Simply a thing of beauty!

The pieces and chess board are constructed with .035″ stainless steel and bronze wiring, one of the smallest wiring types in the world! Unfortunately, you can’t just run out and pick one of these up in a store. But if you have some patience and the build info supplied by the craftsman behind the board, you might be able to put on of these together in about a year’s time.

More pics via - Geekologie (Warning – Strong language ahead!)

Watch a live game on ChessCube with commentary:

Put on your “Blue Suede Shoes” and play with the legend himself, Elvis Presley! This chess set commemorates the King with pieces represented by themes such as “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Hound Dog.” With this set, Elvis truly is the King!

Via – PoolTablesUSA

We’ve been hard at work making some exciting changes to ChessCube – take a look and see:

ChessCube - spot anything new?

And, there is more on its way. Keep watching this space for announcements over the next few days.

There’s a lot to be said for having a method of assessing positions. A methodical approach can provide comfort in times of trouble and help prevent impulsivity and pessimism.

When it comes to blundercheck time, this question can be of great value: “What does my proposed move UNDO?”

Chess players are very focussed on DOING something. So much so that we often forget that every move also undoes something. Don’t come undone!

This article from Begin Chess on Thought Process is a good read, beginners and experienced players alike: My Thought Process.

The 32 piece set puts Mario up against Bowser - who will win?

Mario – the King, and Luigi – his queen (?) takes on Bowser and his team. Luigi being Mario’s queen has caused a stir on the net, although we still love him . The pieces are hand-painted, with the tallest piece standing at 2.5″ tall.

The catch? There are no magic mushrooms to help you

Via ThinkGeek

In July 2009, ChessCube and CHESSA announced the first FIDE rated online matches. These were matches were played in the 2009 SA Open between players based in Melbourne, Australia and players based in Cape Town, South Africa. GM Amon Simutowe won the tournament.

ChessCube has recently released a report on the event for FIDE. The report summarises the key challenges and lessons from this chess world first, with the aim of encouraging increased online participation in chess tournaments. FIDE’s support for this venture, and in particular in rating these matches, demonstrates exciting possibilities in the world of chess.

This report and the player agreement are available for download. Click on the following links to download pdf versions of the report and player agreement. ChessCube SA Open 2009 Report (pdf). ChessCube SA Open 2009 Player Agreement for online matches (pdf).

The pieces are superbly crafted in this beautiful set!

The Pewter Egyptian Chess Set is a wonderful masterpiece that brings the past back to our boards.  Can you lead the Pharaoh and his men to victory in this epic battle?

More pictures and info via – ChessHouse

First, my profound apologies for the mispelling of Radjabov’s name in last week’s blog. Note to self -  haste makes waste.

Karel Treybal, http://www.executedtoday.com/2009/10/02/1941-karel-treybal-grand-master/

On October 2, 1941, the Czech player and grandmaster Karel Treybal was shot in occupied Czechoslovakia as a suspected subversive for illegally stockpiling weapons. Considered one of the great Czech players from the turn of the century, he was executed by German occupation forces.

In the game below, Treybal defeats the reknowned grandmaster and raconteur Saviely Tartakower from the black side of a Scotch Game.

[Event "Teplitz Schoenau"]
[Site "Teplitz Schoenau"]
[Date "1922.10.09"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Tartakower, Saviely"]
[Black "Treybal, Karel"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "Rybka 3 (30s)"]
[PlyCount "158"]
[EventDate "1922.10.02"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "CSR"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]

{C45: Scotch Game} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3  Nge7 7. Nc2 Bxe3 8. Nxe3 O-O 9. Be2 d6 (9… Qh4 10. Nd2 d6 11. O-O Kh8 12. g3 Qh6 13. f4 f5 14. Nd5 Nxd5 15. exd5 Ne7 16. Bf3 Bd7 17. Re1 Rfe8 18. Nc4 b5 19. Na5 Qf6 20. Qd3 Rab8 21. Re2 Ng8 22. Rae1 Rxe2 23. Rxe2 a6 24. Nb3 {Gosztola,I (2265)-Papagorasz,T (2255)/Hungary 1993/TD/1-0 (62)}) (9… Qg6 10. Bf3 d6 11. O-O Be6 12. Na3 a6 13. Nac2 Ne5 14. Nd4 Rad8 15. Nd5 Bxd5 16. exd5 Rfe8 17. Re1 Nxf3+ 18. Qxf3 Qg5 19. c4 Ng6 20. Qd3 Qxg2+ 21. Kxg2 Nf4+ 22. Kg3 Nxd3 23. Re2 Rxe2 24. Nxe2 {Chernova,M (2074)-Pokorna,R (2372)/Germany 2004/EXT 2006/0-1 (42)}) 10. O-O Qh6 $146 (10… Qg6 11. Nd2 Be6 (11… f5 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Nf3 Be6 14. Nd4 Nxd4 15. Qxd4 Nf5 16. Nxf5 Qxf5 17. Bf3 d5 18. Rae1 c6 19. Re5 Qg6 20. Qe3 Bg4 21. Rg5 Rxf3 22. gxf3 {1-0 Dieckmann,D-Harder,A/Germany 1998/EXT 2001}) 12. f4 f5 13. Bd3 Rae8 14. Qc2 fxe4 15. Nxe4 Nf5 16. Ng5 Nxe3 17. Bxg6 Nxc2 18. Bxh7+ Kh8 19. Bxc2 Bf5 20. Bxf5 Rxf5 21. Rae1 Ref8 22. Ne6 R8f7 23. g4 Rd5 24. g5 g6 25. Rf2 {Brinckmann,A-Junge,K/Poland 1942/EXT 2001/1-0 (41)}) 11. Nd2 Kh8 12. f4 f5 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 Ne7 15. Qb3 c5 16. Rae1 Ng8 17. Bd3 Rb8 18. a4 Nf6 19. Bb5 Qg6 20. Re3 Qf7 21. Rfe1 Qc7 22. Re7 Qd8 23. R7e3 a6 24. Bxa6 Ng4 25. R3e2 Bd7 26. Bb5 Bxb5 27. Qxb5 Nf6 28. Re6 Nxd5 29. Qc4 Nf6 30. Qd3 d5 31. R1e5 Ra8 32. b3 c4 33. Qd4 cxb3 34. Nxb3 Rc8 35. Rxf5 Rc4 36. Qe5 Re4 37. Qd6 Re1+ 38. Kf2 Ne4+ 39. Rxe4 Qxd6 40. Rxf8+ Qxf8 41. Rxe1 Qxf4+ 42. Kg1 h6 43. Nd4 Qd2 44. Nf3 Qxc3 45. Rd1 Qb3 46. Rd4 Kg8 47. h4 Kf7 48. Kh2 Ke6 49. h5 Kd6 50. Rg4 Qc3 51. Kg3 Kc5 52. Rf4 Qb2 53. Rg4 b6 54. Rf4 Qe2 55. Rg4 Qe8 56. Rh4 Qf7 57. Kh3 Qd7+ 58. Kg3 Qf5 59. Kh2 Qf7 60. Kg3 Qc7+ 61. Kh3 Qf7 62. Kg3 Qf5 63. Kh2 Kd6 64. Kg3 Kc7 65. Kh2 Kb7 66. Kg3 Ka6 67. Kh2 Ka5 68. Kg3 Qf7 69. Kh3 d4 70. Rxd4 Qxh5+ 71. Kg3 Qf5 72. Kf2 h5 73. Ke3 g5 74. Nd2 Qe5+ 75. Ne4 Qf4+ 76. Ke2 h4 77. Nd2 Qg3 78. Nc4+ Kxa4 79. Nxb6+ Kb5 (79… Kb5 $19) 0-1

“Lest we forget.”

[Ed's note: we'll do a proper welcome soon, but we are very pleased to have John Jurgens blogging for us! This is his first post.]

The Carlsen vs Radjabov game bears a strong resemblance to a French Defence structure Kopec anti-Sicilian System. My friend and colleague Lefu Ntho has been scoring heavily with this system which is unfamiliar and very disconcerting to most Sicilian players. Luckily, help is at hand in the form of IM Danny Kopec’s discussion of the system (which can be found in ChessCube’s Shop).

I ran the recent Carlsen victory through Deep Rybka 3 (64 bit) and here is the analysis.

Carlsen – Radjabov

Pearl Spring

[Rybka 3 (30s)]

B30: Sicilian: 2…Nc6 3 Bb5, lines without …g6

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.0–0 Nge7 5.c3 a6 6.Ba4 b5 7.Bc2 Bb7 8.Qe2 d5 9.e5 d4 10.Be4 Qb6 11.d3 Rd8 12.a4 Nd5 13.axb5 axb5 14.cxd4 cxd4 15.Nbd2 Nf4 16.Qd1 Nb4N

Black threatens to win material: Nb4xd3

[16...Nd5 17.Nb3 Be7 18.Bd2 Ndb4 19.Qe2 0–0 20.Ng5 g6 21.Nxh7 Kxh7 22.Qh5+ Kg8 23.Bxg6 fxg6 24.Qxg6+ Kh8 25.Qh6+ Kg8 26.Qg6+ Kh8 27.Qh6+ Kg8 28.Qxe6+ Kh8 29.Qh6+ ½–½ Pahud,C (2185)-Carron,J (2300)/Lausanne 2003/EXT 2004; 16...Ng6!?=]

17.Nb3² Bxe4 18.dxe4

d4 becomes the focus of attention

18…Nfd3

[18...Ng6 19.Nbxd4 Be7 20.Be3²]

19.Bg5 White threatens to win material: Bg5xd8

19…Rc8 20.Nfxd4 [Worse is 20.Nbxd4 Bc5 21.Bd2 Bxd4 (‹21...Nxb2 22.Qb3 N2d3 23.Be3±) 22.Nxd4 Qxd4 (‹22...Nxb2 23.Qb3 N4d3 24.Bc3±) 23.Bxb4 Qxb4 24.Qxd3 0–0=]

20…Nxb2 White has an active position. Black has a new passed pawn: b5

21.Qe2 Exerts pressure on the isolated pawn. White threatens to win material: Qe2xb2

21…Nc4 22.Rfc1 Bc5 [22...Qb8 23.Nxb5! Decoy: b5 23...Qxb5 24.Nd4 Qxe5 25.Rxc4±]

23.Nxb5 White has a strong king attack. [¹23.Nxc5 Qxc5 24.Be3±]

23…0–0?? [¹23...Bxf2+ was a good chance to save the game 24.Qxf2 Qxb5±]

24.Nxc5+- [24.Rxc4?! is clearly weaker 24...Qxb5 25.Kf1 Bb6 26.Rxc8 Qxe2+ 27.Kxe2 Rxc8±]

24…Nxe5 [24...Rxc5 is the last straw 25.Be7 Qxb5 26.Bxc5 Qxc5 27.Qxc4 Qxc4 28.Rxc4 Nd3+-]

25.Be7 1-0

[Updated to correct spelling - 5 October - Ed]