The name "Hastings" has a very special ring to it in the chess world. In 1895 one of the most important tournaments in chess history took place in the seaside resort on the south-east coast of England, and chess tournaments are still regularly held there today - no tournament in chess history has a longer tradition. The Berlin FM Jürgen Brustkern is a great expert on Hastings and has written a book on the history of this tradition together with Norbert Wallet. In an interview with ChessBase he reveals what fascinates him so much about Hastings.
Johannes Zukertort played the first “Competition for the World Chess Championship” against Wilhelm Steinitz in 1886. He lost the match, fell ill during the match and never recovered. He died two years later in London. His grave in Brompton Cemetery in London was forgotten until Stuart Conquest rediscovered it. This is the story about it. | Photos: Stuart Conquest, Helmut Pfleger
In the current issue of his column in Zeit Magazin, Helmut Pfleger reports on the rediscovery of Zukertort's grave. In 1886, Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort set in motion a tradition with their match for the world championship, a tradition that continues to this day. Zukertort's grave in London's Brompton Cemetery, however, was lost and forgotten. It has been found and restored.
The French composer and pianist Jason Kouchak is an enthusiastic amateur chess player with considerable playing strength. He has taken part in various Opens, including the Open in Gibraltar in 2009, where he met a famous contemporary.
The UK’s favourite chess festival, the London Chess Classic, organised by the charity Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC), is back for its 12th edition on December 3-12, 2021 at a brand new venue, the Cavendish Conference Centre in central London. Due to limitations on numbers imposed by Covid, the festival will look a little different this year – but the organisers are sure that chess fans will like the fantastic range of events on offer.