Diary from the Legends Tournament
In the Diary, I focused on an instructive game between the current world number three and four, but the choice of opening is no less important. Do you struggle to break through the Caro-Kann Defence? And conversely, for those playing Black: do you know the relatively new tricky development system that White used in the game?... Continue reading
Triple King, Yet Ominous Clouds Gather on the Horizon
We look back at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships, and analyse a fragment of the decisive blitz game Firouzja vs. Carlsen. Did the arbiters wrong the young super grandmaster? Are the rules for blitz play set correctly? Do you know what Berger's rule is in opposite-coloured bishop endgames? And who will finally dethrone Magnus Carlsen? All this, and many other interesting topics, are covered in the first article of 2020… Continue reading
Vugar Gashimov – Could He Have Stood Up to the World Champion?
On 24 July 2019, the late Azerbaijani grandmaster Vugar Gashimov would have celebrated his 33rd birthday. For this reason, our next lesson is dedicated to this exceptional young grandmaster, who, despite the serious illness to which he finally succumbed 5 years ago, managed to fight his way to the very top of today's super-grandmasters. But the article goes even further! The author believes that it could well be him who, today, would be able to challenge the reigning world champion, who currently rules with an exceptionally firm hand… Continue reading
Wijk aan Zee 2019: A Triad of Endgame Horrors, a Delightful Combination, a Genuine Study and Carlsen's Triumph
No, Caïssa's beauty has not faded! The goddess merely rolls her eyes in disbelief... and more and more often. Personally, I have long since given up any illusions about the standard of play among today's players as such, and especially the super-elite with ratings over 2700, when I compare their performances, for example, with those from 40 to 60 years ago. The recently concluded super-tournament in the Netherlands provides sceptics of the same persuasion – that is, history was better – with absolutely ideal and explosive material... Let's first take a look at the true triad of horrors in the endgames created by the super-grandmasters in Wijk... but that's not all... Continue reading
Limes Inferior, or a Glimpse into Chess Mensa
We believe that after the recent months of battles for the highest world honours, which we were able to follow live, and the pleasant rest of the Christmas holidays, readers may wish to reflect on our beautiful game from a slightly different perspective…
The first part of the article's title, which loosely follows on from the previous one—tests and entertainment—we have borrowed from the eponymous utopian (or dystopian?) novel by Janusz A. Zajdel. Why? The society of the future described in the book is divided into layers according to individuals‚ mental abilities. The most intelligent, of course, enjoy various privileges. But beware! Everyone, even someone who finds themselves at the very bottom of the notional caste ladder, always has the chance to rise higher… if they successfully pass the tests set before them… The main character, who makes a living by using a sophisticated technical method to help others during tests (the so-called Lifter), gradually discovers that ‘everything is different‚. He passes the highest life trials, sees through the system, and enters a kind of utopian ‘Mensa'… Will you, dear readers, manage the same? Test your wits in a different way (other than in direct combat over the chessboard), under exceptionally tough conditions…. Continue reading
Saint Louis 2018 – Questions about Nakamura's Fortress
In the lesson ‚Let’s Analyse‘, we will take a closer look at the mysterious endgame from the last round of the Saint Louis super-tournament, Carlsen vs. Nakamura. What was the cause of the American's hopeless play in the rook ending (RE)? Was it faith in a fortress that he need not have tried to build on the board at all? In endgames, Carlsen has no equal today (he saw the winning fortress-breaking scheme 25-30 moves ahead!), but the patent for its destruction is held by... the Polish grandmaster Gajewski! The machine (the computer) of course ‚does not fail‘ in fortresses and gets lost... Why does the world champion arrive at tournaments well-rested, while the competition frantically travels from place to place?
In the lesson, we will also look at techniques for playing out REs with pawns in a 4 vs. 3 ratio, explain the concept of the Achilles' heel of pawn structures, and there will also be a 'nutritious' calculation test! Continue reading
Children love them, adults (at worst) tolerate them
What are we talking about? Well, about chess quizzes, problems, and humorous puzzles. Younger children love them all the more when – if a king gets involved in the task and, of course, the solution is about checkmate, while older ones enjoy pondering other types, including sometimes even the more difficult retrograde analyses. And adults? I think most of them also enjoy a good puzzle... Continue reading
Jan Bílek – Professional CV
The first fully professional chess coach, theoretician and analyst in the Czech Republic since the early 1990s. The most successful coach of children, youth and juniors in the Czech Republic in terms of the results achieved by his protégés, whom he guided from the very first steps of their chess careers. Continue reading
For Coaches – Yet Another Way to Diagnose Pupils' Talent
Dear colleagues, do you ever wonder how else you might check whether your pupil will ‚amount to something‘? We offer an original and fresh way to try to get to the truth. Let's find out whether our pupil ‚knows how‘ to think deeply about problems and tackle tough nuts. The logical puzzle presented here is waiting for anyone who fancies thinking differently and more deeply than they have to every single day... Continue reading
Chess d'Artagnan
In May this year, the first Belarusian grandmaster Viktor Davidovich Kuprejchik passed away. He meant a great deal to me! I devoured his games, attacks, combinations; I eagerly awaited his new discoveries in variations that immediately appealed to me, and of course, I tried to copy them in my own games. The author’s account of this valiant fighter, nicknamed the chess d’Artagnan for his fearlessness, tenacity, and record numbers of consecutive tournament wins, is supplemented not only with examples of his play, but also with an analysis of three now somewhat forgotten Sicilian Defence systems. Viktor Davidovich’s name has the honour of being borne by a currently undeservedly neglected variation: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5!?, which we can also see as a gauntlet thrown down to the Najdorf System, which has been enjoying its heyday for perhaps a little too long: ‘Why play 5...a6 at all?„ Let’s try Kuprejchik’s patent! Continue reading
Competition – Fun (4) – Solution
The holiday competition has its winners! Both solvers and other readers can view the solution to the splendid study by Vitaly Alexandrovich Chekhover, which even chess engines cannot crack. We also present the solution to a lesser-known humorous problem by Paul Lamford... Continue reading
Competition – Fun (5)
The fifth part of our competition focuses especially on one tactical device, which you have certainly used countless times in your own battles over the board, though probably with less dramatic effect than in the two examples we present here... 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