Grakovsky's Blog
Hi, welcome to my Chess.com blog. I am an avid chess player and writer. Here you will find varied chess write-ups including stories, opening theory, my annotated games, history of chess, endgame studies, and much more.
When writing on more complicated subjects such as opening theory or the history of chess, I do thorough research in valid books and online encyclopedias - and of course I cite my sources!
If you like what I do, please feel free to check out my chess articles which I write regularly just as these blogs.
Submitted by
on Sat Feb 21, 2009 4:42pm.
Correspondence chess allows a player to think over a move much longer rather than sitting in front of a chessboard with another person waiting for you. The whole point of correspondence chess is to have the ability to play a longer, more thought o... Read more »
Submitted by
on Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:17pm.
Here is a game I just played with my father. We improvised an opening which looked sound until we got into the middlegame where I fell apart fast. He broke through my kingside defence right while I was pushing up my g-pawn hoping for a quick promo... Read more »
Submitted by
on Fri Feb 6, 2009 7:19pm.
This was a game played between Blackburne and Puller in London 1862. Blackburne cuts out his play almost superfluously and so efficiently that he outplays his opponent with stubborn strength.
Read more »
Submitted by
on Wed Feb 4, 2009 7:30pm.
One of Maroczy's notable games was a game played in 1907 against then world champion Frank Marshall. Maroczy was known for his speciality in excellent and artistic endgames. In this game, he outplayed his opponent using his queen in a brilliant fa... Read more »
Submitted by
on Mon Feb 2, 2009 2:30pm.
This was a brilliantly played game by Alekhine in Hastings of 1922. It's truly a masterpiece worthy to be shown as one of the best games that prove how visual space is important in chess and how it should used as a weapon or defense tool. Sacrific... Read more »
Submitted by
on Sun Feb 1, 2009 12:00pm.
Capablanca had overwhelming success at New York 1927, a quadruple-round robin with six of the world's top players. He was undefeated, with 14/20, and 2½ points ahead of the second-placed Alexander Alekhine. Capablanca also defeated Alekhine in th... Read more »
Submitted by
on Thu Jan 29, 2009 1:48pm.
When Paul Morphy returned to America after a simultaneous match against five masters in Europe (Jules Arnous de Rivière, Samuel Boden, Thomas Barnes, Johann Löwenthal, and Henry Bird), Morphy began touring the major cities while on his way home.... Read more »
Submitted by
on Mon Dec 8, 2008 5:31pm.
Origins of Chess
Many theories of historians suggest that chess originated from India, then was spread by the Persians, and finally the Arabs. The word itself, chess, has been changed over time. In Old Persian it was named chatrang and in Ara... Read more »
Submitted by
on Sun Dec 7, 2008 11:44am.
Alekhine Defence
1.e2-e4 Ng8-f6
What are the ideas behind the Alekhine Defence? Why is it an opening that is frowned upon by many chess players? Is it really an effective playing strategy?
These are some of the many common questions about ... Read more »