Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In the 171st episode of his ChessBase show "Understanding before moving" Herman continues his series "Chess history in a nutshell" and continues to take a look at the unique style of Tigran Petrosian, World Champion fro 1963 to 1969. | Photo: Pascal Simon
The traditional Tata Steel international invitation tournament series, annually ongoing since the year 1938, held in Wijk aan Zee and earlier in Beverwijk, is a highlight in the calendar of classical chess. Eduard Frey presents funny Trivia from the rich history of this remarkable tournament. | Photo: Playing Hall, Organiser
Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books about chess training and chess strategy. In the 72nd instalment of his ChessBase show "Understanding before Moving", Herman talks about pawn chains in the French Defense. | Photo: Pascal Simon
What Russia Taught The World About Chess
Written by Alexey Zakharov
In the last hundred or so years, Russia became almost synonymous with chess. The country in its many incarnations Russian Empire, Soviet Union, and now “just” Russia produced more grandmasters and world champions than any other, and its players enriched the ancient game immensely.
So, let’s now delve (shallowly, and then, of course, more and more deeply) into what Russia and its predecessor states brought to the world of chess.
Long, Tongue-Twisting Names
It’s more of a joke entry, of course, but GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, the new challenger to GM Magnus Carlsen, is only the latest in the long, distinguished line of Russian and Soviet players who look like an absolutely insurmountable wall of letters when written in English, such as Roman Dzindzichashvili, Zurab Azmaiparashvili, Elena Fatalibekova, Alexander Konstantinopolsky, Olga Semenova-Tyan-Shanskaya, Alexander Ilyin-Zhenevsky, and Fyodor Dus-Chotimir
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When Wim Andriessen founded
Schaakbulletin in 1968 and shortly thereafter gave up his secure job at the college, many were quick to call him insane. Berry Withuis, a veteran of chess journalism, openly mocked him: If you want to throw away your money in the Netherlands, you either waste it on women or create a chess magazine. After all, the local chess community was way too small to allow for a second publication to survive beside
Schakend Nederland, the official magazine of the local chess association.
And indeed,
Schaakbulletin never really made any profit. However, Andriessen s advertising in the magazine helped him to sell a considerable numbers of chess books, which he also published. He later advertised his newly established chess store and mail-order products, as well. In 1984,