Malcolm Pein on…Carlsen’s KO
Today’s Daily Telegraph column brings Malcolm Pein’s report on the latter stages of the Magnus Carlsen Invitational, with bad news for fans of the World Champion. Malcolm Pein on…Carlsen’s KO Magnus Carlsen was eliminated by Ian Nepomniachtchi after a tie-break in the semifinals of his own invitational, played online at Chess 24. The World Champion won two games […]
Malcolm Pein on…Carlsen’s Rise and Fall
Malcolm Pein returns to the Magnus Carlsen Invitational in today’s Daily Telegraph column, to see if the struggling favourites were able to return to form. Malcolm Pein on…Carlsen’s Rise and Fall Magnus Carlsen made a fine comeback, but was still eliminated from his signature tournament by Ian Nepomniachtchi. The Russian number one will contest the final of the $200,000 (£145,000) online […]
200 Years Ago
This week saw my own Chessable blog posts pass the 200 mark. It does not feel very long ago since I reached 100 posts, but the deception of time set me thinking about what sort of chess was played 200 years ago. Away from the chess board, the world witnessed the start of the […]
Malcolm Pein on…Felinefehlers
What are felinefehlers? Apparently they are an unexpected hazard in online chess games. Malcolm Pein provides an explanation in today’s Daily Telegraph column. Malcolm Pein on…Felinefehlers The battle to reach the last eight of the $200,000 (£145,000) Magnus Carlsen Invitational was decided on the third and final day of the preliminary phase, although there was little […]
Malcolm Pein’s Telegraph Tuesday
Malcolm Pein’s Telegraph Tuesday We have another Chessable innovation to reveal today as we proudly unveil Malcolm Pein’s Telegraph Tuesday. Regular readers will already know we have been posting International Malcolm Pein’s renowned series of Daily Telegraph chess columns here on a daily basis since 23 November 2020. The current total is 119 top-quality and […]
Malcolm Pein on…The Return of Karpov
The return to the chess board of Anatoly Karpov is attracting considerable interest. In Today’s Daily Telegraph chess column, Malcolm Pein presents a classic clash from one of the titanic Kasparov – Karpov title matches, which also ties in nicely with this week’s coverage of the English Opening. Malcolm Pein on…The Return of Karpov The […]
Emanuel Lasker’s Simultaneous Checkmates
Emanuel Lasker was the World Chess Champion from 1894 until 1921. His 27-year tenure remains a record and it is unlikely to be beaten. Simultaneous chess displays see a strong player taking on numerous other people at the same time. To see a simultaneous display in full flow is an ingressive sight. The strong player […]
Malcolm Pein Sings…’Meet Me In St. Louis’
Malcolm Pein reports on the strengthening of the US chess team in today’s Daily Telegraph chess column and kindly reminds us of the song ‘Meet Me In St. Louis’, which will now be in our heads for the rest of the day. Malcolm Pein Sings…’Meet Me In St. Louis’ One of the funniest sketches I have ever […]
Chess Opening Basics: The Catalan
What is the The Catalan? The Catalan is an alternative way for White to play Queen’s Gambit positions. The king’s bishop is developed to g2 (a fianchetto) instead of to the standard Queen’s Gambit squares of c4 or d3. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Bg2 d5 The Catalan The Heroes of The Catalan The opening derives […]
The Checkmating Queens in Action
The week’s instalment of Checkmate Monday features the checkmating queens. Start your week with some checkmating practice, with positions from the games of the three Polgar sisters, as part of our ongoing celebrations for the 2021 International Women’s Day, which included more examples from Judit’s games in our post on Friday. Some of the checkmates […]
Choose to Challenge: International Women’s Day
Tomorrow, 8 March, is International Women’s Day. Before we return to the specific world of chess, it is useful to put the occasion into context and to understand the aims of the day. The History of the Day The day was created following the proposal of Clara Zetkin at the 1910 International Conference of Working […]
Chess Opening Basics: The Chigorin Defense
What is the Chigorin Defense? The Chigorin Defense is a rare reply to the Queen’s Gambit. 1.d4 d5 2.c4 The Queen’s Gambit Last week, inspired by the release of Grandmaster Alex Colovic’s new course, Lifetime Repertoires: The Queen’s Gambit Declined, we looked at the most common way to decline the Queen’s Gambit, with 2…e6. This […]