Carlsen's intuition or mathematics
Of course, in this article we will not deal with any mathematical equations. The discussion will be about playing style, thinking over the chessboard. That is, the algorithm of finding a suitable move in a game. Why does Magnus Carlsen win a large percentage of tournaments? Where does his quite significant advantage over his contemporaries come from? I asked similar questions and tried to find answers, for example, in the article ‚The Phenomenon of the Phenomenon Carlsen‘. Elsewhere I even compared his playing style to Capablanca's and even – of course with exaggeration – mentioned a possible reincarnation of perhaps the most talented chess player of all time into Magnus Carlsen... Continue reading
Olympiad in Chennai and another rising star of the East
Before I started writing the previous article about the ongoing Olympiad, I hesitated whether to highlight the Uzbek youngster and rapid world champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov or the Indian star Dommaraju Gukesh. Both had reached 100% score after the fifth round, but as it turned out, especially the Indian youngster had no intention of ending his sprint and achieved a phenomenal eight points after the eighth round! The game that the young Indian grandmaster showed, for example, in round 6, cannot be simply overlooked... Continue reading
A somewhat forgotten world champion
Battles at the top of the tournament, amazing individual results of two young men from the East, that is what is talked about at the Olympiad! But is the world champion playing in Chennai? Certainly! It must be credited to Carlsen that he regularly participates in Olympiads. Here he was rested only in the first round and then tries to help as much as possible by winning many games against theoretically much weaker opponents and by his participation in the Norwegian team – his homeland. He defeats opponents in his typical way... Continue reading
Olympiad in Chennai – a combination that stayed behind the scenes, yet will travel the world
Originally I had an article ready for readers about another young world super talent who, at the moment I am writing this article after round 7, can boast a perfect score. However, while watching this round of the Olympiad, my eye fell on a game and especially a possible combination that I must share. After all, dear readers, you will surely encounter it soon in all possible media... Continue reading
The youngest world champion is excelling at the Olympiad in India
When the Uzbek prodigy, now seventeen-year-old Nodirbek Abdusattorov, won the rapid World Championship at the end of last year, many probably considered it a fluke. If you do not follow the career of this serious young man, I bet you have not heard of him for over half a year. Although this year's Olympiad lacks a number of strong players (the teams of China and the Russian Federation are not participating, France is missing two super grandmasters, etc.), there is still ‚something to watch‘. After the fifth round, Nodirbek has on his account... 5 wins and has crossed the magical 2700+ mark! And what is more, he has also left behind a star of such calibre as Fabiano Caruana... Continue reading
Dubov's retrograde study – solution
Preview: Below you can mainly familiarise yourself with the solution to a challenging problem I posted on the website a few weeks ago. In the text, I will also recall the fantastic retrograde studies of the brilliant German composer Werner Keym. Those of you, dear readers, who once again have the desire and time, are not currently persistently searching for goods that we will probably need in autumn or winter, or are not following the Chess Olympiad so intensely – with the absence of at least two extremely strong chess nations, reminiscent of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles – may immerse yourselves in the solution. Continue reading
Decadence even in chess: where have the calculations of complex variations gone? Circus in Biel. Lazy world champion
In this article, the author mainly wants to share with readers news from the chess world of the declining West and suggests readers test whether they can manage the calculation of variations where a super grandmaster (who nevertheless won a strong tournament in Biel) failed. He also relies on the opinions of world figures – former world champions! What is happening to chess? Continue reading
Dubov's retrograde study
Holidays, vacations, lots of tournaments. It seems that at least for a few months the chess world is returning to normal times. Those readers who followed the June Candidates Tournament for the World Championship could choose from many websites and select live commentary according to their preference. I chose the Russian site Levitov Chess, where the games were commented on by perhaps the most qualified. Besides the 14th World Champion Kramnik, we could also see other super grandmasters in the studio. One of the guests was Daniil Dubov several times… Continue reading
Diary from the Legend tournament (2)
Are you looking for an aggressive opening with White in open games? Perhaps you are tired (disgusted) by the ‚Italian shuffling‘ d3, c3, O-O, Re1, Nd2-f1, etc., or the analogous development in closed Spanish games?! In 1987, Dutch grandmaster John Van der Wiel introduced a then revolutionary tool to gain the initiative in the Scotch Game, specifically the Mieses Attack (3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5) by the then almost secretive rook lift 8.h4! In the computer era of searching for new and new systems, Alexander Morozevich revived the system a few years ago, only for analysts with their engines to immediately focus again on the early pawn push „h“. Of course, such a system could not go unnoticed by a player like Jan Nepomniachtchi; already in the dramatic semi-final of the Legend tournament, in the rapid tiebreak at 2-2, it was an ideal challenge for the correct and strong positional technician who is – perhaps coincidentally today a Dutch grandmaster – Anish Giri… Continue reading
Diary from the Legend tournament (3)
In the third and final game of the online Legend tournament, we cannot avoid looking at one of the encounters of the world champion himself against Jan Nepomniachtchi. The game was still played in the preliminary group, and Black had to win to equalise the mini-match score at 2-2 and allow it to continue… with an armageddon. How to play for a win with Black in a rapid game against the world champion? Continue reading
Diary from the Legend tournament
In the Diary, I focused on an instructive game between the current number three and four by rating, but the choice of opening is no less important. Do you have trouble breaking through the Caro-Kann Defence? And conversely, for Black’s supporters: do you know the relatively new tricky development system that White used in the game?... Continue reading
Triple king, but ominous clouds are gathering in the distance
We look back at the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship, analyse a fragment of the decisive blitz game Firouzja vs. Carlsen. Did the arbiters harm the young super grandmaster? Are the rules for blitz play set correctly? Do you know the Berger rule in opposite-coloured bishop endgames? And who will finally dethrone Magnus Carlsen? This, and many other interesting facts, are offered by the first article of 2020… Continue reading
Chess quote
Chess is the touchstone of intellect.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Chess quote
Chess, like music and love, has the power to make a person happy.
Siegbert Tarrasch
Siegbert Tarrasch