Saturday, July 20th, is International Chess Day. Share why you love chess or what chess means to you. International Chess Day 2019 is also the 95th anniversary of FIDE, the World Chess Federation. FIDE has an agreement with Nielsen to research the marketability of chess. If you complete the survey, you can enter into a drawing to win a two-hour online masterclass with former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik. More 🡢
The Saint Louis Chess Club is hosting three championships from July 10-21: The U.S. Senior Championship, the U.S. Junior Championship, and the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship. The senior tournament is for players ages 50 and older. The junior tournaments are restricted to players under age 20 as of January 1, 2019. More 🡢
In August of 2019, two women’s chess tournaments will be held in the US that SparkChess readers might like to play in or to support. From August 16-20, the Berkeley Chess School in California is hosting the Berkeley Summer International Master Norm Tournament. From August 17-18, the 2019 Texas Women’s Chess Championship will be held at the North Richland Hills Library. More 🡢
Right now in Kazan, eight women are competing to become the challenger to the current Women’s World Chess Champion, Ju Wenjun. More 🡢
In most cities, rents are high. So a full-time, dedicated building or room for a chess club may be unaffordable. But there are free alternatives. Libraries usually have meeting rooms. Cafés are another choice. This article highlights chess at libraries and at two cafés. From this article, you may get ideas for where a chess club could meet in your city. More 🡢
The International Chess Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada is known as “The Chess Vacation of the Year!” With tournaments, simultaneous chess exhibitions, lectures, a chess camp, and side events such as blitz, there is enough chess to keep anyone entertained from June 11-16, 2019. By commenting on this article, you may win a $25 gift certificate, good toward a side event entry fee or for merchandise/food from on-site vendors. More 🡢
One initiative to encourage girls is already in place at all US Chess scholastic nationals, including the JHS. That initiative is the Girls Club Room, where girls, their teammates and coaches, and their families are welcomed. The special guests at the Girls Club Room for JHS will be me (WIM Alexey Root) and WGM Katerina Nemcova. We will give simultaneous exhibitions, teach chess, and provide game analysis. More 🡢
The Final Four of College Chess was won by The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), for the second year in a row. Webster University (Webster) was second. The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) was third. And Harvard University (Harvard) was fourth. This article provides round-by-round results and two chess problems, taken from games in rounds 2 and 3. More 🡢
Learning the rules of chess can be accomplished in one day. There are six different chessmen. Master how each moves and captures, and use them to checkmate your opponents, to succeed in your chess games.
The best way to learn is by playing! Right here on SparkChess you can play against different computer personas (start with Cody if you never played before). The game will highlight all valid moves for a piece, so it's easy to understand and learn the rules. Then you can move to learning strategies and openings with SparkChess Premium, which features an Opening Explorer with over 100 opening variations, 30 interactive lessons and even an AI coach.
While learning chess online is efficient, since software corrects illegal moves, playing chess with others in person can be satisfying. You and a friend or family member could tackle chess together, perhaps reading the rules in a book. Playing on a three-dimensional chess set can be a fun break from our online lives. When in-person chess is not available, SparkChess has online multiplayer for playing with friends (and making new ones).
While learning chess rules takes one day, becoming good at chess takes longer. One proverb states, “Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe.” With intense efforts, chess greatness can be achieved.