When I reflect on the earliest stages of my chess career, it's not the thrill of victory, the five-foot trophies that I could barely lift from the ground, or even the accolades, certificates and triple-digit rating gains that dominate my recollect...
"We work 25 hours a day." "But there's only 24 hours in a day!" "We just wake up an hour earlier." —Eternal Call, a Soviet TV series (1973-83) Our society's obsession with time knows few bounds. It is the golden age of at...
May 28, 1992. Moscow. The newly-established Russian Federation is enmeshed in social and economic tumult following the dissolution of the USSR. But chess fans have been treated to a small respite: a blitz tournament, broadcast live on television...
Tactics. After thousands of books written on this concept, after the development of several excellent tactical training tools (such as Chess.com's own Tactics Trainer), after the release of countless free engines that serve as paragons of tactical...
When you think of the word "threat," what comes to mind? A threat of checkmate, perhaps? A threat to trap your piece? An indirect threat against your queen? Whatever your specific mental representation, it is most likely tactical...
Whether you are a Luddite or technophile, the importance of being able to successfully collaborate with a chess computer cannot be overstated. In every stage and aspect of the game — opening preparation, endgame theory, game analysis&...
In round four of the recently-concluded 2015 Qatar Masters, I found myself across the board from a rather obscure individual known as Vladimir Kramnik (yes, I am being sarcastic). As the chief arbiter made the usual pre-game announcements, I recal...
Elon Musk is an otherworldly individual. At 44 years old, he is a multi-billionaire, the founder of several successful companies, and the current CEO and product architect of a rather prominent outfit known as Tesla Motors. He is a skilled busines...
Chess is a cruel game. One moment of negligence, one second of distracted thinking, and hours of hard work instantly go down the drain. For most chess players, the euphoria of success — a combination, a hard-fought victory, a positional mast...
A few months ago, IM Jeremy Silman wrote an entertaining and highly informative article on why grandmasters blunder. I was particularly impressed with his opening remark: "Over the years I’ve noticed that whenever a grandmaster hang...
The title of this article sounds like the name of a cheap horror flick, perhaps a low-budget rip-off of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. A spine-chilling monster known as the Grinder terrorizes the inhabitants of a fictional town... A quick...
On October 17, the chess world suffered yet another devastating loss: IM Emory Tate passed away at age 56. Though he was taken from this world much too soon, Emory has left behind an unforgettable legacy, and he will forever be remembered as ...
Alone together. Foolish wisdom. Cruel kindness. Arrogant humility. All of these phrases are oxymorons, "combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings." The title of this article seems to fit this definition to the lett...
Genrikh Kasparian (1910-1995) was a very accomplished chess player. A 10-time Armenian champion, Kasparian was a strong IM and permanent fixture on the Soviet chess scene. However, Kasparian is remembered not as a great chess player —...
Officially released on September 16, the biographical thriller Pawn Sacrifice is the latest development in an ongoing chess renaissance. Directed by Academy Award-winning producer and filmmaker Edward Zwick, Pawn Sacrifice offers a ...
In every single position — whether opening or endgame, tactical or positional, winning or losing — our priority is to ensure the safety of our king. Indeed, the monarch spends most of the game cowering behin...
When my journey to the chess world was still in its nascent stages, I picked up a dusty old copy of My System, settled down in a comfortable chair, adopted a grave, contemplative expression, and started to read. Everything went smooth...
Everyone gets tired from time to time, stress kills, and the periodic brain melt is pretty much impossible to prevent. — IM Jeremy Silman, Why Do Grandmasters Blunder? No matter how hard he works, or how strong h...
As beginners, we learn myriad principles that guide our chess development and steer us away from common positional vices: Develop knights before bishops. Do not move a piece twice in the opening unless strictly necessary. Knights on the rim ...
In his excellent work The Seven Deadly Chess Sins (Gambit 2000), Scottish GM Jonathan Rowson introduces a fascinating concept that GM Jonathan Speelman terms plus-equals mode: If properly understood, the idea of playing only...
"A master cogitates carefully, perhaps a half-hour on a move. Finally, he chooses the correct square for the correct piece and places it there. A grand master is much more skillful. He hardly thinks at all; he throws the piece into the air and it ...
On March 1, 2013, at the age of 13 years and 8 months, Chinese super-talent Wei Yi earned his final grandmaster norm at the Reykjavik Open. I was deeply impressed by his games from the event, especially by his 33-move victory against Maxime Vachie...
The inspiration for today's article was rather unusual. Recently, I was lying in bed when a peculiar memory invaded the sleepy recesses of my mind. I recalled an unusual and astute piece of advice given to me by GM Alexander Kali...
I am the proud owner of the obscure volume Pillsbury's Chess Career, published in 1922 by the American Chess Bulletin and written by two English amateurs, Philip Walsingham Sergeant and William Henry Watts. For several months i...
It is impossible to become a world champion without mastering every facet of the game. Most champions, however, are remembered for their proficiency in one particular area of the game. To this end, Wilhelm Steinitz is remembered as the founder o...
