ChessBase Magazine Online

Edward Winter's Chess Explorations (52)
29.11.2010 – In 1975 Bobby Fischer filed a $20,000,000 libel suit over a book by Brad Darrach on the 1972 Spassky v Fischer world title match in Iceland. What were the rights and wrongs of the affair? The Editor of Chess Notes examines the coverage of the time, which is highly revealing about the individual reviewers and commentators, quite apart from the insights provided into Fischer and Darrach themselves.
 

30th Leiden Computer Chess: Rybka on 260 cores wins
28.11.2010 – The Open Dutch Computer Chess Championship, celebrating its 30th edition, is one of the cornerstones in the highest echelons of computer chess competitions. This year, it included no fewer than three supercomputers, with massive clusters of hundreds of cores that can compute in less than an hour what a desktop would need several days and nights. Here is the report on this super chess.
 

The Sunday treat: Garry at Google
28.11.2010 – Yes, we know: nobody watches videos – certainly not long chess reports. But this is an exception. Take an hour off and follow this discussion with Garry Kasparov in the unique Googleplex environment. The former World Champion touches on a number of interesting topics: man and machine, talent, courage for risk, politics in Russia. Watch it in HQ Google video.
 

Alisa Galliamova wins Russian Women's Superfinal
28.11.2010 – The Russian Women's Superfinal had seen no fewer than three outright leaders, and by round 6 it was the turn of 17-year-old Nazi Paikidze. However, a fierce burst by the reigning champion Alisa Galliamova, with four straight wins, changed this, and it seemed hers. Again, nothing was as it appeared, and nerves were the deciding factor in the final stretch. Illustrated report of a thrilling event.
 

Ilyumzhinov defends Yazici, Turkish Chess Federation
26.11.2010 – Yesterday we reported on allegations that the TCF may have bought votes to support their 2012 Olympiad bid. The New York Times said that the FIDE President was "looking into it". Today Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has come out in strong support of TCF President Ali Nihat Yazici: "As long as I am the President of FIDE, nobody may take away the 40th Chess Olympiad from Istanbul." Press release.
 

Snowdrops increase their lead in Marienbad
26.11.2010 – Snow has come to Mariánské Lázne, tons of it, and the Snowdrops are apparently thriving. They lead the Oldhands by 14:10. The event is extraordinary: in the last three rounds, the subject of this report, there was one single draw. Best player with 4.5/6 is GM Humpy Koneru, the only undefeated player Vlastimil Hort. Big illustrated report with beautiful pictures by Vladimir Jagr.
 

Austrian Attack
26.11.2010 – No fewer than two rooks the first player had invested in this recent game from the Austrian Bundesliga to get to grips with the black king. How would you assess the situation after the last move 26...Nc1-d3? White's attack...
A) ...results in perpetual check.
B) ...leads to mate by force.
C) ...is finished, Black's material advantage prevails.

The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a larger version of the diagram.
 

Did Turkey buy votes for the 2012 Olympiad?
25.11.2010 – The New York Times has come out with a piece implying that the Turkish Chess Federation paid voters to help win the bid to host the 2012 Chess Olympiad. The TCF President Ali Nihat Yazici says not a penny was paid and that this "scandal", which comes just 72 hours before an important TCF Financial Assembly, is an attempt by his rivals to unseat him by undemocratic means.
 

Aeroflot Open – tenth anniversary edition in February 2011
24.11.2010 – The Aeroflot Open Chess Festival, one of the most popular tournaments in the world, will be held for the tenth time running, from 7 to 19 February 2011. It is open to chess players of most varied qualification: from unrated to GMs. The total prize fund is 160,000 Euros, and it includes qualification places for the Super Tournament in Dortmund and the World Blitz Championship 2011. Register now!
 

Radjabov: And what if tomorrow Carlsen changes his mind?
24.11.2010 – FIDE has just announced the dates for the Candidates matches in Kazan, Russia (3 to 27 May 2011), but leave the replacement of Carlsen by Grischuk as a dangling hypothetical. If it materializes then the pairings change quite dramatically. In a long and eloquent interview conducted during the Blitz World Championship Teimour Radjabov speaks his mind.
 

Russian Women's Superfinal: Nazi Paikidze leads
24.11.2010 – The Russian Women's Superfinal is underway, and can be seen as a preview for the upcoming Women's World Championship, as all of the prominent Russian players are in both. The tournament is extremely hard-fought, the lead having changed hands several times. Nadezhda Kosintseva started well, but faltered, and the 17-year-old Paikidze is sole leader. Pictorial report by Anna Burtasova.
 

Simul and lectures by Nigel Short
24.11.2010 – Last week Nigel Short, the former World Championship challenger, visited the Ottawa RA Chess Club in Canada to give a lecture and play a simul. The jury is out on which was the more entertaining. John Upper summarizes the hightlights of the former and provides us with a number of interesting positions from the latter. Judge for yourself.