Added on 12.28.2022
Photo credit: FIDE/Anna Shtourman He may have given up the Classic Title, but it's hard not to think about Magnus Carlsen from Norway as the GOAT. Everyone knows it's impossible to declare which player has been the Great Of All Time. It's much like what's happening in soccer, with many thinking Messi is the GOAT and the rest putting Maradona in that privileged position. Chess has changed dramatically in recent decades thanks to computers and powerful chess engines. It's probably not fair to...Full StoryAdded on 10.20.2022
Hans Moke Niemann, the 19-years-old American Grandmaster who has been the object of almost every chess-related discussion in the last few weeks, decided to sue Magnus Carlsen, the Play Magnus Group, Chess.com, Daniel Rensch, and Hikaru Nakamura. Hans announced it via Twitter: The young American GM is represented by Oved & Oved and Gartner Firm. Niemann is suing the defendants for a minimum of $400,000,000. The full complaint can be read HERE. Niemann's attorneys didn't use the white-glove...Full StoryAdded on 10.14.2022
Online chess has become increasingly popular for both recreational play and serious tournament play, more so following the pandemic. Promoting and ensuring Fair Play has become an even more paramount issue for ICC as tournament prize funds have increased significantly over the past two years. With all the chess engines available with a button click, it becomes far too easy for players, in a moment of laziness, to lean on one to assist their play illegally. Anti-cheating measures have become...Full StoryAdded on 09.30.2022
FIDE, the governing body of Chess, confirmed that an investigation into the case of Carlsen - Niemann would be launched. Here is FIDE's statement (click the image to go to the FIDE website): FIDE said that the investigation will focus on Carlsen's public accusations and Niemann's own statement about online cheating. It looks like the drama is reaching its peak, and one would like to see a conclusion to this "scandal" that has been seizing the Chess World for weeks.Added on 09.27.2022
World Champion Magnus Carlsen, after a long silence on the socials, has published an official statement on his Twitter account: Immediately, thousands of comments were posted to discuss Carlsen's statement, and the chess people are still debating on Twitter and Facebook. Some commentators think this is a weak statement, as Carlsen doesn't bring in any proof, saying, "I believe Niemann cheated," which, of course, is not something people will accept as truth. On the other hand, some believe...Full StoryAdded on 09.19.2022
Most of us thought the drama was over. After Carlsen quit the Sinquefield Cup with his sibylline tweet, citing Mourino - the famous soccer coach - the chess world was shaken by probably the most controversial quarrel ever. On the socials - especially on Twitter - two "teams" formed, with experts and amateurs - or simple chess lovers: those who accused Niemann of cheating (without any proof) and those who defended the young American player. Some even recurred to statistics to "show" that Neimann...Full StoryAdded on 09.12.2022
A fellow ICC admin posted on Facebook: "Alireza is the Alcaraz of Chess." And it's true. The young Frenchman won the Sinquefield Cup and the whole Grand Chess Tour, and the young Spaniard won his first Grand slam tournament in New York. Alireza is now 4th in the rating list, whereas his tennis player peer conquered the numero uno position in the ATP rank! (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Are we witnessing a generational change? Well, these two important achievements were slightly tainted by Magnus...Full StoryAdded on 09.09.2022
Let's face it: the chess world can be tedious. In the last ten years, there has been a dominator, one Norwegian man who plays at a different level. Magnus Carlsen is almost unbeatable in classic chess, and he has the numbers to show that: in 10 years, he's lost very few games, probably countable on the tips of your fingers. Recently, Magnus decided to renounce his World Champion Title, announcing that he won't defend it against Ian Nepomniachtchi, the winner of the 2022 Candidates...Full StoryAdded on 09.03.2022
1972 Fischer v. Spassky Anniversary It's been 50 years since the most famous match in chess history took place: The 1972 World Chess Championship between defending champion Boris Spassky and challenger Bobby Fischer. The match was to the best of 24 games, and Fischer won 12 ½-8 ½, becoming the 11th World Chess Champion and the first American-born player to do so. The match captured the imagination of millions as it embodied the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. It also...Full StoryAdded on 08.23.2022
The new generation, with its 16-17-18-year-old chess geniuses, is here and presses to break down the "old" guard. We're almost there, with the natural generational change happening. It's a cycle. It happened when Kasparov retired, for instance. New talents emerged, and a group of younger champions started dominating the international chess scene. Praggnanandhaa, Firouzja, Erigaisi Arjun, Deac, Gukesh, and many others are climbing the ladder quickly, showing their enormous potential. It's always...Full StoryAdded on 08.10.2022
Uzbekistan and Ukraine win the 44th Chess Olympiad! Rating didn't count much in these Olympiad games in Chennai, India! The USA was the first seeded by rating, but they had a relatively poor tournament, with their stronger player having a terrible experience in India. Fabiano Caruana could not go over 50% with three wins and three losses. In the end, the USA placed fifth, which is not a good result considering the group of champions they listed, with Caruana, Aronian, So, Dominguez, and...Full StoryAdded on 07.05.2022
The most-awaited tournament of the year took place in Madrid, Spain. Check our ARTICLE to learn more about the participants and the background of the tournament. During the rest days, ICC will have GM Illescas and GM Yermolinsky recap the rounds. The Tournament is over and the winner is Ian Nepomniachtchi, for the second time in a row. Ian won with one round to spare, drawing Richard Rapport and securing his leadership. In the last round, all eyes were pointed to the game Ding vs. Nakamura....Full StoryAdded on 07.02.2022
The most-awaited tournament of the year is taking place in Madrid, Spain. Check our ARTICLE to learn more about the participants and the background of the tournament. During the rest days, ICC will have GM Illescas and GM Yermolinsky recap the rounds. Two rounds to go, and Ian Nepomniachtchi is two points ahead, in the sole and strong leadership of this super-important event. All Ian needs is a draw in one of the remaining two rounds, to clinch the second Candidates tournament in a row, and be...Full StoryAdded on 06.28.2022
The most-awaited tournament of the year is taking place in Madrid, Spain. Check our ARTICLE to learn more about the participants and the background of the tournament. During the rest days, ICC will have GM Illescas and GM Yermolinsky recap the rounds. Three more rounds and the super-strong Ian Nepomniachtchi is still up there, on top of the list, more alone than ever. The last three rounds have shown Ian as the stronger player in the lot. He's been able to defend strenuously and attack...Full StoryAdded on 06.24.2022
The most-awaited tournament of the year is taking place in Madrid, Spain. Check our ARTICLE to learn more about the participants and the background of the tournament. During the rest days, ICC will have GM Illescas and GM Yermolinsky recap the rounds. After six rounds, there is a sole leader at +3, an amazing feat in this first part of the tournament. Ian Nepomniachtchi, the latest challenger, is at it again, playing brilliant chess and leading the group of eight with half a point advantage...Full StoryAdded on 06.20.2022
The most-awaited tournament of the year is taking place in Madrid, Spain. Check our ARTICLE to learn more about the participants and the background of the tournament. During the rest days, ICC will have GM Illescas and GM Yermolinsky recap the rounds. After three rounds, Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi lead the tournament, with 2 points (+1). Nakamura, after losing round 1, bounced back immediately, and now is part of the numerous group that follows the leaders, with Firouzja, Rapport,...Full StoryAdded on 06.14.2022
In 2020, the Candidates' had to be stopped because of the pandemic breaking out in Russia, as in the rest of the world. Radjabov had renounced participating in the 2020 tournament after he asked for it to be postponed due to Covid-19, and when FIDE had to send the eight players home, Radjabov asked to be reinstated into the event when it would have been resumed. FIDE decided that the best thing to do was to give Radjabov a seat to the following Candidates, the tournament that is going to start...Full StoryAdded on 04.29.2022
The St. Louis Chess Club organized a very interesting tournament, with a rare format: a double-elimination. The format allows a player to lose a KO match but then play in the Elimination bracket with chances to get back in the main bracket. Here are the brackets: As you can see, the best American players participated in the $300,000 event! Nakamura was the only absent, as he is preparing for the Candidates' tournament. Caruana didn't lose any match and arrived in the finals with an...Full StoryAdded on 04.04.2022
The FIDE Grand Prix series of tournaments are over. The third one just finished in Berlin, Germany, and the two finalists, Wesley So and Hikaru Nakamura, had to play an extra day after the first two classical games of their match couldn't decide the winner. The second classical game even raised a wave of polemics over the socials! GM Benjamin talks about this particular fact in the video. But today it was an exciting day, with games keeping the watchers nailed to their chairs. When it comes to...Full StoryAdded on 04.03.2022
30 minutes, 14 moves. The infamous draw line of the Berlin (Qe4-Qe6) hit once again, and we're here with nothing to say about today's game. Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So deliberately chose to go to the rapid/blitz tiebreaks to decide who's the winner of the 3rd and last leg for the FIDE Grand Prix. Both players are extremely strong at rapid, though it's undeniable that Nakamura is the strongest in the world, at least at the moment. As for the Blitz, Nakamura is known for being the strongest...Full Story