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MTel R7: Ivanchuk and Topalov draw, Bu loses to Radjabov
16.05.2008 – The summit match between top seed Veselin Topalov and tournament uberplayer Vassily Ivanchuk ended in a hard-fought 49-move draw. Ivanchuk continues to lead Topalov by a full point, while the Bulgarian is a point and a half ahead of the next-best players. Teimour Radjabov beat the luckless Bu Xiangzhi, who has 1.0/7 and a performance of 2427. Full report.
 

'Lvov awaits Topalov and Kamsky!'
15.05.2008 – Breaking news: Russian chess journalist Yuri Vasiliev has now confirmed that the semifinal Candidates Match between Veselin Topalov and Gata Kamsky will take place in Lvov, Ukraine, for a prize fund of US $750,000. The full story, including Yuri's verbatim interview with Chernenko, will appear tomorrow on ChessBase. Here are first details.
 

Vladmir Kramnik dominates CEZ match against Navara
15.05.2008 – Their rating difference is just 116 points. But former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik is dominating the rapid chess match against top Czech GM David Navara. Kramnik won the first three of eight games, drawing the fourth for a halftime stand of 3.5:0.5. A big gala event kicked off the CEZ Chess Trophy, with blindfold chess and (you believe it) hacky sack displays. Illustrated report.
 

'Hao shi duo mo!' – Wang Yue on the Grand Prix in Baku
15.05.2008 – This is something new: a blog report by a top Chinese GM, describing the course of a Super-GM tournament. Wang Yue talks about the circumstances surrounding the First FIDE Grand Prix, which he won last week in Baku (together with Gashimov and Carlsen). Of course in Chinese, but thankfully translated by one of our readers. Thanks also to "Big Sister", who forced him to write it.
 

MTel R6: Topalov and Cheparinov win, Ivanchuk draws
15.05.2008 – The shocker of round six: Vassily Ivanchuk only drew his game against Teimour Radjabov, the first time he has dropped half a point in this tournament. His performance has dropped to a dismal 3155. Both Bulgarians, Cheparinov and Topalov, won their games and are in second and third place. A prominent visitor was Boris Spassky, who commentated for the spectators. Full pictorial report.
 

GM Nigel's Radio Revs – here to answer you questions
14.05.2008 – Once a week grandmaster Nigel Davies gives live online training on the Playchess server, from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m. UK time. That means it starts at midnight CEST, 6 p.m. New York or 08:00 a.m. Sidney. This week the subject is how to neutralise tricky opening lines and gambits. Send in your questions.
 

Thrilling courses
14.05.2008 – Former world-champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov has proven a highly entertaining author in the Fritz trainer format. He recorded several DVDs and regularly contributes to ChessBase Magazine. John Elburg, chess reviewer for more than ten years now, watched his DVDs on 'Anti-Moscow Gambit' and 'Strategy'. Conclusion: Simply thrilling! Buy them now or read this review with samplers.
 

Karpov as an attacking player
14.05.2008 – He is known foremost as a positional player and endgame specialist, but hardly as a master of attack. Yet 12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov was (and is) capable of beautiful attacking play. In Wednesday night's Playchess show Dennis Monokroussos shows us a particularly impressive example against Hungarian GM Gyula Sax in Linares 1983. See you on the server.
 

Devil's Advocate: Viswanathan Anand on mind games
13.05.2008 – World chess champion Viswanathan Anand is set for his title-defending match against challenger Vladimir Kramnik in October. Anand says Kramnik's challenge and taunts don't bother him because he believes "the main thing" is to win. "My own tendency is to just ignore him," Anand told Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate in CNN-IBN Live. Videos and transcripts.
 

Looking back and forward to Baku
13.05.2008 – The FIDE Grand Prix in Baku ended a week ago. Now another big event starts in the capital of Azerbaijan: the Third President's Cup. Two rounds have already been played. Before we receive and publish first reports from this tournament we take a look back at the Grand Prix, with a round-up report by Zahir Ahmadov and some spectacular photography by Farid Khayrulin. A visual feast.
 

MTel R5: Ivanchuk aiming for infinity with 5.0/5
12.05.2008 – When's the last time we have seen anything like this? The amazing Vassily Ivanchuk has won his fifth game in succession, beating Levon Aronian. He has won all games of the first half of the category 20 tournament, and has beaten all of the other players, three times with black and twice with white. Veselin Topalov is also in top form, winning his third game, against Bu Xiangzhi. Full report.
 

Edward Winter's Chess Explorations (2)
12.05.2008 – The Editor of Chess Notes presents a challenge: half a dozen positions to solve from over-the-board play, ranging from quite straightforward to labyrinthine. But which are which? Although few, if any, clues are being given, readers are assured that there are some truly beautiful lines to puzzle out.