Online chess community where you can play chess, learn strategies and tactics, read chess news, see book reviews, find rules & tips, get free downloads, and more! http://www.chess.com/ 2007 Chess.com Sometimes things are just too close to call...   The US Women's Chess Championship in May this year ended in controversy as the title was decided in an 'Armageddon' tie-break match. The Chief Organiser of the event, Tom Braunlich, re...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/what-is-the-best-form-of-tie-breakSun, 03 Aug 2008 06:51:54 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/what-is-the-best-form-of-tie-breakI have had the pleasure of corresponding with many fellow chess players at Chess.com and have become friendly with quite a few, but today was the first time I actually got to meet one of them in the flesh. Waldemar is from Amsterdam in the Netherl...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/making-friends-at-chesscomSun, 13 Jul 2008 09:50:09 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/making-friends-at-chesscomI just love messing about with the set up on my computer.  I often tweak my Firefox settings, desktop background etc, so I was very pleased to be contacted just recently by a talented gentleman called Peter Wong who has designed a very nice s...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/shiny-new-chess-iconsSun, 29 Jun 2008 00:43:48 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/shiny-new-chess-iconsOnce upon a time (especially in the US and UK) chess games were recorded using the beautiful descriptive notation.  I'm sure most players at Chess.com are well aware of this, but there may be some kids to whom this comes as a shock. ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-good-old-daysSun, 25 May 2008 13:14:08 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-good-old-daysYou're playing a chess game and it's your turn to move.  You decide to analyse a move that looks like it could be good.  How do you decide if your instinct is right or not? You can either look for evidence to back up your idea - ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-road-to-chess-imrovement---falsificationThu, 24 Apr 2008 10:29:48 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-road-to-chess-imrovement---falsificationI don't normally reproduce articles from other sources, but this one is fascinating for anyone, like me, who has an interest in Bobby Fischer's final years and the competing claims on his Estate. I'm also reproducing it here to ensure ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/fischer-article-in-the-timesMon, 21 Apr 2008 10:51:45 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/fischer-article-in-the-timesThere are some great bloggers here at Chess.com;  just check out the list of top bloggers here. However, there are so many blogs that it's hard to sort the wheat from the chaff.  As the top bloggers are rated by the number of reads i...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/top-bloggersWed, 09 Apr 2008 12:50:58 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/top-bloggersThere's nothing quite like the excitement of a full-blooded tactical game of chess to get the pulse racing.  As the saying goes, chess is 99% tactics, so mastery of this aspect of the game pays dividends.  Or so I've heard. ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/rough-and-tumbleFri, 04 Apr 2008 14:51:51 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/rough-and-tumbleWhat makes a good teacher?  In particular, what makes a good chess teacher?  Not all strong players will be able to teach well, but surely a deep understanding of the game is important if you are trying to help form the thinking process ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/physician-heal-thyselfSun, 23 Mar 2008 01:54:18 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/physician-heal-thyself  I was delighted to receive my Chess.com T-Shirt recently and look forward to becoming a walking billboard for Chess.com!  My wife managed to stop laughing at how excited I was long enough to take a photo of me!   The back view, fe...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/its-more-than-just-a-gameFri, 21 Mar 2008 04:01:13 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/its-more-than-just-a-gameToday marks the start of the Melody Amber chess tournament, being held this year in Nice.  Melody Amber often throws up interesting games because instead of standard time controls, half the games are rapidplay games and the other half are bli...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/melody-amber2Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:46:02 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/melody-amber2  Do you access Chess.com from the internet while at work?  Count yourself lucky.   Until recently my employer's policy on personal internet use was very clear - you couldn't do it.  At all.   Forget it. ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/i-want-my-chesscom-fixMon, 03 Mar 2008 13:15:46 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/i-want-my-chesscom-fix  Fritz is a great piece of software, but new users are often frustrated by the very slim paper manual (more of a leaflet, really).   This is a shame because the answers to most questions about the program are usually easy to find a...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/frustrated-with-fritzSun, 02 Mar 2008 14:18:34 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/frustrated-with-fritzChess is a game of perfect information - all the information about the game (the position) is available to both players.  No pieces are hidden, no dice roll will determine how you can move next.  Despite this, chess is so exponentially c...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/luck-in-chessSat, 23 Feb 2008 09:29:49 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/luck-in-chessWe all know that chess is a difficult game, so it is somehow reassuring when a top player makes a mistake - and they don't come any better than World Champion Vishy Anand from India. In his second round game at the current Linares tournament, ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/anand-is-human---shockSun, 17 Feb 2008 13:24:58 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/anand-is-human---shockWhen you play a competitive OTB (over the board) game of chess, do you shake your opponent's hand at the start of the game?  Yes, of course you do.  It's a common civility that is extended to your opponent.  What if you don&...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/shaking-hands-before-a-game-is-mandatoryMon, 21 Jan 2008 11:28:18 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/shaking-hands-before-a-game-is-mandatoryIn one of my previous blog posts I wondered whether the pain of losing a chess game is greater than the joy of winning (or vice versa). It seems that scientific research has provided an answer.  Apparently humans are naturally risk averse and...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-pain-of-losingSun, 13 Jan 2008 13:55:32 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-pain-of-losingAre chess improvement and chess enjoyment mutually exclusive? Improving one's ability at any game of skill takes dedication, study, practice and application. Where's the fun in that? I'm half joking here of course - I recognize that if...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/no-more-resolutionsSun, 30 Dec 2007 13:28:51 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/no-more-resolutionsMy latest completed game at chess.com really made my brain hurt.  I played the Tarrasch defence to the Queen's Gambit and won a pawn on move 20 due to an oversight by my opponent. Despite this good start, I felt on edge for the whole game...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/ouch-my-brain-hurtsSun, 02 Dec 2007 09:27:13 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/ouch-my-brain-hurtsAnswers to my Big Fat Chess Quiz are below.  Too hard or too easy?  Let me know! The 5 original chess grandmasters were Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Tarrasch and Marshall.FIDE is the world governing body for chess and it stands for Fede...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/my-big-fat-chess-quiz-answersWed, 28 Nov 2007 12:07:46 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/my-big-fat-chess-quiz-answers I really enjoy quizzes so I thought I'd set a chess quiz for fellow Chess.com members.  I've tried not to make it too hard, but also tried to have enough tougher questions to sort out the serious chess fans from the dilettantes! &nb...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/my-big-fat-chess-quiz2Sun, 25 Nov 2007 07:06:11 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/my-big-fat-chess-quiz2Following on from my solemn promise in my last blog post, I have decided to finish reading '50 Essential Chess Lessons" by Steve Giddins (see my brief review here).  I'm up to game 36 of the 50 and what a corker it turned out to ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/an-unsung-heroFri, 23 Nov 2007 08:34:07 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/an-unsung-heroOne of the failings of the way I study chess is my extremely bad habit of starting reading a chess book and never actually finishing it.   The list below is just a sample of the titles which grace the shelves of my bookcase, but which I have ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/ive-started-so-ill-finishSun, 18 Nov 2007 13:03:56 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/ive-started-so-ill-finish(With apologies to Josh Waitzkin) After many years of diligent study I have achieved mediocrity in a number of fields and recently had an epiphany when I realised that my skill lay not in any one area, but in that I was in fact a master of the Art...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-art-of-losingTue, 13 Nov 2007 01:03:18 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-art-of-losingAfter posting 2 blog entries about games I have lost, it's nice to be able to post about one that I won - and in quite nice fashion too, I think. I was pretty pumped up for this win (see picture of me after a recent workout ) because, after sp...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/my-best-win-at-chesscomThu, 08 Nov 2007 13:22:50 -0800http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/my-best-win-at-chesscomAnother loss, another lesson.  Never forget the priority of check!  i.e. a check HAS to be dealt with immediately, so it is very powerful.  Forgetting this fact can be costly, and that cost me dearly in this game with my friend ches...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/overlooking-the-obviousSun, 28 Oct 2007 13:46:42 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/overlooking-the-obviousDoes playing chess make you happy?  Perhaps the answer might not be as obvious as it first appears.  When we win, then of course we are happy; but when we lose we are quite the opposite.  Chess can be bruising to the ego and for mos...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/does-chess-make-you-happyMon, 22 Oct 2007 14:29:42 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/does-chess-make-you-happyThe title is not as impressive as it sounds once I admit that I've only actually completed 7 games here at Chess.com to date!   It's not that I don't like playing, but I've never been a very prolific player and I don't lik...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/my-first-loss-at-chesscom2Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:34:07 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/my-first-loss-at-chesscom2Being male is supposed to be an advantage when it comes to chess.  Or, more precisely, having a male brain.  Male brains are, on average, better at dealing with logical and spacial problems, whilst female brains are better at verbal skil...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/what-sex-is-your-brainSun, 14 Oct 2007 04:17:16 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/what-sex-is-your-brain  There's so much to do at chess.com that it's sometimes hard to imagine if there is anything else left.  Well fear not, my friend kajira has posted a crossword at the Welsh Chess.com group.  I think that's a first for ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/welshchess-crosswordThu, 04 Oct 2007 10:15:56 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/welshchess-crosswordOne of the few social advantages of being a chess player is that people assume you must be intelligent.  Chess players, of course, know this is simply not true.  I've known plenty of players who could barely string two words together...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/chess-and-intelligenceSat, 29 Sep 2007 10:27:11 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/chess-and-intelligenceThe traditional and outdated image of chess players to many of our non chess-playing friends is one of old gentlemen sitting stooped over, facing one another over a chess board in a crowded and smoky room.  This caricature has never really be...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-silver-knightsSun, 23 Sep 2007 12:43:35 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-silver-knights Hi everybody I'm back! You know how it is when a musical artist splits up from their partner and their next release gets called their ‘divorce album’ because they can’t stop moaning on and on about it (a.k.a. the Phil Colli...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/sonofpearl-reloadedFri, 14 Sep 2007 12:07:33 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/sonofpearl-reloadedWell, I've been hanging on as long as possible before unplugging my computer and packing it up for my long-awaited house move, but the time has finally come. I don't know which is more challenging; moving all my possessions from one house ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/wish-me-luckWed, 08 Aug 2007 12:45:47 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/wish-me-luckThe question of whether chess is a sport has been debated many times.  The answer depends crucially on whether you regard games as needing a "physical" element to them in order to qualify as a sport.  It is the lack of a physic...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/should-chess-be-a-sport-in-the-2012-olympicsWed, 01 Aug 2007 13:01:36 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/should-chess-be-a-sport-in-the-2012-olympicsI have many so many faults in my chess that's it's hard to know where to start to improve.  I think that identifying a fault is often the easy part; correcting it can take a lot of effort and practice. Fortunately, There is one area i...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/see-chess-from-a-different-perspectiveSun, 29 Jul 2007 10:08:47 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/see-chess-from-a-different-perspectiveI'm an easy-going kind of guy.  It usually takes a lot to upset or annoy me.  For instance, my 12 year old washing machine has just broken - a few weeks before I am due to move house.  I managed to brush it off with a shrug and ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/ban-the-chess-simileThu, 26 Jul 2007 13:02:47 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/ban-the-chess-simileIn this modern era of GM strength computers, faster time controls and rapidplay finishes, it's sometimes easy to forget that the traditional way to finish a long game was to "adjourn" and play the game to a finish at a later date. Th...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-lost-art-of-adjournmentsFri, 20 Jul 2007 13:21:57 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-lost-art-of-adjournmentsThere is a chess questionnaire doing the rounds in the chess blogosphere at the moment.  Although I'm a patient sort, I'm not going to wait for it to be sent to me, so I thought I'd complete it anyway here on my chess.com blog! ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/chess-questionnaireThu, 19 Jul 2007 13:28:39 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/chess-questionnaireThe 2007 US Women's Chess Championship is starting tomorrow in Oklahoma and should provide some interesting chess games. However, I must admit to having mixed feelings about women-only events in chess. Lots of sports have separate tournament...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/women-only-events---good-or-badSun, 15 Jul 2007 03:55:10 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/women-only-events---good-or-badThanks to my financial prudence and legendary miserliness I will shortly be moving from my current, cramped, 2 bedroomed home to a considerably bigger 4 bedroomed house.  As my wife and I don't have any kids, there should be plenty of ro...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/my-chess-den-dreamThu, 12 Jul 2007 11:14:37 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/my-chess-den-dreamI love chess.  "How much?", I hear you cry.  A lot - honest.  Most of my spare time is taken up with chess which makes what I am about to admit all the stranger. I like to read my chess books (I've got about 50 so far,...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/i-love-chess-butSun, 01 Jul 2007 13:41:32 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/i-love-chess-butI have been happily married to my wonderful wife Catherine for 7 years and although she loves me, she doesn't share my passion for chess.  As a result, she has tolerated my addiction with (mostly!) good humour but has never expressed any ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/teaching-chess-to-my-wifeSun, 24 Jun 2007 13:36:19 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/teaching-chess-to-my-wifeThe great Benjamin Franklin (pictured) was a big chess fan.  His essay on the 'Morals of Chess' is well known.  A flavour of his opinions can gained from this quote: "The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement. Severa...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/is-playing-chess-good-for-youSat, 16 Jun 2007 05:56:24 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/is-playing-chess-good-for-youI have something to confess.  I wish to seek forgiveness from the Goddess of chess, Caissa (pictured!)  My actions as a foolish youth have troubled my conscience for over two decades and I feel that I the time is right to prostrate mysel...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/chess-gamesmanship---a-confessFri, 08 Jun 2007 12:06:35 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/chess-gamesmanship---a-confessA while ago on my blogger blog I received what I think is perhaps the best chess improvement advice I have ever received.  I thought it might be of interest to Chess.com members, so I repeat it below:   For background info, I'm 35 yo...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-best-advice-i-ever-receiveWed, 06 Jun 2007 13:53:57 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-best-advice-i-ever-receive The theme of my last blog post – the terminology used in chess leads me nicely onto a book that I recently started reading. ‘Pawn Power’ by Hans Kmoch was originally published in 1959 and I have the more recent Dover reprin...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/pawn-power-Tue, 05 Jun 2007 10:54:02 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/pawn-power-Chess has many technical terms for various concepts that are unfamiliar to those who haven't sampled the delights of the game.  If you say you are having trouble with "interference" for example, most people will probably think y...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/zwischenzug-bless-youMon, 04 Jun 2007 11:41:44 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/zwischenzug-bless-youAs I surveyed my face in the mirror this morning I reflected on the fact that although my hair may be starting to turn grey and also wear inexorably thin on the crown of my head (damn that male pattern baldness), at least I have gained the wisdom ...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/too-old-for-chessSat, 02 Jun 2007 14:14:46 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/too-old-for-chessHere's a question for you. Just answer quickly with your gut feeling: Bishop v Knight - which is stronger?Of course, the standard answer to this question always begins with "It depends on...", but is there really an ultimate answer?...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-chessFri, 01 Jun 2007 10:30:25 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-chessThis month marks the 10th Anniversary of Garry Kasparov's infamous match with Deep Blue. That match marked the first time that a chess computer beat a reigning world chess champion in a match. Of course, much recrimination followed that result...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/game-over-at-lastMon, 28 May 2007 06:22:36 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/game-over-at-lastDespite today's chess software for PC's being much stronger than older dedicated desktop computers, I still have a soft spot for my first chess computer, Fidelity's Chess Challenger 7 (pictured). Some of the other models in the fidelit...http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/fidelity-chess-challengerThu, 24 May 2007 12:14:15 -0700http://blog.chess.com/SonofPearl/fidelity-chess-challenger