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Many players, coaches, and parents are confused by tiebreaks in scholastic tournaments. So let’s talk about types of chess tournaments and how we decide the winner, shall we? What is the fairest kind of chess tournament? Certainly, the round robin (RR). Each player faces everyone else in the tournament, and it’s hard to blame anyone … Read more
Istvan Csom. Photo: Nigel Eddis. Source: ChessBase Playerbase. FIDE broke news that Istvan Csom (1940-2021) passed away on July 28. As the report mentions, this Hungarian Grandmaster (1973) and International Arbiter (1991) was a two-time champion of his country (1972, 1973) and part of the 1978 Buenos Aires Olympiad team that won the gold medal over … Read more
Today I want to discuss a very popular and highly-regarded chess figure who also happens to be the first currently-living author in the series. Serious work for serious people, yes, but more approachable than most Dvoretsky volumes. Mihail Marin Mihail Marin. Photo: Mihail Marin’s Twitter, @MihailMarin3 Mihail Marin (1965 – ) was born in Bucharest, … Read more
Richard Teichmann lost sight in his right eye in the 1890s. Photo: Deutscher Schachbund. Richard Teichmann (1868-1925) was one of the best players of the early 20th century. The German master was nicknamed “Richard V,” as that was often his tournament placing. Karlsbad 1911 proved to be a different story: he rose to the occasion and … Read more
The Czech Open, held annually in Pardubice, CZE. Playing in a few tournaments does not commit you to becoming a “serious” chess player. There is no requirement to study extra (or at all) if you don’t want to. I recommend trying at least a couple of events to see if you like it. I tell … Read more
If you’re new to chess, you may not know that a player can offer a draw for any reason, almost whenever they wish. Fans of other sports and games argue that this should not be allowed, but there are a lot of positions in chess that are impossible to win. Many more can’t be won … Read more
Introducing the New York Invitationals! Check out the website. The first event was held at the Hilton Garden Inn Midtown Park Avenue, organized by Keith Espinosa and IM Aleksandr Ostrovskiy. The GM A section in action, with organizer Keith Espinosa looking on. Photo: Andre Harding The Chief Arbiter and Tournament Director was … me! Title … Read more
Vasily Malinin. Photo: Rewal Chess Festival Vasily Malinin (born 1956) is a Russian Grandmaster of both over-the-board and correspondence chess. He was also the 21st and last USSR Correspondence Chess Champion (the final of this multi-stage event, the Rozinov Memorial, was played from 1998-2002). Here Malinin plays an absolutely wild game and finishes it beautifully. … Read more
I’m not talking about an early tournament withdrawal because of another commitment, or because you’re feeling legitimately ill. I’m also not talking about scheduling a last-round bye in advance. Let’s exclude withdrawing in order to return as a re-entry, too. I’m talking about those cases where you could continue, but don’t want to — usually, … Read more
One side of the equation will likely have a bigger impact on your overall chess progress. Many people are experiential. They learn best “by doing.” Such chess players are able to learn from their mistakes, and don’t repeat their errors so much. When coaching, I can recognize such players very quickly. Other players, like me, … Read more