Features
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![**Martin Bennedik** is a freelance .NET developer based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, club player, International Master in correspondence chess and founder of [Chesspuzzle.net][1].
[1]: http://chesspuzzle.net](/files/people/martin-bennedik.240.jpeg)
My Great Idea
Fixing Tactics Training – 15 Mar 2023
When you play in a competition, nobody tells you if there is a tactical shot on your board. My solution to train tactical alertness is Puzzle Inception. Here is how it works.
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Background
Masks impede strong players – 24 Dec 2022
David Smerdon’s data-rich study confirms a long-held suspicion and has some surprises in the details.
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Call to Action
Is chess finally safe for women? – 25 Nov 2022
Recently reported harassment cases are less troubling than those in a German newspaper article that was ignored.
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Background
Out of Russia – 10 Nov 2022
More than half of Russia’s top chess players have left their country.
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Background
Trust was yesterday – 01 Nov 2022
FIDE’s Fair Play Commission is preparing to train anti-cheating officials and to implement a screening system for ongoing games.
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![Danny Rensch, Chess.com, and Magnus Carlsen in a [video][1] announcing the take-over bid.
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP-K0mYHeD0&feature=emb_imp_woyt](/files/screenshot-2022-10-17-at-12-17.240.jpeg)
Background
Tik-tok with Magnus – 17 Oct 2022
Chess.com extended their 13 NOK offer per Play Magnus Group share until 2 November and has yet to convince hundreds of shareholders to seal the deal.
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Background
The party is over – 16 Jun 2022
The online chess boom induced by pandemic restrictions, the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour and The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix is behind us.
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Educational Chess
A universal game teaching tool – 11 Jun 2022
If you teach chess or other strategy games, you should know LogiqBoard. It enables you to create diagrams and teach online in new ways.
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![Yosha Iglésias is a Paris-based chess teacher, [youtuber][1] and community manager at chess24.
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzg9wQOjSliZnuNdlPqsxZg](/files/screenshot-2022-06-09-at-10-29.240.jpeg)
Background
Can Yosha compete as a woman? – 09 Jun 2022
The French Chess Federation is hesitating to accept the gender change of Yosha Iglésias. Is affirmative action for female professionals at risk?
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Interview
“No more political sponsorship and sportswashing” – 30 May 2022
The Ukrainian grandmaster Andrii Baryshpolets explains why he is running to replace FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich in the 7 August election.
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Digital Divide
Should Carlsen decide now? – 28 May 2022
Magnus Carlsen announced that he might not defend the classical world champion title again. Is it unfair to his colleagues who compete at the forthcoming Candidates Tournament?
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![The “match of the century” made headlines all over the Western world. Los Angeles Times clipping on [Edward Winter’s Chess Notes][1]
[1]: https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/spasskyfischer.html](/files/screenshot-2022-05-02-at-19-54.240.jpeg)
Call to Action
It’s 50 years, folks! – 02 May 2022
The anniversary of the biggest chess event in history, Fischer – Spassky, Reykjavik 1972, is coming up fast. Is chess about to miss out on this communication opportunity?
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Campaigns
Four more years? – 27 Apr 2022
Former Putin aide Arkady Dvorkovich is sailing towards a second term as FIDE President without a serious challenger in sight, but can chess still afford a Russian at its helm?
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Background
Leaving Russia – 15 Apr 2022
While the Chess Federation of Russia prepares its move to the Asian Chess Federation, it goes unnoticed how many Russian top players are out of the country.
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Call to Action
Ukrainian Defence – 03 Mar 2022
Let’s rename the King’s Indian after the country where this heroic opening was developed. The country that is defending our liberty.
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Interview
“The numbers are rather grim, but the worst is over” – 27 Jan 2022
The Finnish Chess Federation was hit hard by the pandemic. Online chess, hybrid chess and new funding sources are all part of the plan of the young new leader Eetu Tiiva.
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Review
Tolka the hero – 20 Jan 2022
Chempion Mira is neither sound history nor works out as a sequel to The Queen’s Gambit. The Russian movie is patriotic kitsch and a monument to Anatoly Karpov who was involved as a consultant.
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Review
Winners and losers – 12 Jan 2022
2021 was great for top players, online chess and FIDE, but not for otb chess and lower rated professionals.
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Call to Action
Carlsen has a wish – 26 Dec 2021
The world champion cares about the welfare of the chess community. The chess community better also cares about the welfare of the world championship. Let’s have a proper debate.
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Background
Coming full circle – 06 Dec 2021
Competitive chess is returning to its roots with the world championship match at the Expo 2020.
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Campaigns
An exception for Carlsen – 30 Nov 2021
Advertising any form of gambling is illegal in Dubai. The Expo 2020 has granted the world champion a special permission to display Unibet logos on his shirts during the match.
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Educational Chess
Other games on 64 squares – 23 Nov 2021
If you teach chess for educational motives, you should know about simpler games on the chess board and how to introduce them to your students.
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Hands On
The best ways to study chess online – 21 Nov 2021
We never had so many resources and options to study and train chess as we do today. Here are some guidelines how to make the best of it.
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Review
Nepo’s Gambit – 19 Nov 2021
The world championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi presents a Chessable course on no lesser opening than the King’s Gambit. Fernando Offermann had a look.
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Research
The interplay of talent and practice in chess – 01 Nov 2021
Merim Bilalić, Roland Grabner and Nemanja Vaci explain what chess development can teach about the development of skill and performance across lifetime and how you can benefit from participating in their new study.
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Campaigns
A liberating game – 22 Oct 2021
The Chess For Freedom project is about much more than prison and online play, writes Salomėja Zaksaitė.
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Work4Chess
Inside Chess.com – 08 Oct 2021
How is work in a fully remote company that runs the biggest platform in online chess? Tatiana Flores profiles Chess.com.
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Campaigns
Chasing the biggest fans – 03 Oct 2021
Digital collector items are the latest hype in American team sports, but is there a demand in chess? Stefan Löffler has doubts.
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Background
“Noone can remain an indifferent bystander any more” – 30 Sep 2021
While cheating seems to decline, its prevention will soon involve everyone. Stefan Löffler reports on a Work4Chess conference session.
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Campaigns
Sony’s Gambit – 23 Sep 2021
The chess-themed new PlayStation spot is a hot item in the gaming industry, reports Stefan Löffler.
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Background
Corporate sponsorship is back – 22 Sep 2021
Why Mastercard’s contract with Magnus Carlsen and the Champions Chess Tour is good news for professional chess, is explained by Stefan Löffler.
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Work4Chess
Inside Chessable – 17 Sep 2021
How is work at Chessable, the biggest company in the Play Magnus Group? Stefan Löffler reports.
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Background
Back to life – 15 Sep 2021
Clubs and leagues are returning, but uncertainties remain. How different European federations are coping, is reported by Stefan Löffler
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Educational Chess
Incredible that this is for free – 08 Sep 2021
The Classroom video teaching tool from Chessable has made group teaching simpler and more efficient for Johan Hellsten.
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Background
New boards for online and hybrid play – 31 Aug 2021
Among the electronic chess boards that keep hitting the market, the latest products of Millennium and DGT stand out as suitable for competitive players, reports Conrad Schormann.
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Call to Action
Work 4 Chess! – 21 Aug 2021
How to plan and manage chess competitions during a (hopefully fading) pandemic? Which apps and platforms help clubs to mobilize old members and gain new ones? These questions and more will be answered at our free online conference Work4Chess on 18 September.
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Educational Chess
This is the time for change – 20 Aug 2021
While many school chess programmes have been on hold during the pandemic, Helge Frowein was busier than ever. Here is his appeal to mobilize fellow chess teachers and get better solutions for online and blended instruction.
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Campaigns
Activists gather in new association – 09 Aug 2021
Independent activists from Austria, Germany and Switzerland have launched the Chess Sports Association to promote and develop chess in connection with other sports, reports Stefan Löffler.
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Background
Beyond the norm – 19 Jul 2021
After a new world’s youngest grandmaster record has been set, the cottage industry of title norm tournaments has come under scrutiny, reports Stefan Löffler.
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Campaigns
What clubs need now – 02 Jul 2021
A poll shows how chess clubs in the Netherlands are surviving the pandemic and what support they expect from their national federation, reports Stefan Löffler.
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Background
Building a team to build a board – 23 Jun 2021
Bryght Labs has appointed Abrahamyan and Aronian and keeps hiring developers for the Chessup board, reports Stefan Löffler.
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Educational Chess
Because kids love quizzes – 22 Jun 2021
Kahoot! enables teachers to create quizzes in a fun format for their whiteboard, digital or online classes. It is also a great tool for chess teachers, writes Philippe Kalman.
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Call to Action
By all appearances – 07 Jun 2021
Reporting on women and girls in chess can go wrong in many ways, but do not despair, help is near. Tatiana Flores has some guidelines.
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Debate
Protect our prodigies! – 28 May 2021
Our obsession with titles and the age at which they are accomplished ill-serves our most talented and most vulnerable players. A better way to protect child prodigies from overzealous parents, coaches and officials is suggested by Stefan Löffler.
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Hybrid Chess
An okay way to play during the pandemic – 14 May 2021
Feedback from the Mitropacup participants reveals mixed attitudes about hybrid chess and the rules that were applied, writes Stefan Löffler.
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Background
How to sit at chess – 13 May 2021
What is the best chair for chess? How should you sit at the board? And in front of a screen? Conrad Schormann has the answers.
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Campaigns
What new users want – 23 Apr 2021
Chess.com is eager to redesign their website and has invited users to submit their ideas. The winner could take $10,000 and potentially a job. User experience designer Jessi Shakarian has some clues.
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Campaigns
Kasparovchess 2.0 – 16 Apr 2021
A new contender enters the premium market: A platform to train, watch and play chess is launched by the French media giant Vivendi and Garry Kasparov, reports Stefan Löffler.
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Hybrid Chess
Hybrid lessons – 12 Apr 2021
During the next weeks we see many more arbiter-supervised, cheating-proof competitions. What has been learned so far about hybrid chess is summed up by Stefan Löffler in ten neat lessons for organisers, arbiters and players.
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Background
E-board of a different kind – 26 Mar 2021
Another electronic board project is succeeding in crowdfunding. Conrad Schormann introduces ChessUp and looks back at the Regium scam.
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Educational Chess
Girls need a different approach – 08 Mar 2021
Chess teaching materials are often stereotyping and neglecting girls. Silke Schwartau has some suggestions to make it gender-sensitive.
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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.
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![If you miss your chess club, too, take consolation from this cartoon by Jan van Haasteren. Like many of the Dutch cartoonist’s works it has been made into a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle by [JVH-Puzzles][1]. Currently you can only get it [second hand][2].
[1]: https://www.jvh-puzzels.com/
[2]: https://www.marktplaats.nl/q/jan+van+haasteren++de+schaakclub/](/files/jan-van-haasteren-chess-club.240.jpeg)
Thank you
Merry Christmas! – 24 Dec 2020
By John Foley, Stefan Löffler, Gustaf Mossakowski and Conrad Schormann.
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Review
Sloppy on purpose – 22 Dec 2020
Why has a pricey collection of pirated and in some cases mutilated images of chess art received much praise, wonders Stefan Löffler.
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Interview
A social experience – 19 Dec 2020
ChessBase strives to make online play more friendly. Co-founder Matthias Wüllenweber spoke with Conrad Schormann.
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Campaigns
ChessTech2020 conference summary – 11 Dec 2020
ChessTech 2020, the first conference of this type, brought together more than 500 participants to learn about new products and the latest research, debate hot topics, network and meet startups.
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![Noam Manella, one of the two authors, presents Think like a Machine! at [ChessTech 2020][1].
[1]: http://www.chessconference.org/](/files/noam-manella.240.jpeg)
Review
A classification of what we fail to see – 05 Dec 2020
Think like a Machine! is a book that was waiting to be written. It features tactics that humans normally overlook. ChessPuzzle-Master Martin Bennedik loves it.
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Debate
What chess can learn from E-sport – 03 Dec 2020
Is chess an E-sport? That is missing the real question. Chess has the same tools and opportunities available – and it should use them to attract players and sponsors, pleads Paul Meyer-Dunker.
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Education / Review
Commercial vibe – 02 Dec 2020
Chess Universe combines the look and feel of a videogame with chess instruction. But the app’s salesmanship put Sophia Rohde off.
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Debate
Study the cheater! – 01 Dec 2020
To understand and prevent cheating, the chess community should pay attention to the scientific literature in behavioural economics and other fields, urges Wolfgang Grünstäudl.
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Call to Action
Best Chess Startup 2020 – 29 Nov 2020
Are you starting out as a chess entrepreneur? Do you have an idea that can revolutionize the way we play, learn or train? Do you run an internal start-up within a chess company? Then you should apply until Wednesday evening and pitch for Best Chess Startup 2020 at ChessTech 2020.
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Our Great Idea
Don’t expect too much from home office! – 27 Nov 2020
How do we perform at cognitive tasks when we work from home? Not as good as in our usual work environment, if we take the quality of moves by world class players as an indicator, writes economist and study coauthor Christian Seel.
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Call to Action
Black Friday chess sales – 26 Nov 2020
It’s the time of the year when retailers and online shops lure customers with special discounts for “Black Friday” or “Cyber Monday”. Stefan Löffler shows you the chess sales.
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Call to Action
Harvesting the Beth-Harmon-Effect – 24 Nov 2020
To piggyback on the unprecented success of The Queen’s Gambit, which is the most watched Netflix series worldwide since four weeks, here are twelve chess hacks, assembled by Stefan Löffler.
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Review
Teaching through play – 21 Nov 2020
Its didactic approach and friendly user interface set Learn Chess with Dr. Wolf apart from other chess learning apps. If only it could help beyond a 1400 rating level, writes Fernando Offermann.
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Background
A gamble on Twitch – 19 Nov 2020
Chess.com has secured some exclusive streaming rights for the world championship match 2021 and two Candidates Tournaments. The prize shall be revealed by FIDE at its General Assembly on 6 December. Stefan Löffler analyzes the deal.
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Call to Action
Free registration until 30 November – 17 Nov 2020
Does chess have the best possible online events? What are the hidden costs of cheating and anti-cheating? Is the chess community telling the right stories to reach a larger audience? These questions and many more are discussed at the ChessTech 2020 online conference on 5 and 6 December.
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Call to Action
Chess and Technology online conference – 26 Oct 2020
ChessTech is proud partner of the ChessTech 2020 conference on 5 and 6 December 2020. Here is an advance on what the world’s premier chess-related conference first online edition has to offer.
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![The video of the interview can also be seen on [FIDE’s homepage][1].
[1]: https://www.fide.com](/files/video.240.jpeg)
Interview
“I am not used to discussing politics” – 17 Oct 2020
During his frank interview with Daniil Dubov FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich gave a lot of insight in his proactive way of thinking and leading. He explained how the new FIDE management functions and why it needs more sponsors outside of Russia. This is the second and final part of excerpts by Stefan Löffler.
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Interview
FIDE’s next steps – 14 Oct 2020
In an interview in Russia, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich talked about possible changes in the world championship cycle and competitive chess at large: Players may be restricted to compete in only one national league. Team events may no longer be rated. The world championships for teams and children are under review. Stefan Löffler has excerpted the essentials in two parts. The first one focuses on competitive chess.
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Campaigns
Biggest chess investment ever – 07 Oct 2020
The Play Magnus Group is going public. With an evaluation of NOK 1,1 billion (€ 100 million) it starts to trade this Thursday at the Oslo Stock Exchange. Questions and answers by Conrad Schormann, Stefan Löffler and financial journalist Thorsten Cmiel.
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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.
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Background
Is there Covid-19 in Austria? – 06 Aug 2020
Breaching the anonymity of an infected player after the recent open in St. Veit was not the only lapse of the Austrian Chess Federation, as their confrontation by Stefan Löffler and Conrad Schormann reveals.
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First Person
Unmasked – 04 Aug 2020
When the Austrian Chess Federation reported the first case of a player being infected during a tournament it also gave away his identity: Tommaso Fuochi shares his personal experience.
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Education / Review
A cat house – 29 Jul 2020
Victor is a charming chess teacher, but his programme, Victor’s Chess House, runs slow and doesn’t allow to jump any single lesson, game or test, writes Philippe Kalman.
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Review / Education
Frogs and robots – 27 Jul 2020
Chessity has been developed for classroom use but its gamified chess learning works equally well in a family context, writes Jérôme Maufras.
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Education
#Chessathome – 18 Jul 2020
How to keep teaching chess under lockdown? Matt Piper explains how the UK charity Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC) operates online and into the future.
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Background
Victory without resistance – 17 Jul 2020
Can chess moves be copyrighted? The Russian promoter Ilya Merenzon repeatedly sued chess24 and other platforms for copyright infringements and failed. Now a Paris court has ruled in favour of Merenzon and his company World Chess, who claim a legal breakthrough. Stefan Löffler examines the background to the case.
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Education / Hands On
Teaching chess in 10 simple steps – 17 Jul 2020
Teaching a child chess is to give a wonderful gift for life. Chess should be part of every child’s education. Once they have learned the basics, they can pick the game up again in the same way as learning to swim or to cycle reserves a permanent place in the memory. A short guide for parents from John Foley.
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Our Great Idea
Make it available for Indians – 16 Jul 2020
The chess boom in India has been driven by ChessBase India and its multitasking co-founder and CEO Sagar Shah. Five years ago he convinced the Hamburg headquarter to reduce prices for the subcontinent.
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Review
Too advanced – 10 Jul 2020
The Magnus Touch has been advertised by Chessable as a landmark and the new gold standard in chess training. Jop Delemarre loves the content as a player. From the perspective of a coach he finds the strategy course lacking accessibility and didactics.
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Hybrid Chess
The new reality comes with new tournaments – 23 Jun 2020
Chess as a sport will not be the same after the pandemic. Over-the-board and online play will move closer together. Under the rubric hybrid chess we present pioneering organisations, projects and events. The start is made by Jordí Magem from the Catalan Chess Federation on the birth of the hybrid tournament that connects different venues.
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Campaigns
Perpetual check – 16 Jun 2020
Four weeks of online chess around the clock and around the globe are coming to an end this Tuesday night. FIDE used the unprecedented Checkmate Coronavirus campaign to cooperate with all major platforms, activate federations and reach out to general news media, writes Stefan Löffler.
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Digital Divide
Is Pogchamps a good way to promote chess? – 13 Jun 2020
Chess.com runs a chess tournament on Twitch between popular gamers and streamers. For FIDE Chief marketing and communications officer David Llada Pogchamps is the best chess promotion in years. ChessTech editor Stefan Löffler sees it as an embarrassment for the contestants, the world’s biggest chess platform and ultimately our game.
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Call to Action
It’s time to synchronize – 13 Jun 2020
FIDE and the national federations should act together and with the digital platforms to assure the identity of the players, align rankings and titles, provide solutions against cheating and for parental control. If they manage, they and the chess world will come out stronger, writes Carlo Stellati.
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Call to Action
“Cross-platform bans would send a strong signal” – 10 Jun 2020
How can online chess overcome cheating? A ChessTech debate established the legal problems, a professional set-up for serious competitions and three institutional solutions. For starters we heard cautionary tales what happened in other games, writes Conrad Schormann.
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Background
A risky sideline – 05 Jun 2020
Dozens of betting companies rediscovered chess in March and online chess in April, when there were hardly other sport events. Most bookmakers have since reduced their chess bets or even dropped them. Match-fixing remains a risk but is hard to get away with, reports Stefan Löffler.
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Interview
“An access tool for online play” – 31 May 2020
Millennium 2000 was not a household name in online chess. Then the Munich-based company made a grand entry by cosponsoring the Magnus Carlsen Invitational, the first online chess world class tournament. COO Thomas Karkosch is eager to turn online chess into a haptic game: “Our devices are predestined to become an access tool for online play,” says Karkosch, interviewed by Conrad Schormann.
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![[Alex Colovic][1] is President of the Association of Chess Professionals since 2019, a coach, author and grandmaster from Macedonia. [Follow Alex on Twitter][2]
[1]: https://www.alexcolovic.com
[2]: https://twitter.com/GMAlexColovic](/files/players/alex-colovic.240.jpeg)
Call to Action
What can chess professionals do now? – 27 May 2020
The events that shook the world in the last few months had a colossal effect on the chess world – the tournaments stopped and chess moved online. For some, this changed nothing, for others – everything. Alex Colovic, President of the Association of Chess Professionals (ACP), reflects on how he and his colleagues make a living now.
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![Hikaru Nakamura fan art by [Dr Assenov][1]
[1]: https://twitter.com/drassenov](/files/people/dr-assenov-hikaru-6k-05.240.jpeg)
Background
Stealing the show – 26 May 2020
Hikaru Nakamura reigned supreme during the preliminary rounds of the Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge while Magnus Carlsen barely escaped elimination. The American Grandmaster also angered the world champion and the hosting platform chess24 by allowing their competitor Chess.com to broadcast the event on his popular GMHikaru channel on Twitch. Carlsen complained via Twitter, but the gamer community stands behind Nakamura, ahead of their likely clash in the semifinals from Thursday on, reports Stefan Löffler.
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Background
Robot magic is back – 25 May 2020
Chess automatons that move the pieces have been a fascination since the Mechanical Turk of Wolfgang von Kempelen. A recently announced wonder board turned out to be too good to be true, but it has triggered activities and ambition by other producers, developers and platform providers, reports Conrad Schormann.
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Call to Action
Can online chess overcome cheating? – 24 May 2020
Numerous disqualifications at the ongoing European Online Championship highlight the major battle online chess is fighting these days: cheating. Games with longer time controls will be an especially critical battleground. Is the detection system in place good enough? How do we sanction cheaters? Ahead of our online debate on Tuesday here is an update by Conrad Schormann.
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Review
Tactics Frenzy – 22 May 2020
Good graphics, nice gamification, well chosen exercises. Brazilian top coach Rafael Leitão finds the tactics app from Play Magnus recommendable but misses a feature that helps to train your pattern recognition.
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My Great Idea
A TV guide for chess – 19 May 2020
A lot of chess is happening on Twitch these days: Tournaments are broadcast, we see new streamers every day, and the audience is growing rapidly. But Twitch is not very accessible to new viewers. There is nothing like a TV guide that tells you what chess is going on and where to watch amazing chess content. That gave Lennart Ootes the idea to create POGChess.
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Hands On
How to stream – 14 May 2020
Streaming chess on Twitch is the hot shit. No matter if you stream your own games, commentate an ongoing top event or give a live lesson, you need a professional setup, engage with your viewers, devise a smart schedule and build a loyal audience. Fiona Steil-Antoni explains how she created her Twitch channel and how it contributes to her “Fionchetta” brand.
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Call to Action
Returning to the board requires experiments – 11 May 2020
Playing chess over the board will be restricted by Covid safeguarding rules for the foreseeable future. According to a Harvard study we may have physical distancing until 2022. In order to find out how we can play over the board safely, ChessTech editor Stefan Löffler initiated a small tournament in a Vienna park. He reflects on the findings and calls for more experiments.
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Our Great Idea
Projects to watch (part 1) – 10 May 2020
What can chess organisations do during the pandemic? We reported FIDE’s online activities and strategy. Now we turn to the national federations: what can they do beyond organising online competitions, meetings and training?
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My Great Idea
Martin Bennedik’s automated puzzle machine – 08 May 2020
In 2016 Martin Bennedik hesitated to put his latest project online. “The algorithm was not yet perfect.“ Friends persuaded him to make chesspuzzle.net public nevertheless, but Bennedik put a “beta” symbol on top of his page – “in development”. Four years later, the “beta” is still there, and Martin Bennedik still thinks it’s not perfect. It is good enough for Magnus Carlsen however.
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Digital Divide
Shall we move our tournament online? – 03 May 2020
Many chess events are getting canceled or postponed due to Covid-19. Is running it online a viable alternative? ChessTech has asked the organisers of two internationally known events who came to different conclusions.
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Background
“A crisis is also an opportunity” – 28 Apr 2020
The world federation has big plans with online chess. The star-studded FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup from 5 May is only the start. General Director Emil Sutovsky told Stefan Löffler about FIDE’s strategy.
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Interview
“Leela offers us a second opinion” – 26 Apr 2020
Matthew Sadler is the leading authority on what chess players can learn from artificial intelligence and neuronal network based programmes. After Leela beat the strongest traditional chess engine Stockfish in the final of the 17th TCEC chess computer super league season, he shared his conclusions with Conrad Schormann. Even though the neural networks now seem in the lead, the clash is far from over and is promising to produce more fresh chess ideas.
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Hands On
How to coach online (part 2) – 26 Apr 2020
How to be optimally prepared. How to use chess platforms to promote yourself. How to work with the Lichess tools Class and Study. Conrad Schormann picked up more hands-on advice from the ECU sponsored webinar with Jop Delemarre and presents some ways for chess coaches to promote themselves.
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Background
The Hunt is On – 24 Apr 2020
As current cases confirm online competitions are rife with cheating. FIDE cooperates with all major platforms to take detection to a new level. Can cheaters be caught via eyetracking? Stefan Löffler reports.
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Interview
“We must not let Corona shrink the chess economy” – 17 Apr 2020
The Magnus Carlsen Invitational starting this Saturday on chess24 will almost certainly be the most watched and widest reported online chess event until now. And it is a most welcome boost to the elite chess world in these hard times. Stefan Löffler spoke with chess24 CEO Sebastian Kuhnert about the motives behind this notable event and what else is brewing in the Play Magnus Group, to which chess24 belongs since the merger a year ago.
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Our Great Idea
Asim Pereira on broadcasting USSR–World 1970 as if it was a live event – 16 Apr 2020
With no more over-the-board competitions going on, chess sites started to transmit a historic event that made history fifty years ago. ChessTech found the man who had this marvellous idea. Here is his story.
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Hands On
Online training with Skype and Zoom – 16 Apr 2020
Which are the best tools to bring your chess lessons and training online? This was the theme of a ECU-sponsored webinar by star trainers Jesper Hall and Jop Delemarre. Their insights were picked up by Conrad Schormann.