Features
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Call to Action
We need to ground chess – 15 Sep 2020
In order to prevent a global climate catastrophe mankind has to change its play. The international chess community can contribute – by reducing its emissions and taking a leading role, writes Günther Beikert.
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Call to Action
The room parties that shook Spanish chess – 11 Sep 2020
Covid-19 infections and forfeited games overshadowed the Spanish Individual Championship that ended on Tuesday. The safety standards were high but didn’t go beyond the tournament hall, reports Stefan Löffler.
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Background
Ten things you haven’t seen in your chess tournament before – 16 Aug 2020
Over the board chess is slowly coming back but it is not the same. Spectators, handshakes and mutual scoresheet signing are out, new equipment is in. Stefan Löffler has a list.
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Background
Not a cheater – 12 Aug 2020
After her Lichess account was banned, Elisabeth Pähtz was under suspicion for four long days, until she finally revealed that she trusted an aide too much. Conrad Schormann and Stefan Löffler have checked and confirmed her story.
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Debate
Chess as a commodity? – 10 Aug 2020
Four and a half months have gone by with hardly any significant classical chess. Elite players have started to behave like hustlers. One of the most hyped chess competitions ever was staged between beginners. Raj Tischbierek asks if it is an irreversible development or just a nightmare that will pass.
Latest News
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Short news
Grants for women-led chess projects – 24 Sep 2020
Walter Rädler, a German chess philanthropist, offers up to ten grants of € 500 each for chess projects and clubs led by women in German-speaking areas. The grants cannot be used to pay staff or promote competitive chess.
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Short news
Survey on social situation during pandemic – 24 Sep 2020
The Association of Chess Professionals is inviting everyone whose income depends at least partially on chess to participate in a survey on their social situation during the pandemic and to collect suggestions for improvement.
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Short news
Play Magnus about to go public – 24 Sep 2020
The Play Magnus Group has applied to the Merkur Market of the Oslo stock exchange and is expected to be listed within two weeks. The company that merged with chess24 and acquired Chessable in 2019 is reporting organic growth of 120% within the first half of 2020 alone and more than € 6 million revenues over the last 12 months. It estimates its value at € 72 million before the public offering. Six months ago Play Magnus raised € 12 million from Norwegian and Swiss investors and intends to raise a further € 36 million now from Luxor Capital, DNB Capital Management, TIN Fond, TD Veen and other investors. Shareholder Magnus Carlsen is quoted: “The company has a unique vision and strategy for bringing chess to a wider audience. Our model will help many more chess players and coaches to be able to make a living from chess.“
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Short news
PRO Chess League finals held online – 23 Sep 2020
The Saint Louis Arch Bishops, equivalent with the US national team, and the China Pandas, basically China’s top players, face each other in the semifinal of the PRO Chess League this Friday on Chess.com. The winner will compete in the final on Sunday against the winner of the match Armenia Eagles – Canada Chessbrahs. $40,000 prize money is divided between these four teams. Each team has four players that will face each player of the opposite team at 10 minutes + 2 seconds per move. The final playoffs of this fourth season were meant to be held live in front of a crowd at an event called Chess Party near Oslo. This event was canceled due to Covid-19. Meanwhile Chess Party 2021 has been announced for 26 – 30 May.
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Short news
Seven variants added on Chess.com – 23 Sep 2020
Chess.com users can now play seven new variants including no-castling chess, as promoted by former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, or capture-all chess, which allows moves that capture a piece of your own, or blindfold, where you click the start and end square of a move on an empty board that doesn’t display the pieces.