Opinion/Editorials
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London: Chess’ New Linares?
Back in 2007, I visited London, England for the first time to attend a conference held by the International Academy of African Business Development (IAABD) at London Metropolitan University. I had heard much about the famed metropolis of eight million, but particularly the rainy, gloomy days and pedestrian congestion. While…
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The State of Black Chess in America
Walter Harris on the March 1964 cover of U.S. Chess Life. In the U.S., the World Open serves not only as the marquee tournament but as the unofficial barometer for how healthy the chess environment is in the country. Approximately 1000 players trek from around the country and world to…
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Reflections on 2012 World Open
The World Open is a special tournament in U.S. history. Having finished its 40th version, the tournament will move to Arlington, Virginia next year. There are no clear plans on whether it will return to Philadelphia. Nevertheless, I have many good memories of the World Open. Here are some of…
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Nakamura, U.S. Champion… World next?
How can GM Hikaru Nakamura reach the next level?Photo by CCSCSL. After having won his third U.S. Championship (2005, 2009, 2012) and moving to 5th-6th on the Live Rating List, there is no doubt that Hikaru Nakamura is a championship contender. To all the naysayers in years past, they must…
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Reflections… Black History of Chess
February is deemed “Black History Month” for the celebration of important figures in African Diaspora. Originally “Negro History Week” the commemoration was created by Carter G. Woodson in 1926 who wanted to honor the accomplishments of Blacks. The month has primarily focused on those born in America, but there are…
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Fischer vs. Carlsen… will history repeat?
Bobby Fischer and Magnus Carlsen In the 1972 60 Minutes interview with Mike Wallace, then-championship challenger Bobby Fischer stated that he like to “crush a man’s ego”. He then played Boris Spassky for the World Chess Championship and beat the Soviet player mercilessly even after forfeiting the second game and…
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QR Codes coming to Chess!
Scan the code…where does it take you? 🙂 They look like crossword puzzles, but are powerful diagrams of pixels. They are called Quick Response (QR) codes and they are coming to chess soon. In chess we record moves by writing down algebraic notation with a pen or use an input…
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Politics behind World Cup snubs? (update)
The pairings of the first round of the FIDE World Cup were released in July and after a couple of changes will commence on August 26th in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. Russia will bring a delegation of 26 players. China will bring nine players, Ukraine, eight. Pressure will be on Russia to…
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Kasimdzhanov reignites discussion on draws
In a recent ChessBase article, Uzbekistan’s Rustam Kasimdzhanov made a pronouncement about the state of professional chess and its appeal to sponsors. In a very stark admission, Kasimdzhanov opened with, I am writing this open letter, addressed both to FIDE and the entire chess playing world, due to a certain…
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What Matters… Champion or #1?
Since Garry Kasparov bolted from FIDE, there has been the question of whether a player should be both the highest-rated player and the declared World Champion. Although Kasparov forfeited his official crown, he continued to have credibility as the world’s strongest player and was able to stage a championship match…
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