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1. The endgame: How does White promote a pawn?
   Is there a way to make a breakthrough from this position on the chess board? Over the last few weeks we've been looking at endgames and, in particular, pawn promotion. After a queen exchange there's little chance of a checkmating attack, so getting a pawn to the other side of the board has to be the ultimate aim in most endings. RB Somewhere in the recesses of my memory is a basic position similar to this one, though with three pawns rather than four facing each other, that allows the chess player with the move to create a passed pawn. So I'm going to try to drag up that position and try to use it as a starting point. Let's imagine there are no e-pawns. White would ...
2. How to Make Chess Sizzle
   For years, chess players have bemoaned that chess is not as popular as poker, particularly when it comes to attracting television coverage. While part of the complaint doubtless has to do with the desire of some chess players to have their egos stroked, the real issue is money. Poker players earn more because they have higher exposure and name and face recognition. In the United States, more people would recognize the poker personality Phil Hellmuth than Viswanathan Anand, even though Anand is the world chess champion and has been one of the top three players in the world for almost 20 years. Not surprisingly, Hellmuth earns more money. The question of whether chess can ...
3. For 2 New U.S. Chess Champions, Diverging Paths Ahead
   The two newest United States chess champions have very different future plans. On Monday, Irina Krush, 26, won the women’s chess championship for the third time, earning $16,000, her biggest payday. Krush said of her prospects of earning a living as a professional chess player, “I am actually at the stage where I am going to get into it more than ever.” Samuel Shankland, 18, who won the junior chess championship in a playoff on Tuesday, plans to quit playing professionally for the time being, and perhaps for good. He is beginning studies at Brandeis University in Boston in the fall. “I’m going to go down the other road and see where it goes,” he said. Krush, who also won ...
4. Ponomariov Victorious in Dortmund
   Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine only needed a draw on Sunday to win the Sparkassen Chess-Meeting tournament in Dortmund. He accomplished that without too much difficulty against Le Quang Liem of Vietnam and finished with a score of 6.5 points. The result should put Ponomariov in the top 10 in the world, according to Live Top List, an unofficial ranking site that has proved accurate in the past. Le Quang, 19, the lowest-ranked competitor in the field, who was playing in his first elite chess tournament, performed far better than expected and was second with 5.5 points. Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, the top seed, who has won Sparkassen nine times, had a disappointing ...
5. The endgame, part 2: a knockout blow
   How does white get a win from this position? RB Is there anything more headache-inducing in chess than an endgame study? And the simpler the position, the more intense the pain. I think, after almost an hour, that I've found the first three moves of the winning sequence, but I can't seem to find the knockout blow. 1 Kf6 seems obvious and good – go for the diagonal opposition! Since 1...g5 loses immediately to 2 Kg6, Black's only move is 1...Kh7. Now 2 g4 is equally obvious (after 2 h4 h5 White can make no further progress). Black has only two options, and since 2...h5 allows 3 g5, when the black king will be forced to retreat to the back rank and White will gobble up ...
6. Fischer’s Friends
   After the chess champion Bobby Fischer settled in Iceland, he spent much of his time with a small group of people that he trusted. Though he died more than two years ago, that small group of confidants remain loyal and protective of him and his legacy. All of them are unhappy about the fight over his estate and about the recent procedure to extract D.N.A. from his remains to perform a test to determine if he is the father of a nine-year-old Filipino girl. To the outside world, Fischer in his later years seemed eccentric, even ghastly, spouting antisemitic comments and celebrating the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. But his friends say that image was misleading and even ...
7. So Holds Lead in Biel, as Negi Gets on the Board
   Wesley So of the Philippines drew his Round 4 game Thursday in the Biel Chess Festival, which was enough for him to hold on to the lead. He has 3 points. Most of the other games also ended in draws, with the exception of the contest between Dmitry Andreikin of Russia and David Howell of Britain. In that game, Andreikin found a new idea in a well-known variation of the English opening. Surprised, Howell struggled and quickly fell into trouble. Andreikin’s rooks penetrated to the seventh rank, after which there was little Howell could do and he resigned after only 30 moves. Andreikin is tied for second with Fabiano Caruana of Italy and Evgeny Tomashevsky of Russia. They each have 2.5 points. Once ...
8. Two Draws and a Blunder in Dortmund
   One of the eternal frustrations of chess is that a well played game can be lost with one careless move. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan, the No. 6 chess player in the world, was reminded of this on Wednesday at the elite Sparkassen Chess-Meeting in Dortmunt, Germany. In Round 6, Mamedyarov was White against Arkadij Naiditsch of Germany. Mamedyarov got a clear edge out of the opening and had his opponent under pressure for much of the game. Naiditsch defended well and the game seemed to heading for a draw when Mamedyarov blundered, taking a knight with his rook that was defended by Naiditsch’s queen. As chess blunders go, it was not exactly colossal, but ...
9. Shankland Is US Junior Chess Champion
   Samuel Shankland, an 18-year-old international master, survived a three-way playoff on Tuesday to win the United States junior chess championship. Shankland was the No. 2 seed, but he beat Ray Robson, the top seed and a chess grandmaster, in an Armageddon game to claim the title. As there were three players tied for first, there were two playoff games. Robson, by virtue of having the better tie-breaker scores, met the winner of the first game. In that one, Shankland beat Parker Zhao. The playoff involved long Armageddon games, just like the one used at the U.S. Chess Championship earlier this year. Shankland and Zhao, each chess player secretly bid on how much time, up to ...
10. Krush Is US Women's Chess Champion; Playoff Will Decide US Junior
    Irina Krush, 26, won the United States Women’s Championship on Monday by defeating Abby Marshall, 19, in the final round of the chess tournament. Krush finished with 8 points. It is Krush’s third title. She previously won in 1998 and 2007. For winning this time, she earned $16,000. Krush’s principal rival, Anna Zatonskih, 32, the 2009 champion, who was tied with Krush before the final round, could only draw against Sabina Foisor, 20. She finished with 7.5 points and tied for second with Tatev Abrahamyan, 22, who beat Katerina Rohonyan, 26. Zatonskih and Abrahamyan each earned $10,500. Krush’s win over Marshall was not easy. Marshall, playing in her first U.S. Chess Championship, had ...
11. Mamedyarov Leads in Dortmund
    Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan took over the lead of the elite Sparkassen Chess-Meeting tournament in Germany on Sunday after he drew his game while his co-leader, Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine, lost. Mamedyarov has 3 points after four rounds, Ponomariov has 2.5, Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, who beat Ponomariov, has 2, and Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, the defending chess champion, Peter Leko of Hungary and Arkadij Naiditsch of Germany are tied for last with 1.5 points each. The standings are startling as Kramnik, Leko and Naiditsch are all previous champions in Dortmund, while the top three players have never won there. Mamedyarov faced Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, the defending chess ...
12. Viktor Laznicka seals runaway World Open victory
    The World Open in Philadelphia has been staged annually since the early 1970s, and although it has never quite justified its grandiose title it is still a huge magnet for chess players from grandmasters to novices. It is a big money event, with high entry fees but first prizes of several thousand dollars even for weaker sections. Its continued success reflects a ruthless policy by the organisers towards rating cheats, coupled with a highly flexible schedule. The final rounds are on Independence Day, but it is possible to compete anywhere between three and seven days and to re-enter if you start badly. For GMs in the top section, it can be a vicious battle. They normally get a minimum ...
13. Endgames, part 1: Rook against Bishop
    A superb lesson from Magnus Carlsen in endgame technique. It's been a while since we looked at the endgame, so this week we begin a short series on this often neglected area with a terrific demonstration of endgame technique from the ever-improving chess world No 1 Magnus Carlsen. Although White has the advantage of rook against bishop, Black has an extra pawn and a solid position on the chess board. How did Carlsen make progress? RB I'm pretty sure the answer lies in g4. The question is whether to nudge the pawn forward immediately or whether some preparation is needed first, perhaps exchanging on d5 or advancing the king to e3. The only way is concrete calculation, so let's see what ...
14. Dortmund Begins
    The Sparkassen Chess-Meeting (an odd name, to be sure) began Thursday in Dortmund. Though the chess tournament is not at the level of Linares or Corus, it still attracts top players, notably Vladimir Kramnik, the former world chess champion from Russia. Kramnik has been associated with Dortmund, as the chess event is often referred to, for many years because he has won the tournament nine times, far more than any other. He first won it in 1995 and is the defending champion this year. The tournament is a double-round robin this year, meaning each competitor plays all the others twice, once with each color. In addition to Kramnik, the No. 4 chess player in the world, the field includes ...
15. Zhao and Zatonskih Lead Chess Championships
    Anna Zatonskih, the defending chess champion, took the lead of the U.S. Women’s Championship on Wednesday, while Parker Zhao, the ninth seed, solidified his grip on the U.S. Junior Championship. The two chess tournaments are being held concurrently at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. Zatonskih had shared the lead for the last few rounds with Irina Krush, the top seed. But in Round 5 on Wednesday, Zatonskih beat Iryna Zenyuk, while Krush only drew against Camilla Baginskaite. Zatonskih now leads with 4.5 points, while Krush and Tatev Abrahamyan, who beat Abby Marshall on Wednesday, have 4 each. In the junior championship, Zhao, who ...
16. A Chess Odyssey
    One single square can make a big difference in a chess game. It helped me to launch one of my longest combinations against Anatoly Karpov in Caracas 40 years ago. It was a memorable chess tournament for both of us. Karpov arrived in Venezuela as the reigning world junior champion. He played well enough in Caracas to become the world's youngest chess grandmaster at that time, at age 19, and his brilliant career began to take shape. In 1971 in Moscow, he clinched the first major tournament victory, sharing first place with the three-time Soviet champion Leonid Stein at the prestigious Alekhine Memorial tournament. In 1975 he was crowned the world chess champion. This year ...
17. Fast Pace Continues at Two U.S. Chess Championships
    The top two seeds in the U.S. Women’s Chess Championship could make no headway against each other and drew their Round 3 game on Monday. But their two nearest competitors lost, so Irina Krush and Anna Zatonskih now lead the chess tournament by half a point over Tatev Abrahamyan, Alisa Melekhina (who lost to Abrahamyan on Monday) and Iryna Zenyuk, who lost on Monday to Beatriz Marinello. In the U.S. Junior Chess Championship, which is being held concurrently at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, Warren Harper, the seventh seed, is the surprising leader after three rounds with a perfect score. His play so far has been stellar and on Monday he demolished his ...
18. Anatoly Karpov out for a fight
    Anatoly Karpov and some supporting chess federations have filed a lawsuit against FIDE in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. Karpov's lawyers, White & Case, are a global firm based in Manhattan. They seek nothing less than the disqualification of the incumbent FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov who is standing for a fifth term. The rules demand that at least one member of a Presidential ticket be female and Ilyumzhinov's choice is American WIM Beatriz Marinello. Supporting documents indicate Ms Marinello was not nominated by the US Chess Federation but by her native Chile and Brazil. Karpov contends she is not even a member of either chess federation. Karpov's lawyers also ...
19. Players Sense Opportunity in Opponents’ Losing Streaks
    Momentum from a few wins can buoy a chess player and cause opponents in future rounds to wilt. It can happen the other way around, too. A couple of losses can lead opponents to become like sharks sensing blood. When chess players are on losing streaks, opponents are reluctant to settle for draws and will instead press on, hoping for victory. Players on losing streaks also often begin second-guessing their decision-making and analytical skills, leading to more mistakes and more losses. That is why it is often said that the most important thing to do after a loss is to get a draw in the next game in order to stop the bleeding. The consequences of failing to do so, even among elite chess ...
20. Fide's Grand Prix plans scuppered by withdrawal of Magnus Carlsen
    The world chess body Fide's plans for a Grand Prix tournament circuit were badly hit when its status as a world chess championship eliminator was downgraded, the world No1 Magnus Carlsen and other top Western chess players withdrew and all six events had to be played in the former USSR. Armenia's world No5, Levon Aronian, won the series. Fide's women's Grand Prix, in contrast, has been notably successful. Most leading women including Westerners are taking part, there is a wider range of venues and the series will directly qualify a world title challenger. China's Hou Yifan and India's Humpy Koneru were the favourites, but after the fourth event (of six) finished ...
21. Bobby Fischer Is Exhumed
    The remains of Bobby Fischer, the American chess champion, were exhumed Sunday night in the cemetery of Laugardaelir Church in Iceland, according to a report in The Reykjavik Grapevine. The exhumation was ordered by the Icelandic Supreme Court last month to determine if Fischer is the father of Jinky Young, a 9-year-old Filipino girl. Ólafur Helgi Kjartansson, the sheriff of Selfoss, the town near the cemetery; Rev. Kristinn Ágúst Fridfinnsson, the pastor of Selfoss; members of the local parish; medical staff and several other lawmen were at the exhumation to oversee it, according to the Grapevine. Fischer’s grave has already been put back as it was, according to reports. Fischer ...
22. Chess World No. 1 and … Fashion Model?
    In what undoubtedly is a first, the world’s top-ranked chess player, Magnus Carlsen of Norway, who is 19, has taken on a second career: fashion model. Wednesday, G-Star RAW, a Dutch clothing company that has three stores in Manhattan, rolled out an advertising campaign featuring Carlsen and the actress Liv Tyler. NRK, Norways’s public broadcasting company, has photographs from the campaign and the photo shoot at which Carlsen posed for them. The Web site also includes a short video. According to the Web site, Carlsen said, “I think people will be surprised to see me like this. Surely just as surprised as I was when I was picked for this.” As part of the fashion campaign, Carlsen will play a chess ...
23. Laznicka Wins World Open
    The World Open is without doubt one of the toughest and most competitive chess tournaments of the year. It regularly attracts a world-class field and it has an impressive roster of previous winners (or those who tied for first). This year’s tournament, which ended Monday, was no different. There were three dozen chess grandmasters from around the world and numerous other international masters and masters. Though certainly not an unknown player, this year’s winner, Viktor Laznicka of the Czech Republic, was a bit of a surprise as he was not among the better-known chess grandmasters at the start. But he raced out to a one point lead by winning his first six games, including ...
24. Vasily Smyslov: the master of incisive calculation
    How did the late Russian chess grandmaster deal with this situation? The life of a professional chess player is mentally and physically challenging. After the age of 40, for most professionals, there is a seemingly inevitable slide down the chess rankings. Garry Kasparov retired at 42, rated No 1 in the world, but I suspect he felt that the chasing pack was getting too close. That's why Vassily Smyslov's chess career was so remarkable. Smyslov, who died earlier this year, became world chess champion in 1957 at the age of 36, but continued playing at the highest levels, qualifying for the final of the world chess championship at the age of 63. This was the victory that got him ...
25. Magnus Carlsen Survives on His Wits
    One of the reasons that Garry Kasparov was the world’s dominant chess player from the late 1980s through the ’90s was that he was better prepared than his competitors. He spent an enormous amount of time researching chess openings for new ideas to spring on his opponents, or he paid others to do it for him. Magnus Carlsen, currently the world’s top-ranked chess player, is beginning to be as dominant as Kasparov was, but it is not because of his preparation. He has described himself as a bit lazy, and so rather than play the most popular chess openings, which everyone has studied, he often chooses systems, particularly as White, that do not yield any advantage. Carlsen wants to ...
26. Impressive Field at World Open
    The World Open, the annual chess tournament in Philadelphia that always takes place around July 4th, often lives up to its name by attracting a world-class contingent of chess players. This year is no different as the field includes Francisco Vallejo Pons of Spain, Surya Shekhar Ganguly of India, Loek Van Wely of the Netherlands, Luke McShane of England, Evgeny Najer of Russia, Viktor Laznicka of the Czech Republic and Ilya Smirin of Israel. It also includes many of the best Americans, among them Gata Kamsky, the United States chess champion, and Alexander Onischuk. The players come because the tournament offers one of the biggest prize funds in the world. This year’s is ...
27. Magnus Carlsen closes in on Garry Kasparov's record chess rating
    Magnus Carlsen is closing in fast on Garry Kasparov's all-time record chess rating. The 19-year-old Norwegian scored an unbeaten 7.5/10 at Medias, Romania to take his score on the daily calculations up to 2826, just 25 points shy of the great Russian's peak mark. And Carlsen did it while still not in optimum form. He began with two draws, then took risks including a 1 e4 e5 2 f4 King's Gambit and a couple of dubious positions, but his inventiveness and will to win coupled with the growing Carlsen-fear of those on the other side of the chess board ensured another impressive outcome. Technically his most interesting game, certainly from the practical viewpoint of competition ...
28. A Race for Second at the Grand Prix
    With four rounds left in the Fourth Women’s Chess Grand Prix in Jermuk, Russia, time is rapidly running out for anyone to try to overtake Nana Dzagnidze of the Republic of Georgia for first place. She leads by 1.5 points over Lilit Mkrtchian of Armenia and Tatiana Kosintseva of Russia. She still has to play Mkrtchian and Hou Yifan of China, the chess tournament’s top seed, who is currently in fourth, so there is still a chance she might be caught. But her form so far has been superb as she has only yielded one draw in seven rounds. So the rest of the tournament may be a race for second. The Grand Prix is a series of six tournaments organized by the World Chess Federation. The winner will ...
29. A White Day at the Women’s Chess Grand Prix
    Everyone knows that playing White is an advantage in chess (though curiously it was not during the last round of the King’s Tournament in Romania that ended Friday; then Black won all the games). But, the results of Round 6 of the Women’s Chess Grand Prix in Jermuk, Russia, were still startling. White won every game. It was the second time in the first six rounds of the chess tournament that every game had ended decisively. Over all, only 8 of the 36 games in the tournament have ended in draws, an astonishingly low percentage. After six rounds, Nana Dzagnidze of the Republic of Georgia leads with 5.5 points, a point ahead of Lilit Mkrtchian of Armenia. Tatiana Kosintseva of Russia is ...
30. A chess lesson from the late Vasily Smyslov
    How did the great Russian grandmaster win this game? Vasily Smyslov, the former world chess champion who died in March, was often described as a master of the endgame and brilliant positional player, but great chess players are able to change their style according to the demands of the position. I've been going through his games and found strategic masterpieces but also blistering attacking play. Earlier in this game he sacrificed a piece to activate his forces and followed up by advancing his h-pawn – one of my favourite attacking methods. But it takes skill to finish the game. RB This may be a very famous chess position but it's not one that I ever remember seeing and ...

The Daily Dirt Chess Blog

1. Construction Underway
   Blog and template construction tonight. Kasparov in New York photos.
2. NY Kasparov Book Signing Friday Sep.26 at Penn Station BORDERS
   Kasparov book signing in Manhattan at the Penn Station B&N on Friday the 26th at 5pm. Also a simul in Harlem on Sunday.
3. Learn Mandarin Now
   China beating Russian men in their annual match.
4. Spice of Life
   Strong GM invitational in Texas; goofy web numbers reported for EU Ch.
5. Bushed
   Kasparov to meet President Bush at a "dissidents luncheon" in New York.
6. Kosteniuk Wins Women's WCh
   Kosteniuk beats Hou Yifan in the final. Women's chess, stay or go?
7. Topalov Takes All in Bilbao
   Topalov takes clear first in Grand Slam final after beating Ivanchuk in the final round. Carlsen and Aronian 2-3, then Ivanchuk, Radjabov and Anand in sole last.
8. It's Not Easy Being Number One
   Topalov beats Carlsen to take over the lead in Bilbao with two rounds to play. Off day Thursday.
9. Nokia Gambit, Battery Variation
   Nigel Short loses when his phone goes off during a game at the European Union Championship in Liverpool.
10. Carlsen Loses But Leads
    Carlsen leads Bilbao by a point over Topalov with three rounds to play.
11. Carlsen Profile
    NYT/IHT profile of Magnus Carlsen touches on training habits, school, Monty Python.
12. Bilbao 08: Aronian Tanks
    Carlsen beats Aronian in round one. Other games drawn. Round 2: Ivanchuk-Carlsen, Anand-Radjabov, Topalov-Aronian. (All drawn.)
13. Balls Out in Bilbao
    Anand, Ivanchuk, Topalov, Carlsen, Aronian, and Radjabov in a double round-robin. Sep-2-13 at 11EDT each day. Rest days are 7th and 11th. I'm on ICC Chess.FM live with various American GMs each day.
14. Ivanchuk Triumphs in Moscow
    Ivanchuk wins clear first in Tal Memorial with +3.
15. Topalov Speaks in Spain
    Topalov interview with Spanish newspaper touches on Kasparov, computer chess, and, umm, Scarlett Johansson.

About.com Chess: What's Hot Now

1. Viswanathan Anand
   A profile of World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand.
2. Lines in the Italian Game
   The Giuoco Pianissimo chess opening, a variation in the Italian Game.
3. Every Move: Opera House Game
   Paul Morphy's famous Opera House Game is presented, with each move by each side explained.
4. Today's Best Chess Players
   A guide to the best chess players today, including the top chess players in the world.
5. Basic Tournament Chess Rules
   Before you play in your first tournament, learn some of the most important rules in competitive chess.
6. Common Sicilian Lines
   The Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defense chess opening.
7. Common Ruy Lopez Lines
   The Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez opening.
8. The Rules of Chess
   A quick guide to the rules of chess, with links to more detailed information on chess rules.
9. Basic Chess Tactics
   A guide to the skewer, a basic chess tactic.
10. Basic Opening Principles
    Learn the basic principles of playing chess openings properly.
11. Check, Checkmate and Stalemate
    How to recognize a checkmate in chess.
12. Basic Checkmates
    A guide to ten basic checkmates that every chess player should know, presented as a series of mate-in-one problems.

About.com Chess: Most Popular Articles

1. 10 Chess Openings to Know
   A list of the most common chess openings.
2. How to Set Up a Chess Board
   How to correctly place the board and pieces at the start of a chess game.
3. How to Play Chess
   A complete guide on how to play chess, including the basic rules of chess.
4. Five Ways to Improve at Chess
   Learn the five best ways for novice chess players to improve their chess.
5. Every Move: Opera House Game
   Paul Morphy's famous Opera House Game is presented, with each move by each side explained.
6. Common Sicilian Lines
   A guide to the most common lines seen in the Sicilian Defense, a chess opening.
7. Common Ruy Lopez Lines
   The Berlin Defense in the Ruy Lopez.
8. The Rules of Chess
   A quick guide to the rules of chess, with links to more detailed information on chess rules.
9. Basic Chess Tactics
   A guide to basic chess tactics, including forks, pins and skewers.
10. Guide to the Chess Pieces
    The first step towards playing chess is learning how each piece moves. Each of the six pieces moves differently, and this guide will help you understand how to use each one.
11. Basic Checkmates
    A guide to ten basic checkmates that every chess player should know, presented as a series of mate-in-one problems.
12. Fool's Mate
    A move by move guide to the fastest checkmate in chess, the Fool's Mate.
13. Basic Opening Principles
    Learn the basic principles of playing chess openings properly.
14. World Chess Champions
    A list of the world chess champions throughout chess history.
15. Basic Tournament Chess Rules
    Before you play in your first tournament, learn some of the most important rules in competitive chess.
16. Special Rules
    A quick guide to the chess rules that cause new players the most trouble: castling, promotion and en passant.
17. Lines in the Italian Game
    A description and guide to the common openings lines which can be reached from the Italian Game.
18. Check, Checkmate and Stalemate
    While many beginners may confuse them because they look similar at first glance, check, checkmate and stalemate are very different situations. It is important to be able to identify each and understand what they mean.
19. Understanding Chess Notation
    Learn how to read and write algebraic chess notation.
20. Learning Openings
    A discussion of the best ways to learn the openings in chess.
21. Strategy: Using the Bishops
    Learn how to use the bishop in chess. Improve your chess strategy with this tutorial on bishops.
22. Common French Defense Lines
    The starting position of the French Defense, a chess opening.
23. Today's Best Chess Players
    A guide to the best chess players today, including the top chess players in the world.
24. Viswanathan Anand
    A profile of World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand.
25. Popular Caro-Kann Lines
    The starting position of the Caro-Kann Defense, a popular chess opening.
26. Relative Piece Values
    Learn how much each piece is worth in chess, from the pawn to the queen and king.
27. Checkmates: King and Queen
    Learn how to checkmate with a king and a queen, one of the most basic endgame checkmates in chess.
28. Tactics
    Short, forced sequences of moves which can be calculated and lead to an advantage, usually the gain of material. Examples of tactical themes include forks, pins, and skewers.
29. Bullet Chess (Nakamura/Harper)
    A review of Bullet Chess: One Minute to Mate, by Hikaru Nakamura and Bruce Harper.
30. Candidate Moves
    Learn what a candidate move is, and how candidate moves can help you improve your chess.
31. Can I Checkmate?
    A list of the pieces with which a player can or cannot checkmate an enemy king.
32. Understanding Chess Ratings
    Learn what chess ratings are, and how to earn a chess rating.
33. Paul Morphy
    Paul Morphy is widely considered the greatest chess player of his era, and is often referred to as an unofficial World Champion.
34. Illegal Moves
    A discussion of illegal moves in chess, such as leaving your king in check.
35. Garry Kasparov
    A profile of former chess player and world chess champion Garry Kasparov.
36. Top 5 American Chess Players
    A look at the five best chess players in history from the United States, as chosen by About.com readers.
37. Time Management
    Learn how to better manage your time during a chess game. Time management is an important, but often overlooked, chess skill.
38. Dismantling the Sicilian
    A review of Dismantling the Sicilian, by Jesus de la Villa
39. Bobby Fischer by K. Muller
    A review of the book Bobby Fischer: The Career and Complete Games of the American World Chess Champion, by Karsten Muller.
40. Popular Chess Variants
    A list of popular chess variants, with basic explanations of their rules of play.
41. A Guide to Organized Chess
    A guide to organized chess, including chess clubs, chess federations, and chess ratings.
42. Review: Dynamic 3..Qd6 (Melts)
    A review of the chess book Scandinavian Defense: The Dynamic 3...Qd6 by Michael Melts.
43. Bobby Fischer
    A profile of former World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer.
44. Blitz
    A type of chess played with a very short time control.
45. Initiative
    The player who is pushing the action of the game by making threats is said to have the initiative. This is usually an advantage, as the other player must react to these threats rather than start plans of their own.
46. 1. b4: Theory and Practice
    A review of 1. b4: Theory & Practice of the Sokolsky Opening by Jerzy Konikowski and Marek Soszynski.
47. The World Chess Championship
    A brief history of the World Chess Championship.
48. Mastering Positional Chess
    A review of Mastering Positional Chess by Daniel Naroditsky.
49. Vladimir Kramnik
    A profile of famous chess player and World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik.
50. Algebraic Notation
    The most widely-used form of chess notation. In algebraic notation, squares are named by combining the letter of their file with the number of their rank. For instance, the square the white king begins on is e1.
51. Check
    Learn the chess concept of check, what it means for your king, and how it differs from checkmate.
52. Gambit
    An opening in which one player willingly gives up a pawn (or occasionally more) in exchange for better development, the initiative, or other compensation.
53. Tempo
    A unit of time equal to one move. If a player can force their opponent to make an unpleasant but necessary move (such as retreating a piece to a less active square), that player is often said to have “won a tempo.”
54. Rapid Chess
    Chess games which are longer than blitz games, but shorter than standard tournament games. A typical time control for a rapid game might be 25 minutes for each player.
55. Genius and Misery of Chess
    A review of the book The Genius and the Misery of Chess by Zhivko Kaikamjozov.
56. The Improving Chess Thinker
    A review of The Improving Chess Thinker, by chess author and National Master Dan Heisman.
57. Back to Basics: Openings
    A review of the chess book Back to Basics: Openings by Carsten Hansen.
58. Review: St. Petersburg 1909
    A review of the 21st century edition of Emanuel Lasker's tournament book of St. Petersburg 1909.
59. Toiletgate
    An overview of the infamous Toiletgate incident during the 2006 World Chess Championship match between Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov.
60. Bughouse
    Learn the rules of bughouse chess, a popular form of team chess.
61. Emanuel Lasker
    A profile of former World Chess Champion Emanuel Lasker.
62. Major Pieces
    Queens and rooks.
63. Development
    The process of moving the pieces from their original squares to more active squares. Typically, the player who has better developed pieces will have an advantage.
64. Candidate Master
    A title awarded by FIDE, ranking below FIDE Master.
65. Opening
    The first phase of a chess game, when both players attempt to develop their pieces and fight for the center of the board.
66. Pin
    A situation in which a piece cannot move because it will leave a more valuable piece vulnerable to attack. An absolute pin occurs when moving the piece is impossible because it would expose the king to check, while a relative pin exists when the piece can legally move, but only at the risk of exposing a stronger piece, such as the queen, to an attack.
67. Zugzwang
    A German word meaning “compulsion to move.” It refers to a situation in which a player has a position which would be strong if they were allowed to pass, but will be ruined because they must make a move.
68. Anatoly Karpov
    A profile of chess player and former world chess champion Anatoly Karpov.
69. Magnus Carlsen
    A profile of grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, one of the world's top chess players.
70. Wilhelm Steinitz
    A profile of the first World Chess Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz.
71. Lasker's Manual of Chess
    A review of the new 21st century edition of Lasker's Manual of Chess.
72. Chess960
    A short article about Chess960, also known as Fischer Random Chess or Shuffle Chess.
73. Mikhail Tal
    A profile of chess player and former World Chess Champion Mikhail Tal.
74. Peter Leko
    A profile of famous chess player Grandmaster Peter Leko.
75. Strategy
    The long term plans and ideas that guide play beyond what a player can calculate in the short-term.
76. Brilliancy
    An exceptional game.
77. Chess Clock
    Chess games are often timed, especially in tournament play. This is done through the use of a device which contains two attached clocks, known as a chess clock. By pressing a button on their side of the chess clock after they make a move, a player stops his clock and simultaneously starts the opponent�s clock. Chess clocks are available in both analog and digital styles.
78. En Prise
    French for “in take,” a piece is considered en prise if it is unprotected and can be captured.
79. Checkmate
    A king which is under attack and has no way of avoiding capture is said to be in checkmate. This ends the game as a victory for the player who has trapped the enemy king.
80. Stalemate
    A situation in which a player has no legal moves, but is not in check. This results in a drawn game.
81. Minor Pieces
    Bishops and knights.
82. Top 5 French Chess Players
    A list of the best French chess players of all time, as voted by About Chess readers.
83. Boris Spassky
    A profile of former world chess champion Boris Spassky.
84. Let's Play Chess (Pandolfini)
    A review of the chess book Let's Play Chess by Bruce Pandolfini
85. How to Look Up a Chess Rating
    How to look up your chess rating, or another player's chess rating on a chess rating list.
86. US Chess Champions
    A list of the US Chess Champions throughout history, including the winner of each US Chess Championship.
87. Alexander Alekhine
    A profile of world chess champion Alexander Alekhine.
88. Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual
    A review of the chess book, Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual.
89. Chess Gems by Igor Sukhin
    A review of Chess Gems - 1,000 Combinations You Should Know, by Igor Sukhin.
90. Chess - QuickTips
    An index of QuickTips for the Chess guide site.
91. Review: New York 1924
    A review of the new 21st Century Edition of Alexander Alekhine's New York 1924 tournament book.
92. Viswanathan Anand: My Career
    A review of the ChessBase DVDs "Viswanathan Anand: My Career," Volumes 1 and 2.
93. Levon Aronian
    A profile of the famous chess player and grandmaster, Levon Aronian.
94. Tigran Petrosian
    A profile of former world chess champion Tigran Petrosian.
95. Vladimir Akopian
    A profile of Grandmaster Vladimir Akopian, a famous chess player.
96. Max Euwe
    A profile of former World Chess Champion Max Euwe.
97. Samuel Reshevsky
    A profile of famous chess grandmaster Samuel Reshevsky.
98. Open Game
    A position in which many pawns have been traded, leaving open lines for pieces to move across the board.
99. Material
    The pieces and pawns controlled by each player. If one player has more pieces remaining than the other, that player is said to have a material advantage.
100. Blunder
     A terrible chess move.
101. Grandmaster
     The highest title awarded by FIDE. The title is sometimes referred to as International Grandmaster, and is often abbreviated as GM. Grandmasters typically have ratings over 2500, and must achieve strong performances, or norms, in tournaments with difficult competition before earning the title.
102. Endgame
     The final phase of a chess game, when few pieces are left on the board. The endgame often begins after the queens come off the board.
103. En Passant
     French for “in passing,” en passant is a special move that allows a pawn to capture an enemy pawn which has moved two squares and landed on an adjacent square. The pawn is captured as though it had only moved one square.
104. Fianchetto
     Italian for “on the flank,” a fianchetto is the placement of a bishop on b2 or g2 for white, or alternately, b7 or g7 for black.
105. FIDE
     The Fédération Internationale des Échecs, or World Chess Federation. FIDE acts as the governing body for international chess, and awards official ratings and titles to players.
106. Castle
     Castling is a defensive move in which the king moves towards the corner of the board, and a rook moves toward the middle. It is the only move in chess that allows two pieces to move at the same time. Also, rooks are often referred to as castles by novice players.
107. Middlegame
     The second phase of a chess game. At this stage, both players have finished developing their pieces. The middlegame is the “meat” of a chess game, connecting the opening to the endgame.
108. Fork
     A tactic in which one piece attacks two or more opposing pieces simultaneously. Forks are most commonly made by knights, due to their ability to leap over other pieces.
109. The Exchange
     The trade of a rook for a minor piece.
110. Time Control
     The time limit placed on a chess game. Time controls are especially common in tournaments, but are sometimes used in casual play. They may range from one minute for each player for the entire game, to several hours per side.
111. Vassily Ivanchuk
     A profile of grandmaster and famous chess player, Vassily Ivanchuk.
112. Boris Gelfand
     A profile of famous chess player and Israeli grandmaster Boris Gelfand.
113. Fabiano Caruana
     A profile of Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana, a famous chess player.
114. Evgeny Alekseev
     A profile of Evgeny Alekseev, a famous chess player and grandmaster.
115. Kramnik: My Path to the Top
     A review of the Vladimir Kramnik: My Path to the Top DVD by ChessBase.
116. New In Chess: 25 Years
     A review of New in Chess: The First 25 Years (An Anthology), edited by Steve Giddins.
117. Chess - Articles
     An index of articles for the Chess guide site.
118. Alexei Shirov
     A profile of famous chess player and grandmaster Alexei Shirov.
119. Gary's Adventures (Sukhin)
     A review of Gary's Adventures in Chess Country, an instructional chess book for children by Igor Sukhin.
120. Diary of a Chess Queen
     A review of Diary of a Chess Queen, an autobiography by Alexandra Kosteniuk.
121. Nottingham 1936 (Alekhine)
     A review of the 21st Century Edition of Nottingham 1936 by Alexander Alekhine.
122. Judit Polgar
     A profile of Grandmaster Judit Polgar, a famous chess player.
123. Vugar Gashimov
     A profile of famous chess player, Azerbaijani grandmaster Vugar Gashimov.
124. Gata Kamsky
     A profile of famous chess player and American grandmaster Gata Kamsky.
125. Alexander Grischuk
     A profile of Russian grandmaster Alexander Grischuk, a famous chess player.
126. Wang Hao
     A profile of famous chess player, grandmaster Wang Hao.
127. Ruslan Ponomariov
     A profile of Ruslan Ponomariov, a famous chess player and former FIDE World Champion.
128. Sergey Karjakin
     A profile of famous chess player and grandmaster, Sergey Karjakin.
129. Vasily Smyslov
     A profile of former World Chess Champion Vasily Smyslov.
130. Veselin Topalov
     A profile of Grandmaster Veselin Topalov, a famous chess player from Bulgaria.
131. Peter Svidler
     A profile of famous chess player and grandmaster, Peter Svidler.
132. Rank
     A horizontal row of squares on the chessboard. In algebraic notation, ranks are numbered from 1 to 8, with the white pieces sitting on the first and second ranks.
133. Skewer
     A tactic in which a valuable piece is attacked and forced to move, leaving a less valuable piece vulnerable to capture.
134. Notation
     A method used for recording chess games. The most common example is algebraic notation; in the past, descriptive notation was standard.
135. Master
     A title given by many national federations to strong players. For instance, a player in the United States can earn the National Master (NM) title by achieving a USCF rating of 2200 or higher.
136. Center
     The squares on a chess board closest to the middle, especially the 4 innermost squares. In algebraic notation, these squares are e4, d4, e5 and d5.
137. FIDE Master
     A title awarded by FIDE which is above Candidate Master, but below International Master. It is often abbreviated as FM. The usual way of earning the FIDE Master title is by obtaining a rating over 2300.
138. File
     A horizontal column of squares on the chessboard. In algebraic notation, the files are lettered a through h, with the queen’s rook starting on the “a” file.
139. Kingside
     The side of the board on which the kings begin play. In algebraic notation, the kingside is made up of the “e” through “h” files.
140. Draw
     A game that ends without a winner. This can happen in several ways. The players may agree to a draw, there may not be enough material left on the board for the game to end with a checkmate, or there may be a stalemate. In tournament play, there are other situations which can result in a draw, such as triple repetition of position, or fifty moves being played without any progress (this is known as the “fifty move rule”).
141. Combination
     A series of tactical moves that results in the win of material or checkmate. Many combinations involve one or more sacrifices.
142. Counterplay
     The offensive prospects of a player who is in a defensive or losing position.
143. Descriptive Notation
     A style of chess notation in which each square is given a descriptive name, based on the piece that began play on that file and the square’s rank.