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.

Prague International Chess Festival: Opening Ceremony

While in Prague for the World Senior Team Chess Championship, as a member of the USA Women 50+ team, I visited the Prague International Chess Festival. A former President of the Czech Republic was one of the speakers. At a post-ceremony reception, I briefly interviewed Grandmasters Liem Le and Vincent Keymer. More 🡢

Chess or Health, Play or Forfeit

The World Senior Team Chess Championship brings together several hundred chess players in two age categories, 50+ and 65+. Along with babies younger than six months, people aged 65 and older are most at risk for hospitalization from complications from COVID-19. And large gatherings, held indoors, increase the likelihood of disease transmission. More 🡢

Sunrise in the Bronx: Chess and Life Lessons

I read MacEnulty’s memoir in one sitting. That’s in part because there are no chess diagrams and games to play through, making reading faster. But it is also because MacEnulty writes well about compelling subjects. More 🡢

Chess Under Pressure: New Year’s Resolutions

During a game, a chess player may daydream about what a good result will bring. Ironically, daydreaming takes them away from that good result. Here are two New Year’s Resolutions to deal with pressures felt during chess games. More 🡢

AlphaBetChess: Books for Chess Parents

Chess books make great holiday gifts. Vishnu Warrier’s AlphaBetChess series uses the letters A through Z to organize chess terms. For parents who want to share their love of chess with their children, the AlphaBetChess books are wonderful choices. More 🡢

Aleksandar Indjic wins 2024 European Individual Chess Championship

The 2024 European Individual Chess Championship was won by GM Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia. Indjic began the tournament ranked 33rd. En route to the title, he defeated the tournament’s top-ranked player, GM Vladimir Fedoseev, who plays for Slovenia. More 🡢

Chess Books and Autographs

The Chess Book Collectors site on Facebook has 48,300 members. McFarland, a leading independent publisher of academic and general-interest nonfiction books, has 95 books on chess in print. With McFarland books at 35% off from November 15 to December 2, now is the perfect time to combine collecting chess books and chess autographs. More 🡢

Documenting Hopes, Dreams, and Chess

Katie Dellamaggiore made her feature film directorial debut with Brooklyn Castle, an award-winning documentary about inner-city junior high school students achieving chess success despite financial obstacles. Now Dellamaggiore is working on a new film called Queen’s Castle, profiling young women worldwide who are achieving chess success. One of those young women is Palestine’s top female player, 17-year-old Woman FIDE Master Eman Sawan. More 🡢