product-reviews

I don’t remember how I found Olimpbase.org for the first time, but I’m so glad I did. It seems the site has not been updated for a couple of years, but I still want to bring attention to it for those who are unfamiliar with it. I’ve put it under “Product Reviews” even though it … Read more

Choosing the right tournament chess board is a topic I’ve thought about over the years, trivial as it might seem. After last Friday’s post, I decided to share my thoughts and get your opinions as well. Let’s go through different options — what is your ideal tournament surface? I’m also assuming we’re playing in tournaments … Read more

I’m pleased to announce a new collaboration with American Chess Equipment of Gardena, CA. I have purchasing chess equipment from them for several years, and have known owner Shelby Lohrman for nearly 15 years. Shelby told me about some new products he has, and others in development. He plans to send me some items to … Read more

A classic beige “long” Chronos with buttons, and box. The Chronos chess clock is the most popular timer in U.S. tournaments, and has been for years. I say that as a longtime tournament director who has walked through countless playing halls. These clocks can accomodate time delay and increment, so they can be used in … Read more

Let’s discuss what I see as the two main competitors to the DGT 3000: When I reviewed the Chronos, I noted that a big factor in its favor early on was its large display in comparison to other digital timers. Not only can other chess clocks now claim this as well, new Chronos clocks are … Read more

Lichess seems to be taking over, and deservedly so. Nearly a year ago, I said that I still preferred to play on the paid Internet Chess Club (ICC) because of the consistent good level of professional competition. I knew that GMs, IMs, and other strong players used Lichess, but I wondered if the site was … Read more

If you’re comfortable reading books on a screen (web or downloadable app), ForwardChess will save you a lot of time: No need to use a board and pieces, resetting again and again to play through variations. No need to enter games or entire books into ChessBase. No need to add more “stuff” to your physical … Read more

The DGT North American clock is as good as any chess timer on the market. And it comes at a great price — around $40! The DGT North American chess clock Why DGT North American? The North American is different from other DGT clocks because it has settings for time delay, common in US Chess … Read more

At least, they are essential for advanced players and for coaches. If you’re already familiar with ChessBase and MegaBase and understand their value, feel free to skip this post. Otherwise, you need to keep reading. What is ChessBase? ChessBase: makers of ChessBase and MegaBase ChessBase GmbH is a chess publishing company founded in 1985 and based … Read more