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Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura: The four-time U.S. chess champion is a dominant player in the Blitz game variety, otherwise known as speed chess. Known for being a calm and collected player, Nakamura is also famous for singing during games and mentoring other players. [Illustration: Jacqui Oakley]Fabiano Caruana is the No. 2ranked chess player in the world. Fourteen years ago, he became the youngest American grandmaster, at age 14, beating a record set by chess legend Bobby Fischer. Still, the St. Louisbased Caruanawho trails Norways Magnus Carlsen by just 41 pointsinsists that hes a pretty normal guy. I like movies and sports, and Im not a genius . . . plenty of people have the same skill level or ability as me, he says. He credits his success to a strict training regimen and a strong work ethic. Heres how he keeps his mental tools sharp enough to stay one of the best in the royal game.

Five-time Canadian National Girls Champion Alexandra Botez began streaming her games while at Stanford.Now she manages the BotezLive Twitch and YouTube channels with her chess playing sister, Andrea, where they have more than 70,000 followers. [Illustration: Jacqui Oakley]Caruanas parents signed him up for a chess club in Park Slope, Brooklyn, when he was 5 years old. I was having some disciplinary problems at school, and they thought this could help, he says. After his coach noticed his potential, he began taking private lessons and competing in tournaments at the Marshall Chess Club, in Manhattan. Now, beginners can train on their own. Theres really great open-source software, so practicing at a high level is very accessible to people, he says, adding that the next few generations will be stronger than my generation because of that. As chess players gain a following on Twitch, he hopes that more kids will pick up the game (see below). However, he says, there are some practical skills that you get from years of playing in tournaments, like learning how to play in front of people and assess your opponent sitting in front of you, that you cant get in front of a screen. For Caruana, embracing the game involved some personal sacrifices, including being homeschooled after age 12 in order to devote more time to tournaments.

Anna Rudolf: The 33-year-old Hungarian player is an international grandmaster and woman grandmaster; she is known for her signature bright-red lipstick, which she wears while playing. Rudolf is popular with fans across the world, creating content in English, Spanish, and Hungarian. [Illustration: Jacqui Oakley]Prior to every match, Caruana studies the way his opponents play, looking at their moves from previous competitions on an online database. For help, he works with a chess coach, who helps me come up with a strategy for how to start my games and often offers a different perspective on how to approach a problem, which is really valuable. Caruana also relies on a coach for emotional support during tournaments. You want a coach that you click with. Its a personal thing, he says, explaining that its hard to talk about a tough chess game with friends, because they may not understand [the game] at such a high level, and they may not understand how tough it is for me emotionally. When I need to complain or talk to someone, I talk to my coach. Though he has made friends with other players and spends time with them on the circuit, he admits that it can be tough to get close to people he is constantly competing with. Outside of practicing chess, Caruana says its important for him to train physicallyhe plays tennis regularlyand decompress, which he does by watching movies. When you play chess for hours at a time, its easy to be mentally exhausted, and you actually burn a lot of calories playing. Its important to have an outlet for all the stress, and to do things where you dont think about chess at all.

Levy Rozman: The 25-year-old chess international master gained fame for breaking down the games played in the hit Netflix miniseries The Queens Gambit. A chess coach as well, he uses his content to educate viewers; he has also published full courses for players at all levels. [Illustration: Jacqui Oakley]According to Caruana, the difference between the very top players in the world and everyone else doesnt come down to ability or knowledge. Its a concentration thing, he says. Its having the ability and the stamina to focus for a long period of time. Although playing in front of an audience doesnt bother himhe has, after all, been competing since he was 6Caruana says that developing a winning mindset is key, especially after facing setbacks. When youre defending a bad position [on the board], its not fun. I get depressed. But you have to realize that your opponent could also make a mistake, he says. He has developed several strategies to change his outlook when hes in a tough spot. For instance, If I feel like Im fighting for something, its easier. I can decide to consider a draw a victory. I can also decide to make it as hard as possible for my opponent to finish off the game. I have to realize that I still have a chance.

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How chess champ Fabiano Caruana keeps his head in the game - Fast Company

LANSING, Mich. It's a game of strategy and patience but it's not offered in many local schools.

Now a group of volunteers is giving kids and community members the opportunity to learn how to play chess for free.

For the last year, a group of men called the Dangerous Knights have been coming to The Village to teach chess. David Odom, founder of the Village Chess Club, reached out for help after he realized there werent local programs teaching the game.

They had some great chess masters and they agreed to come in and volunteer and give their own time, Odom said.

Odom says the Dangerous Knights faithfully show up every Monday and Wednesday night to teach anyone who wants to learn the game.

He says there are lots of life lessons to learn from chess.

Ive learned to meditate and clear my mind before we even start. We do that every single class. That was one instructors trick. He taught us that. He also taught me and my son about being healthy, Odom said.

Joshua Odom, his 24-year-old son, says the game has been fun to learn.

I just love the aspect of the game itself just overall. Everything about it. The skills you gain from it. The knowledge and the wisdom, Joshua Odom said.

Organizers say there are about 10 kids who regularly stop by to learn the game. Fausto Twining is one of them.

Its awesome because an hour is really perfect. The teachers are really kind and helpful. Its just a fun place and no one is a sore loser or winner, said the 11-year old Twining.

Bryan Leek is a member of the Dangerous Knights and one of the people teaching the kids at the Village Chess Club. He says the goal is to pass on knowledge to the next generation.

Its all about teaching what to do if it ever came down to a situation where you were in trouble. Youd already know in your mind what to do. In other words. Youre always thinking ahead. Always, Leek said.

Chess is not currently offered in the Lansing School District.

The Lansing Village Chess Club meets at The Village on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard every Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.

If youd like to learn more, click here.

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Lansing chess club teaches the game free of charge - WSYM-TV

Only 20 players in the history of chess have held the official title of world champion, 16 of which held the "classical" title. With rare exception the classical champion has been decided in a match between the sitting champion and a challenger. It has had a linear progression, with each champion reigning until displaced.

How to watch the 2021 World Chess Championship live

From 1993-2006, the title was split after the champion and challenger left the International Chess Federation, FIDE. In those 13 years, six players held the title of the FIDE World Champion. Two of the six were also classical champions.

Below the tables of champions you will find a picture and short paragraph of information on all of these all-time great players.

Classical World Champions

Notes: t - Tournament victory. * - Retained in drawn match.** - Won in rapid/blitz tiebreaks.# - Leading match when canceled without official result.d - Default.

FIDE World Champions (1993-2006)

Notes: k - Knockout tournament victory (64+ players).t - Standard tournament victory (<8 players).

Steinitz is often considered the "father of positional chess." He defeated Johannes Zukertort in the first-ever world championship, held in 1886.

Lasker, a highly practical player, was the longest-reigning world champion in chess history. He won the title from Steinitz in 1894 and held it all the way until 1921.

Capablanca, a chess prodigy and one of the best endgame players ever, defeated Lasker 4-0 in 1921 to become world champion. From 1916-24, Capablanca scored +40 =23 -0 in tournament games, a record time span without a loss.

Alekhine, known for his attacking play and deep combinations, is the only world champion to die while holding the title. He won it in an upset over Capablanca in 1927 and held it until his death in 1946, except for a two-year interregnum from 1935-37.

Euwe beat Alekhine in an upset in 1935. He is to date the only Dutch world champion, and was also the only Dutch grandmaster when FIDE first awarded the title in 1950.

The first great Soviet chess player and their leading competitor for about 30 years, Botvinnik later went on to coach three future world champions: Karpov, Kasparov, and Kramnik.

Botvinnik was the first player to win the world championship in a tournament, one FIDE organized in the aftermath of Alekhine's passing. In an odd twist of history, he never won outright a match in defense of his title: His 1951 match with GM David Bronstein and 1954 match with Smyslov both ended 12-12, but the rules of the time allowed the champion to keep his title in case of a tie. After losing his title in 1957 and 1960, a rematch clause gave Botvinnik the opportunity to regain the title in 1958 and 1961, which he did both times.

Smyslov was the first player to win the world championship after having lost an earlier title match. His very solid style made him extremely tough to beat, and despite only winning one of three championship matches against Botvinnik, had a winning score in those matches (34.5-33.5).

Tal was 23 when he became world champion, the youngest-ever at that point. Where Smyslov was solid, Tal was dynamic, known for highly complex sacrifices that required both calculation and intuition. Tal, like Smyslov, held the title for a year before Botvinnik took it back. Tal was often hospitalized due to complications from smoking and drinking, but remained a brilliant player until he passed away age 55 in 1992.

Known for his stout prophylactic defense, Petrosian was the player who finally ended Botvinnik's championship reign for good. They were the only multiple-time champions between Alekhine and Karpov.

Spassky was known as a universal player who could win in any type of position. He was the last world champion to use the King's Gambit, which he won multiple brilliant victories with. After failing to topple Petrosian in 1966, Spassky qualified again in 1969 and this time emerged victorious.

Fischer had one of the greatest peaks in chess history from 1969-72, including 20 consecutive wins without even a draw: the last seven games of the 1970 Interzonal, 6-0 against GM Mark Taimanov in the Candidates quarterfinal, 6-0 against GM Bent Larsen in the semifinal, and his first game against Petrosian in the Candidates final. He won that match 6.5-2.5 before moving on to beat Spassky 12.5-8.5 to win the championship.

Three years later, he refused to defend his title, and he played just one serious match and zero tournaments in the last 36 years of his life before passing away in 2008, age 64.

Karpov is one of the great positional geniuses in chess history. Although he is the only player to become world champion by forfeit, he was an extremely active tournament player while he was champion and won several major events, solidifying his claim. He also twice defended his crown against a player many consider the best-ever who did not become world champion, GM Viktor Korchnoi.

Karpov was also FIDE champion from the beginning of the split era in 1993, when he defeated GM Jan Timman, until 1999, when he refused to participate in FIDE's new championship format. (More on that below.)

Kasparov, who was named the best chess player in history by Chess.com in 2020, broke Tal's record for youngest world champion. He is also tied with Lasker for most world championship matches won, with six. The last two of these came outside of FIDE, after he and GM Nigel Short left in 1993, leading to the split title.

Like Alekhine in 1927 and Euwe in 1935, Kramnik's title came as a shock when he wrested it from Kasparov in 2000. Kramnik defended against GM Peter Leko in 2004. Then, in 2006, he defeated FIDE's champion Topalov to reunite the title.

Anand, known for his speed of play, took the title in a tournament instead of a match vs. Kramnik. It is the only time a living world champion lost the title without a match, so they played the next year Anand also won that, finally recementing the undisputed nature of the classical line.

Thanks to Anand, interest in chess exploded in his nation of India, home to more than a billion people and now one of the best chess-playing countries in the world.

Some already consider Carlsen the best player in chess history. His strength at faster time controls has allowed him to win multiple rapid tiebreaks to keep his title.

After Kasparov and Short left FIDE, Karpov defeated GM Jan Timman in a match. He defended the FIDE title twice but withdrew from the cycle in 1999, essentially giving up the title, when FIDE would only give him a one-round bye in its new 100-player format.

Khalifman won the 1999 FIDE World Championship, a 100-player knockout tournament.

Seven years before becoming classical world champion, Anand won the 2000 FIDE World Championship, a 100-player knockout tournament.

Ponomariov won the 2002 FIDE World Championship, a 128-player knockout tournament.

Kasimdzhanov won the 2004 FIDE World Championship, a 128-player knockout tournament.

In 2005, the FIDE World Championship was an eight-player field. Topalov won to become FIDE World Champion. The next year, he lost a match to Kramnik that reunified the title.

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All The World Chess Champions - Chess.com

The 2021 FIDE World Women's Team Championship will be held from September 27-October 2, 2021 and broadcast on Chess.com.

You can follow the 2021 Women's Team Championship on Chess.com/TV or on our Twitch and YouTube channels, as well as at Chess.com/Events. Eight-time U.S. Women's Champion GM Irina Krush, WGM Dina Belenkaya, and two-time champion and Women's Program Director for the U.S. Chess Federation WGM Jennifer Shahade will anchor the coverage.

12 teams are invited based on the following qualifying criteria:

Each team consists of four main players and a reserve, any of whom can also be the team captain.

Round-Robin Stage

Teams are divided up into two pools with approximately the same strength: the 1st-, 4th-, 5th-, 8th-, 9th-, and 12th-ranked teams in one pool, and the remaining teams in the other.

Every team in each pool plays a match against every other team, for five total matches in each pool. Teams receive two points for a match win, one for a match draw, and zero pts for a match loss.

The top four teams in each group advance to the playoffs.

Playoff Stage

Eight teams play a single-elimination knockout tournament. Teams are paired in the quarterfinals based on finishing position from the round-robin stage (first place from one pool plays last place from the other, and second place from one vs. third from the other).

Each match consists of two games. The team with the most points after two matches wins and advances.

Time Control

The time control throughout the tournament, in both stages, is 45 minutes for the game with a 10-second increment starting on move one.

The event is being held in Sitges, Spain.

The winning and runner-up teams are both awarded FIDE trophies, while the semifinalists secure places in the next FIDE Womens Team Championship.

Each member of the following teams are awarded medals, gold for the winners, silver for the other finalists, and bronze for both remaining semifinalists.

The complete event regulations can be found here.

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2021 World Women's Team Championship: All The Information - Chess.com

Mednyi Vsadnik of St. Petersburg has won the 2021 European Club Cup in Struga, North Macedonia. South Ural (also Russia) won the women's tournament. Playing for Norway's Offerspill, GM Magnus Carlsen scored 2.5/3 in his last classical OTB event before the world championship.

Held for the 36th time, the European Club Cup is one of many events that has happily returned to the chess calendar in a period when the coronavirus situation in many European countries is more and more under control. The event, a seven-round Swiss team competition with 38 teams playing on six boards, was held in Struga, North Macedonia this year.

St. Petersburg's Mednyi Vsadnik (Bronze Horseman), the winner of this year's Russian Team Championship, turned out to be the strongest in Europe as well. The team, named after the statue of Peter the Great in St. Petersburg and also after a famous Aleksander Pushkin poem, was the only one to score 13 match points. They won the first prize of 10,000 euros.

The best performer for the team, which also won in 2018, was 2021 FIDE Candidate GM Kirill Alekseenko, who returns well into the 2700 club after scoring a splendid 5.5/6. He got a remarkably quick win against the Austrian grandmaster Markus Ragger using the still quite popular 3.h4 Anti-Grunfeld:

The event attracted more attention during the three days that the world champion participated. Together with his compatriot GM Aryan Tari, Carlsen traveled to Struga last Sunday and ended up playing in three of the seven rounds.

In his first game, his opponent from Belgium, FM Jelle Sarrau, was very, very close to drawing the game after basically having created a fortress:

It is also interesting to see Carlsen employ the King's Indian for his third game, his only encounter with a top grandmaster. After employing a typical, positional pawn sacrifice on the queenside, the champ was suffering quite a bit in the endgame but eventually held the draw:

Carlsen might have played his last OTB games before the match, but you can still see him in action starting from today in the Finals of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. You can follow the games here as part of our live games platform.

2021 European Club Cup | Final Standings (Top 20)

(Full final standings here.)

The European Womens Club Cup was held for the 25th time. The format, in this case, was a round-robin with eight teams consisting of only four boards.

Also there, a Russian team emerged as the winner: South Ural. The team scored a perfect 14/7 to get the trophy and 6,000 euros. Both GM Valentina Gunina and IM Olga Badelka made 5/6.

Here's Gunina's last-round win, where she escaped from a lost position out of the opening:

2021 European Club Cup | Final Standings (Top 20)

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Russian Teams Win At European Club Cup As Carlsen Plays Last OTB Games Before Match - Chess.com