WIM Alexey Root, PhD

Alexey Root is a Woman International Master and the 1989 U.S. Women's chess champion. Her peak US Chess rating was 2260. She has a PhD in education from UCLA. You can find her books on chess on Amazon.com.

Full-ride College Chess Scholarships

Full-ride scholarships cover four years of college expenses, including tuition, fees, books, housing, and meals. Several U.S. universities offer full-ride college chess scholarships. While players with FIDE titles are most likely to be awarded full-ride college chess scholarships, players with ratings as low as 2300 US Chess have been awarded these scholarships. More 🡢

Chess Champion from China

Ding Liren winning the FIDE World Championship 2023 reminds fans that China is a chess powerhouse. Perhaps the first time a Chinese player captured the world’s attention was October 29, 1991. That’s when Xie Jun (family name Xie) won the Women’s World Chess Championship. More 🡢

FIDE World Championship 2023: Decisive Chess Games

he FIDE World Championship match between Ding Liren from China and Ian Nepomniachtchi from Russia is from April 7 to May 1 in Astana, Kazakhstan. While previous 21st century world championship matches featured many draws, the first half of the Ding Liren versus Ian Nepomniachtchi match had five decisive games and two draws. Decisive games include moves that are less than perfect. More 🡢

Free Chess Content, Spring 2023

The London Chess Conference was March 17-19. Videos of its sessions are available for free on YouTube. On April 10, the Mechanics’ Institute will hold a free Zoom session about the 2023 World Chess Championship match between Ding Liren from China and Ian Nepomniachtchi from Russia. More 🡢

The London System Compared to the c3 Colle

The c3 Colle is suitable for beginners. It establishes a d4-pawn in the center and has easy to understand plans. Like the c3 Colle, the London System is an opening system. Opening systems are good for beginners because they do not often require adapting to opponents’ moves. Still, White must always be paying attention to Black’s moves. More 🡢

Best Seven Chess Openings for Beginners (Part Two)

The classical way to control the center is to occupy it with one or more pawns. The four chess openings discussed in this article establish a d-pawn in the center. The center consists of the squares e4, e5, d4, and d5. A d-pawn is defended by one’s queen, a good thing because that defense lessens the chances that beginners will emerge from their openings a pawn down. More 🡢

Best Seven Chess Openings for Beginners (Part One)

Beginners’ chess games often include blunders in the first ten moves. For example, beginners may lose to the Scholar’s Mate in just four moves. Good chess openings for beginners avoid opening traps, are easy to memorize, and follow opening principles. This “Part One” article introduces three chess openings; a “Part Two” article will give four more openings. More 🡢

Review of The Chess Bible by Vishnu Warrier

Thinkers Publishing’s The Chess Bible – Most Instructive Tips, Axioms, One-Liners & Mantras by Vishnu Warrier was published in 2022. Warrier is a tech consultant who loves chess. More 🡢