Armand Niculescu

No Praise, No Scorn—Just Chess

We often receive feedback from our SparkChess users and we value it greatly. Whether it’s constructive criticism, suggestions, or just a bit of praise, it’s our Northern Star pointing us in the right direction. Some bits end up as testimonials on the Download page, the rest become the source for new development ideas. More 🡢

But one letter I received this week hit different. Not only an echo through time and space, but a powerful testament of how one creation, one game, can become a lifeline. I asked the sender to let us publish the email and she kindly agreed. More 🡢

Webster University wins The President’s Cup!

This year’s collegiate championship was highly competitive, featuring two tie-breaks. More 🡢

The surprising benefits of online chess for seniors

For seniors, learning and playing chess online can bring numerous benefits, such as improved cognitive skills, more opportunities to socialize, and the ability to exercise the mind and body. More 🡢

Exclusive: Free eBook from Forward Chess

We have an exclusive offer for our SparkChess players: a free interactive eBook from Forward Chess! There is a catch, though: the offer expires on March 20. More 🡢

Stay home. Stay safe. Play chess!

Due to the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) pandemic, health officials everywhere encourage people, especially those in at-risk categories, to stay at home as much as possible. We’re doing our (tiny) part to make this easier. We’ve increased server capacity and lifted the daily limits for users of the free version, so you can spend more time playing chess! More 🡢

Infographic: All World Chess Champions

We all know that Magnus Carlsen is the World Chess Champion, but who was the first one? And when? Even less is known about women champions. You probably have heard about Susan Polgar, but who is the current woman chess champion? More 🡢

Infographic: Chess Players Titles and Ratings in 2019

Have you ever wondered just how many chess players are in the world? How many of them are women? And what’s with all the titles like chess master and international master? Who is the top chess player ever? More 🡢

Infographic: Countries With Most Chess Grandmasters

Have you ever wondered which countries produced more chess grandmasters? Or in which countries are women more interested in chess? Is there a correlation between the population of the country and the number of grandmasters it produced? More 🡢