I recently described how chess can be considered an art form so it makes sense that I should also write about one of my favorite chess artists. Many artists had difficult childhoods and that can certainly be said of the ninth official World Champion Grandmaster Petrosian whose parents died before he was 16. Fortunately, PetrosianContinue reading “The Chess Artistry of Tigran Petrosian”
Tag Archives: real game tactics
Chess as an Art-Form
A chess game can be a form of art. Winning generally takes precedence over aesthetic considerations; however, artistic positions can be strived for during the contest. The stronger a player’s ability the more likely he/she will notice aesthetic elements. Oftentimes, master level players will see several accurate possibilities and make a decision based on aestheticsContinue reading “Chess as an Art-Form”
Puzzle Worthy Position 45
Frequent readers of this blog know that Grandmaster Max Euwe is one of my favorite chess heroes. In 1935, chess prognosticators didn’t give Machgielis “Max” Euwe of the Netherlands much of a chance in his title match against World Champion Alexander Alekhine in part because Dr. Euwe wasn’t a professional chess player but rather aContinue reading “Puzzle Worthy Position 45”
So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 50
What’s better than finding money in an old jacket that you haven’t worn in years? Perhaps discovering a notation sheet to a nice game you forgot you played stuffed inside an old chess book. Back in 2013, I recall regularly experimenting with Grob’s Attack. Occasionally I did so while running my now legendary Fremont ChessContinue reading “So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 50”
Chess Position Worth Sharing 150!
Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri just concluded an absolutely brilliant tournament performance in Wijk aan Zee to win the 2023 Tata Steel Masters. GM Giri’s second round victory with the white pieces over GM Dommaraju Gukesh will undoubtedly be remembered for his innovative 14. Rc2 in the famous Ragozin Variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined. However,Continue reading “Chess Position Worth Sharing 150!”
So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 49
Inspired by the Tarrasch vs Romberg game I previously posted, my own game against a student in Foster City, California is one of my best efforts in recent times. After a long time thinking about how best to respond to 10… Ba6, I am proud to have planned a most effective and epic journey forContinue reading “So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 49”
Get Inspired to Play Better Chess!
Napoleon Hill famously stated “To be inspired is great, to inspire is incredible!” This is especially true in terms of chess. Most days I spend quality time searching through chess databases for sources of inspiration. Some days produce less than stellar results while on rare occasions I discover real hidden gems in the form ofContinue reading “Get Inspired to Play Better Chess!”
Watch and Learn Chess
Breaking through a castled king’s defenses is an important skill and one we can improve by studying illustrative examples. GM Vadim Zvjaginsev played a beautiful mating combination against a castled king during the second round of the 2022 Dvoretsky Memorial chess tournament. In the position below, IM Aleksey Grebnev (black) has just played 42… Nc6Continue reading “Watch and Learn Chess”
Born on this Day in 1958: International Master Emory Tate
Today is the late IM Emory Tate’s Birthday. If still alive today, Emory Tate would be turning that most special age for chess players: 64. Born on December 27th means that Emory shares his birthday with the second day of Kwanzaa. (Kwanzaa is a yearly celebration of African-American Culture from December 26 to January 1.)Continue reading “Born on this Day in 1958: International Master Emory Tate”
Winning Chess Moves: Vokhidov vs. Wojtaszek, 2022
The FIDE World Team Championship for 2022 consisted of 12 nation teams and included many illustrious players who are recurring stars on the Daily Chess Musings blog including Anish Giri, Vasyl Ivanchuk, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Teymur Radjabov, Nihal Sarin, and Alexei Shirov. However, the best finishing move of the event did not occur inContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Vokhidov vs. Wojtaszek, 2022”
So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 48
Last night I Played a 5 move miniature with the black pieces that would fit nicely into Irving Chernev’s 1000 Best Short Games of Chess. Enjoy…
Puzzle Worthy Position 44
Since it’s inception in 2018, the Tata Steel Chess India tournament has invited five of the most talented Indian Grandmasters to compete in their home country against an equal number of top international competitors. The annual event features the strongest rapid and blitz chess on the subcontinent. For 2022, the Tata Steel Chess India eventContinue reading “Puzzle Worthy Position 44”
Winning Chess Moves: Caruana vs. Lenderman, 2018
The 2018 US Championship was an action packed event. The San Francisco Bay Area’s own Grandmaster Sam Shankland stole the spotlight by taking first place over such pre-tournament favorites such as Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So and Hikaru Nakamura. Norcal chess enthusiasts weren’t exactly shocked by GM Shankland’s championship run as we have long since grownContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Caruana vs. Lenderman, 2018”
Puzzle Worthy Position 43
Today’s puzzle worthy position comes from one of the many great battles between GM Anatoly Karpov and GM Jan Timman. Both chess geniuses were born in 1951 and their chessboard rivalry stretched for a half century from 1967 until 2016. Karpov had a winning record against his Dutch contemporary with a score 30 to 8,Continue reading “Puzzle Worthy Position 43”
Puzzle Worthy Position 42
The action at the Chess Bundesliga is always worth checking out! A recent Bundesliga game between GM David Navara and GM Luke McShane reached a most remarkable position before concluding. In the position below, black (McShane) has just moved his pawn to b2 on his 34th move. GM David Navara (white) responds to the promotionContinue reading “Puzzle Worthy Position 42”
Puzzle Worthy Position 41
At just 19 years of age, FM Ekaterina Goltseva has made quite a name for herself by twice tying for first place at the European Youth Championships and also winning the silver medal at 2017 Russian Youth Chess Championship. Today’s Puzzle Worthy Position comes from the seventh round victory by Fide Master Ekaterina Goltseva overContinue reading “Puzzle Worthy Position 41”
Winning Chess Moves: Karpov vs. Mickiewicz, 1997
Former World Champion Anatoly Karpov is an incredible chess player who dominated the international chess scene for a decade beginning in the mid-seventies. Anatoly wasn’t the flashiest World Champion but his games are very approachable and I often recommend that fans of Capablanca also study the games of Karpov. For today’s Winning Chess Move puzzle,Continue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Karpov vs. Mickiewicz, 1997”
Puzzle Worthy Position 40
Today’s puzzle worthy position comes from the 1985 Baden-Baden Chess Tournament. 1985 was a strong edition of this historic tournament featuring many prominent chess players including Susan Polgar, Efim Geller and Ludek Pachman. However, our puzzle worthy tactic comes from a winning combination played by Robb Witt. FM Robb Witt of the Netherlands sadly passedContinue reading “Puzzle Worthy Position 40”
Winning Chess Moves: Zhongyi vs Wagner, FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022
Grandmaster Tan Zhongyi of China finished her tenth round game at the 2022 Women’s Grand Prix with a very unique mate in 2. GM Zhongyi, who was the FIDE Women’s World Champion from 2017-2018, was facing WGM Dinara Wagner when Wagner played 43… Kh6 with the black pieces giving Tan a golden opportunity to finishContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Zhongyi vs Wagner, FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022”
So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 47
A mate in 7 can seem daunting but they aren’t always difficult to solve. Technically the position below is indeed a mate in 7 for white, but that’s only because black can throw pieces away blocking the first check to extend the game unnecessarily. So, in the actual game, I checkmated in just five moves.Continue reading “So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 47”