Features
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Hybrid Chess
Curtains up for hybrid chess! – 19 Feb 2021
Grandmasters, masters and arbiters meet this weekend in four European cities to test a cheating-proof way of play in the Hybrid Cities Cup, writes the event’s initiator Stefan Löffler.
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Background
Fat start – 10 Feb 2021
Fat Fritz has been redesigned to surpass Stockfish. Even though it hasn’t fully succeeded, it provides an interesting commercial alternative to the dominating open source engine, writes Conrad Schormann.
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Chess Variants
The king on centre stage – 22 Jan 2021
2021 may become a good year for chess variants. ChessTech is dedicating a new category and series to them, starting with a Vladimir Kramnik favourite: No-castling chess. Conrad Schormann and Stefan Löffler report.
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Review
Pocket sparring partner – 12 Jan 2021
Among chess playing apps, the open source Black Diamond is your most versatile choice, but don’t expect any fancy graphics, writes Heinrich Tillack.
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Review
Quantity over quality – 03 Jan 2021
Lichess has published the world’s biggest collection of chess puzzles. Why you should not yet hold your breath, explain Stefan Löffler and Conrad Schormann.
Latest News
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Short news
Saison blanche in France – 06 Mar 2021
The French Chess Federation has nullified the team season 2020/21. The only otb event still planned is the Top 16 on 27 May to 6 June in Chartres.
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Short news
Hybrid qualifiers for Worldcup – 06 Mar 2021
After the European Individual Championship in Reykjavik has been postponed from May to August or September, it cannot serve as a qualifier for the Worldcup that FIDE plans to hold in Russia in July. The ECU will therefore hold hybrid qualifiers for 36 places in the Worldcup and €30,000 in prizes on 22–30 May on Tornelo and is calling European federations to provide venues and arbiters.
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Short news
New playzone of chess24 open to premium members – 05 Mar 2021
The reformed chess24 playzone that has been in the works since 2019 and has surfaced during the Champions Tour is now open to premium members. It is not connected with the old playzone and test games will not count for existing ratings.
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Short news
Sigeman tournament in April – 04 Mar 2021
The TePe Sigeman & Co invitational in Malmö mixes young talents like Jorden van Foreest and Nihal Sarin with veterans like Anatoly Karpov and Alexey Shirov on 24–30 April. Together with the Candidates Tournament from 19 April in Russia and Norway Chess from 9 May, Northern countries lead the return to otb chess.
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Short news
Western professionals missing in Athletes Commission – 04 Mar 2021
Seven women and six men have been announced by FIDE as members of its newly formed Athletes Commission. None of them is currently rated over 2700. European professionals are underrepresented, not a single one is from a Western country. Since there were only nine candidates for ten places, no vote was taken, and additional players were nominated by the FIDE Council which will select two more.