Magna cum laude
World champion Magnus Carlsen has taken first prize in the Norway tournament at Stavanger which finished last month. Carlsen had…
No. 408
White to play. This position is a variation from So-Kasparov, St Louis 2016. What is White’s quickest kill? Answers to…
Out of the book
Last week we saw the reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen taking a leaf from Alekhine’s book to destroy eccentric opening…
No. 407
White to play. This is from Pacher-Radnai, Budapest 2016. How did White exploit a tactical opportunity to make a decisive…
Evolution
World champion Magnus Carlsen takes much inspiration from the games of the former champion Emanuel Lasker. Lasker and Carlsen share…
No. 406
White to play. This is a position from Bjornsson-Sigurdsson, Iceland Team Championship 2016. How did White make the most of…
The Godfather
It is often asked how chess became so popular in the USSR. My answer is that most areas of creative…
No. 405
White to play. This position is from Vallejo-Wynn, Bangkok 2016. White has sacrificed a rook and a bishop. He now…
666
The year 2016 is the anniversary of a number of significant events in the chess world. In 1946 Alexander Alekhine…
Puzzle no. 404
Black to play. This is a position from Carbone–Slipak, Mar del Plata 2016. How can Black conclude? Answers to me…
Sergey’s sensation
Sergey Karjakin, who in 2002 became the world’s youngest-ever grandmaster at the age of 12 years and seven months, has…
No. 403
White to play. This is a variation from Aronian-Svidler, Moscow 2016. In this game Aronian misplayed his attack and Svidler…
Bellum sociorum
The internecine but friendly annual rivalry between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, generously hosted last month by the Chess Circle…
No. 402
Black to play. This is from Pichot-Khismatullin, Moscow 2016. What was Black’s killing blow? Answers to me at The Spectator…
Tal story
With the proliferation of modern opening theory and advances in knowledge of the game, I wonder sometimes if the kind…
No. 401
White to play. This is from Karjakin-Nakamura, Fidé Candidates, Moscow 2016. Hikaru -Nakamura has just implemented an ingenious combination to…
Candidates
The Candidates tournament to determine the challenger later this year to world champion Magnus Carlsen is now well underway in…
Puzzle no. 400
White to play. This position is a variation from Anand-Topalov, Fidé Candidates, Moscow 2016. White can capture the black bishop,…
Bunratty
The tournament at Bunratty is Ireland’s premier chess competition and has been for several years. This year’s event, to which…
No. 399
Black to play. This position is from Skulte-Pein, Bunratty 2016. Black’s queen is attacked. His next move didn’t force immediate…
Varsity match
On Saturday 5 March the 134th Varsity Match between the teams from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge takes place…
No. 398
Black to play. This position is from Scibior-Chiu, Varsity Match 2013. Black now powered through into the white position. What…
Gnomic
Zurich has been the scene for the latest clash between the titans of chess. Over a mere four days in…
No. 397
Black to play. This position is from Shirov-Nakamura, Zurich 2016. Black is winning easily but now finished with a fine…
Rocky 14
The 14th Tradewise tournament at Gibraltar ended in a triumph for the American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. Naka, as he is…
