Morphy's first chess teacher was his uncle a weak player and Capablanca picked up the game from his father who was likely even worse, but modern players from Bobby Fischer on were far more likely to rely on a competent and inspiring coach to set them on the path to greatness.
It came as something of a surprise that Toronto was chosen by FIDE as host of both Candidates Tournaments, but Canada has a rich chess history and has produced some great players over the years. Here's a brief outline:
Switzerland is a country with a long and rich chess tradition. Living up to its chess heritage and role as a home of the International Chess Federation, the Swiss threw a big party for chess on Sunday, April 7 and celebrated the 100th birthday of FIDE. | Photos: Stev Bonhage
His academy offers training and vital emotional, logistical support. He wants to give young GMs things he wishes he’d had when he first set out, Anand says.
Editor's Note: Elise Bickford's article, Chess in Translation, will be published in the September issue of Chess Life magazine. Bickford is a graduate student in Literary Translation at the University of Iowa and holds an MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writers' Workshop.