Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen (1990-) is a Norwegian chess Grandmaster and World Chess Champion, with a peak rating of 2882 – the highest in history at the time of writing. A chess prodigy, he earned the Grandmaster title at the age of 13. He uses a variety of openings to make it as difficult as possible for his opponents to prepare against him.

Chess, the number 1,000, and Carlsen’s social media

Although the chess board has 64 squares, the number 1,000 relates to two recent chess milestones. World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen has made 1,000 tweets, including tweets about the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships. His 1,000th tweet linked to a “brand new social media platform.” On New Year’s Day, the Mechanics’ Institute posted its 1,000th Chess Room Newsletter. More 🡢

FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships: A Christmas Miracle

The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships were originally scheduled for Kazakhstan. When that country’s government mandated a seven-day quarantine for many potential participants, FIDE found the championships a new home. More 🡢

Magnus Carlsen, FIDE World Chess Championship, Dubai, 2021. Photo by FIDE/Niki Riga

Carlsen wins 2021 World Chess Championship

The 2021 World Chess Championship match was scheduled for 14 games, meaning that the first player to reach 7.5 points became the champion. Within the match, each win was worth one point and each draw was worth a half-point. By scoring his fourth win in Game 11, Carlsen reached 7.5 points and remained the World Chess Champion. More 🡢

2021 World Chess Championship: Playing for Two Results

The expression “playing for two results” means that one player may win or draw. The third result, a loss, is not likely to happen to that player. In both Game 6 and Game 8, Carlsen was playing for two results. Carlsen won the endgame in Game 6 strategically and used a tactic to get a winning advantage in Game 8. More 🡢

Chess Christmas Gifts

What chess gifts do you want under your Christmas tree? Maybe a sweater that makes you look like the World Chess Champion? What about a subscription to a chess magazine or an upgraded chess app experience? More 🡢

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave; Photo courtesy of the Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes

Queen Sacrifices by Top-Level Chess Players

Sacrificing a queen is rare in chess games. Since the queen is the most valuable piece, giving her up for lesser chessmen or for an attack is difficult to contemplate. Within the last two months, two top-level chess players have sacrificed their queens. More 🡢

Sherlock Holmes and Chess

There was a triple dose of Sherlock Holmes and chess at US Chess in December of 2020. On December 10, 2020, the 2017 U.S. Women’s Chess Champion Sabina Foisor appeared in the Girls Club to discuss Sherlock’s Method: The Working Tool for the Club Player, written with Grandmaster Elshan Moradiabadi. The December Ladies Knight podcast featured Maria Konnikova, author of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes. On December 18, The Madwoman’s Book Club discussed Konnikova’s book, with Konnikova herself appearing in the first 10 minutes, and retrograde analysis. More 🡢

GM Nigel and IM Sophie Milliet in a round of Chess Thai Boxing

Chess Prizes in 2020: Who leads?

Who do you think are the top two chess prize money winners so far in 2020? I guessed World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen and Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. I was wrong. Two women lead the list. Read this article to learn who leads, and for a winning chess move by a former World Chess Championship Challenger and current FIDE Vice President. More 🡢