ambitious task in his fifties. He is writing one book about each chessman. Published by Russell Enterprises, the “Power of the Pieces Series” began with The Bishop: Danger on the Diagonal. The second book in the series is The Knight: The Cunning Cavalry. More 🡢
On July 18-19, WIM Alexey Root played in the third annual Queen City of the Prairie Open and Fort Worth Championship. More 🡢
Grandmaster Gata Kamsky lives in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and is married to Woman Grandmaster Vera Nebolsina. Kamsky is a former World Chess Championship challenger. In this article, I look at one recent Kamsky win, which he played and commented on live on Twitch. More 🡢
Who do you think are the top two chess prize money winners so far in 2020? I guessed World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen and Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. I was wrong. Two women lead the list. Read this article to learn who leads, and for a winning chess move by a former World Chess Championship Challenger and current FIDE Vice President. More 🡢
Learning the rules of chess can be accomplished in one day. There are six different chessmen. Master how each moves and captures, and use them to checkmate your opponents, to succeed in your chess games.
The best way to learn is by playing! Right here on SparkChess you can play against different computer personas (start with Cody if you never played before). The game will highlight all valid moves for a piece, so it's easy to understand and learn the rules. Then you can move to learning strategies and openings with SparkChess Premium, which features an Opening Explorer with over 100 opening variations, 30 interactive lessons and even an AI coach.
While learning chess online is efficient, since software corrects illegal moves, playing chess with others in person can be satisfying. You and a friend or family member could tackle chess together, perhaps reading the rules in a book. Playing on a three-dimensional chess set can be a fun break from our online lives. When in-person chess is not available, SparkChess has online multiplayer for playing with friends (and making new ones).
While learning chess rules takes one day, becoming good at chess takes longer. One proverb states, “Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe.” With intense efforts, chess greatness can be achieved.
The game between Dawid Przepiorka, representing Poland and Erich Eliskases, an Austrian born chess player took place in Hamburg, Germany, 1930. Play, solve and comment