Is the 17-year-old Magnus Carlsen Ready to Be #1?

Bilbao: Will Carlsen Be the Best?

Is 17-year-old super-GM Magnus Carlsen really ready to be the World's #1-ranked chess player when the FIDE October Supplement comes out?

That's what this week's action in Bilbao Grand Slam Final is all about.

This dramatic fast-paced event has turned into a dogfight between Carlsen and Veselin Topalov for the lead. The point system is 3 points for a win but only 1 point for a draw. After four rounds, Topalov is leading with 8 points, but Carlsen is behind him with a rock-solid 7. Carlsen may well take over Anand's #1 rating spot, but it is up to him this week to prove he has what it takes to prevail over current World Championship Challenger Veselin Topalov.

Chess Journalist of the Year Macauley Peterson and Chess.FM Producer John Henderson are bringing you freely-available video & photo updates--and they're keeping pace with the tournament, pumping out some highly professional material that is pleasing to the eye. To use the hackneyed phrase, it's a "visual extravaganza".

Click the picture below to check out their round-by-round videos, and click here for Henderson's latest photo album!

Labor Day: Fifteen Grand Prix Events!

Needless to say, this Labor Day weekend featured more Grand Prix events than there are race horses in a barn with a lot of horses in it.

From sea to shining sea, there were no fewer than fifteen Grand Prix events in one weekend! To cover all these events, there were three reports on Chess Life Online, and they included "Labor Day Madness, Part I", "Labor Day Madness, Part II" and "Hanken on Labor Day Madness". Check the reports to follow all the action!

Kiblitzing with Denker Champ Scott Low

This week we wrap up our continued post-coverage of the Denker Tournament of High School Champions by having Maryland Representative and Denker Champion Scott Low KibBlitz with us.

Care to guess Scott Low's favorite cereal? And do you know why you should resign if Low starts to hold his pen in a funny way? Read the KibBlitz now!

Chess.FM Update

You're going to love this: this week, WCL members can view "Rousing Rausers" by GM Larry Christiansen! It's part of Larry's "Attack with LarryC" series, and it's an exciting installment at that. So go ahead, view it now!

Still need to be convinced the show is worth your time? Remember that Larry is a feared competitor and attacker who has authored two popular books that showcase his aggressive style: Storming the Barricades and Rocking the Ramparts. On his show, Larry always strives to feature motifs for mates, so that you can win games.