All About Chess

Chess-related article archive, from news about SparkChess to in-depth chess lessons and strategies, commented games, analysis and more.

Football and Chess… YOU could be a winner!

Unlike many U.S. universities, The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) does not have a football team. Instead, UTD has a chess team. In 2018 Final Four teams of the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championships are Webster, Saint Louis University, Texas Tech University (TTU), and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Can you predict the order of finish of the four teams and the game points scored by the winning team? Ten Premium Live one-year memberships to Spark Chess will be awarded to participants in this contest. More 🡢

5 Best Chess Web Shops

Around 1100 AD chess was well known in royal and noble houses from Spain, France, and Italy. With an enormous variety of artistic and elaborated chess sets, it had to be simplified and unified in order to spread to all social classes. The turning point was in 1849, when “Staunton Chess Set” appears. More 🡢

Why Learning Chess is Important for Your Child

One of the more surprising aspects of chess is that it can actually improve creativity and original thinking. Creativity sounds like a non-measurable attribute, but studies have shown that children who play chess offer more creative and original solutions to problems than those who do not play chess. More 🡢

SparkChess - The Free Online Multiplayer Chess Game

How we test SparkChess across platforms

SparkChess 9 is now available on all major platforms and devices, completing a cycle started last year. You may be wondering why the mobile version came out a month and a half after the desktop version. Read on to learn how we test it. More 🡢

What would you like to see next in multiplayer?

SparkChess 7 has been rock solid for the past year, with an uptime of 99.98% and almost all feedback from you is positive. Still, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve the game and the way you play with it. We’re now looking at some changes and additions and we’d like your feedback. More 🡢

Chess is fun!

Online chess games don’t have to be boring. Long, slow games are not a requirement. A chess computer AI doesn’t have to be a cold, merciless terminator. Playing chess online in multiplayer doesn’t have to be complicated or subject to bullying. Yes, you can actually have fun with chess. More 🡢

Viswanathan Anand vs. Magnus Carlsen at World Chess Championship 2013

Former World Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand, fought to defend his title against Magnus Carlsen. If you own SparkChess 7 Full Version you can download the PGN database and replay the games at your leisure. More 🡢