The secret language of chess

  Kg8, Qg6+, Ng5, fxg5, hxg5, Bh2, Rxh2#. If you found that collection of letters and symbols indecipherable and you get the lingering feeling that 'en passant' may have passed you by, (excuse the pun) then this may just be the article for you.   In some ways, chess is a language all of it's …

‘Fischer Random’ chess and opening theory

  One of the most significant advances made by modern chess players when compared their predecessors is undoubtedly in the opening. Numerous books and YouTube videos have been dedicated to the more popular openings, detailing exactly what the best responses are to the top moves your opponent may reply with. Chess analysis engines have refined …

The rise of computerised chess engines

The highest chess ability rating ever achieved by a human being as measured by the 'elo' system is 2882. The current elo rating of the strongest computer is 3457. Remarkably, this means that a computer can easily defeat the strongest human chess player in the world. Ever since that statement became a fact in 1997 …

Three of the most interesting World Championship matches in recent times

  The anticipation for Carlsen vs Caruana was very high in the chess world before the match began, and after the fireworks of game one, it only heightened. Since then however, we have had three fairly cagey draws. There are still another eight games to play, of course and this match still has time to …

Chess World Championship curiosities: from Alekhine’s cat to Karpov’s coded yoghurt

The game of chess has been beset and decorated by strange characters through the game's history. Bobby Fischer is the the most famous of these, having won a globally publicised world title match against Boris Spassky in 1972. But, there are many more strange stories interspersed into the history of this old and beautiful game. …

The 2018 Chess World Championship

  The 2018 Chess World Championship promises to be a battle for the ages, with sub-plots already firing up the intrigue levels of the contest before a pawn has even been pushed. The World Championship has a long and rich history of creating interesting stories, with the Fischer-Spassky duel of 1972 perhaps being the best …