Category: Blog
-
What is Fantasy Chess?
I’ve co-founded 64seven.com, a website dedicated to fantasy chess. Since launching the company, we’ve realized that many people aren’t quite sure what “fantasy” means in this context. Some even confuse it with gambling. Let’s clear that up! Fantasy sports are games where participants create virtual teams made up of real-world players. These players don’t actually…
-
The Game that Ended My World Cup: A Chess Analysis
This year’s World Cup ended for me with a heartbreaking game. After a great opening preparation, I secured a very promising position which I was not only unable to convert, but I also failed to draw. Eventually, this forced me to play for the win with Black, but I didn’t get any opportunity. I want…
-
Heydar Aliyev’s Centennial: A Tribute to the Legacy and Impact on Azerbaijani Chess
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the long-time leader of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev. H. Aliyev’s contributions to Azerbaijan are immense, both during the independence period and the Soviet era. Surprisingly, Heydar Aliyev has also made significant contributions to Azerbaijani chess. I would like to highlight three events that stand out to me: During the period…
-
The Gray Area of Chess: Unintentional Distractions by Opponent
In high-level chess, even a cough can derail your focus. Where should we draw the line between empathy and fair play when distractions arise at the board?
-
Am I A “Chess Tourist”?
After finishing 5th at the Sunway Chess Festival, I realized I spent more than I earned. Have I become a chess tourist — playing for passion, not profit?
-
Game of the Week XXII: Maghsoodloo, Parham (2701) – Adams, Michael (2698)
“Why is the position getting worse with every move even though the opponent isn’t doing anything extraordinary?” Obviously, every position is unique; however, the most likely answer to this question, in general, is that your position is statically worse. Subsequently, a slow game plays into the hand of your opponent. The terms “static” and “dynamic”…
-
Game of the Week XXI: Daggupati, Balaji (2486) – Brodsky, David (2484)
In the good ol’ days of the Romantic Era of chess, winning with a beautiful ending was a common end goal. Players would try to create aesthetically-pleasing finales; sometimes, even their opponents in a lost position would assist in crafting immortal games that made the history books. Though having technically taken place just beyond the…
-
Game of the Week XX: Wojtaszek, Radoslaw (2696) – Piorun, Kacper (2635)
Why is the role of the center so important in chess? The main reason is that having control of the center allows the side controlling it to conduct its plan with ease. For example, a player’s attack on the opposing side’s king is more likely to be executed successfully when the center is solid, according…
-
Game of the Week XIX: Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime (2750) – Aronian, Levon (2765)
“Centralization of the king in the endgame is hardly ever incorrect. It can only be inopportune.” – from Endgame Strategy by Shereshevsky Mating the king is the primary purpose of chess; therefore, each side usually tries to keep the king safe during the middle game where their opponent has various opportunities to attack him. However, after trading the…
-
Game of the Week XVIII: So, Wesley (2766) – Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar (2770)
A ruined pawn structure around the king is a recipe for getting mated in the middle game. However, closer to the endgame, the chance of the weaker side being able to defend the king increases, which is why they usually offer trades to make the position more defensible. Nonetheless, sometimes the attacking side may also…
-
Game of the Week XVII: Caruana, Fabiano (2792) – Dominguez Perez, Leinier (2752)
During Chess.com’s coverage of the FIDE World Championship, Caruana said that he likes to go against the engine’s will in his opening preparation. Today, it is almost impossible to find any significant advantage in serious openings. Instead, the main goal of top GMs is to take their opponent out of their preparation. Caruana claims that…
-
Game of the Week XVI: Mastrovasilis, Dimitrios (2618) – Fier, Alexandr (2583)
How do blunders happen in strong players’ games? Usually, strong players blunder when they encounter a surprise in some part of the game (for example, opening moves that they have not analyzed, moves that change the evaluation, etc.) that leads to uncomfortable positions for them. They spend a considerable amount of energy trying to calculate…