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Ubisofts scientists have done the unthinkable and combined the two biggest new gaming genres of the last few years. The publisher revealed today that it plans to release Might & Magic: Chess Royale for mobile and PC on January 30. As the name suggests, it mixes together elements of auto battlers (think Auto Chess) and battle royale games (PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds and Fortnite).

In Might & Magic: Chess Royale, you put together an army of units from the Might & Magic series in a fight against 99 other players. The game borrows a lot from Dota: Auto Chess, Dota Underlords, and Teamfight Tactics. Players must focus on creating powerful synergies between units. But Chess Royale drops the teams and instead has every player fighting for themselves. As in Fortnite or PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds, you want to outlast everyone else to get the victory.

While this isnt a direct spinoff of Ubisofts Might & Magic Heroes strategy games, fans of those games will recognize many of the units. And some knowledge should transfer from one game to the other.

Ubisoft has already begun testing Might & Magic: Chess Royale in a soft launch. This has enabled the games designers to work on optimizations.

One of the big goals is to create relatively short matches. Ubisoft claims that you can lose quick or win quick with game sessions that last 10 minutes. That could help distinguish it from the auto battler crowd. Dota Underlords and Teamfight Tactics can have 30-minute matches or longer.

But Ubisoft is definitely chasing the trends. And thats going to make it challenging to find an audience. Teamfight Tactics and Dota Underlords are already major hits with millions of players.

Of course, that doesnt mean Chess Royale doesnt have a chance. Fortnite and then Apex Legends proved that new games could come along and thrive in the battle royale space. Maybe Chess Royale will do the same for autobattlers.

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Might & Magic: Chess Royale is an auto battle royale from Ubisoft - VentureBeat

The Rolling Stones No.2, the second album from the then young British R&B band, remains a special one for Mick Jagger and co because it was partly recorded at the famous Chess Studios. The studios were regarded as the home of Chicago blues and the place where The Rolling Stones heroes, such as Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry, had cut much of the music that had inspired them in the first place.

Listen to The Rolling Stones No.2 on Apple Music and Spotify.

Bass guitarist Bill Wyman said he could still remember his bandmates looks of disbelief when Waters came out to help them with their bags. Nothing sensational happened at Chess except the music. For those two days, the Stones were finally true blues artists, said their producer Andrew Loog Oldham, who was only 20 when the first tracks were recorded at Chess, in June 1964.

We thought wed died and gone to heaven, said Keith Richards, who played electric and acoustic guitar on an album that featured nine covers and three originals he had co-written with singer Jagger.

The blues stars were gentlemen and so interested in what we were doing you figure youre gonna walk in and theyd think, Snooty little English guys and a couple of hit records. Not at all. I got the chance to sit around with Muddy Waters and Bobby Womack, and they just wanted to share ideas. And you were expecting, Oh, English kids making money out of me, and it could well have happened. But they wanted to know how we were doing it, and why we wanted to do it.

Though the covers they recorded were homages as with a take on Waters I Cant Be Satisfied, a song he first recorded in 1948 the Chess musicians were pleased to get royalties from the versions by the young English musicians. One of the songs The Rolling Stones cut was Pain In My Heart (originally called Ruler Of My Heart for the Irma Thomas version), which was written by New Orleansgreat Allen Toussaint. When speaking to this writer in 2011, Toussaint described how he felt about the Stones covering his compositions: I was so glad when the Stones recorded my songs, he said with a laugh. I knew they would know how to roll my song all the way to the bank.

The selection of covers on The Rolling Stones No.2 was strong. On Down Home Girl, written by Jerry Leiber, Jagger plays some fine bluesy harmonica and Brian Jonesdelivers a powerful guitar lick. Time Is On My Side, written by Jerry Ragovoy, has always been associated with the Stones but was, in fact, a cover of a version by Irma Thomas and jazz trombonist Kai Winding.

There is a five-minute version of Solomon Burkes crowd-pleaser Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, while a gentle version of Under The Boardwalk contrasts with a pulsating cut of Don Rayes Down The Road Apiece. Jagger and Richards wrote three songs that went on the album What A Shame, Grown Up Wrong and Off The Hook and they all show the promise of the songwriting prowess that their future collaborations delivered.

The Rolling Stones No.2 was released by Decca Recordsin the UK on 15 January 1965 and, within two weeks, had toppled The Beatles to reach No.1 on the UK album charts, a position it held for nine weeks. Some of the songs from the album had already appeared on a US-released album, 12 x 5 Grown Up Wrong, Under The Boardwalk and Susie Q, along with an earlier version of Time Is On My Side, which featured Ian Stewart, one of the original founders of the Stones, playing organ on the intro.

The same cover art was used for the two separate albums, both taken in the same photo session by a rising star called David Bailey. I knew Mick before he was in the Stones, Bailey later recalled. He was just a bloke I met because he was going out with my girlfriends sister, Chrissie Shrimpton. His moody photograph of the young musicians has become an iconic work of art in itself.

There was one strange footnote to this Stones classic. Oldham wrote the sleevenotes for the back cover and, for a laugh, he made an ill-advised joke about fans mugging blind men for the cash to buy the record. The secretary of the Bournemouth Blind Aid Association complained, and Lord Conesford asked the Director Of Public Prosecutions to rule on whether the album cover constituted a deliberate incitement to criminal action. Wisely, the matter ended there. Oldham said he was thrilled by the uproar.

What is for certain is that The Rolling Stones No.2 both demonstrated how eclectic the early Stones were and also indicated that the boys who hero-worshipped the blues stars of Chicago would carve out their own special place in blues and rocknroll history.

The Rolling Stones No.2 can be bought here.

Listen to the best of The Rolling Stones on Apple Music and Spotify.

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The Rolling Stones No.2: Mick And Keiths Love Letter To Chess Records - uDiscover Music

Levon Aronian: You dont play chess to have fun. You play chess to crush your opponent.

A high-spirited Aronian attended the South African Junior Chess Championship (SAJCC) Jan. 3-8 in the city of Ekurhuleni. More than 2,700 youths competed in a record-breaking team event and had the opportunity to meet Aronian, who was a guest star in many side events hosted during the competition.

Freestyle blitz in Joubert Park:

Following in the footsteps of Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So, who attended the SAJCC in 2018 and 2019respectively, Aronian spent a morning in Johannesburg in the iconic Joubert Park, the lair of Africas best chess hustlers. After warming up against the juniors of the Hyenas Chess Club, Levon took on some local masters, including the South African champion Johannes Mabusela.

In an attempt to stop Levons perfect streak, the grandmasters wife Arianne Caoili joined the crowd amid cheers and local music. Only the youthful Simphiwe Buthelezi managed to score against the Armenian superstar, and won a dramatic game thanks to a blunder by the overworked opponent.

Chess is my 9-to-5:

Another surprise for Aronian came from an inspired local veteran, who managed to beat the GM in a draining eight-hour-long simul on 107 boards the following day. The national master pulled off a mate-in-four in a complicated position, after a strenuous fight from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

I have never faced so many opponents in a simul, admitted Aronian before making the first move. Whats more, the exhibition had no rating cap and a few players rated between 1800 and 2200 showed up.

In an interview with Chess.com, Aronian commented: Every time Im playing a simul, people say 'this guy is good, this guy is bad, pay attention to this one'but I actually dont like that. I like the randomness and I like the fact that I have to put up an effort.

Aronian also met some of the best players in southern Africa in a master class and Q&A. He described his path to success to players and coaches and shared with them some suggestions on how to train a future champion.

A bughouse walkover:

Aronian joined forces with his wife to wipe out the competition in a carnival-themed bughouse tournament. Slick chess hustlers and go-getting youth in costume were no challenge for the world authority in bughouse, who also sported a sensational Joker costume.

We love playing every kind of game partnering with my wife," said Aronian, "because we love being a team generally, in every sport. If only the level was a little bit higher, we could have had some competition.

A day with a super-GM:

Along with being an unmatchable bughouse specialist, Levon turned out to be an outstanding athlete, or at least thats the rumor in the South African U10 circuit!

Uncle Lev is better at soccer than at chess, claimed Caleb and Judah Levitan, two of the most promising South African youth and the best "springboks" in last years World Youth. We managed to snatch a draw with him in the simul, but he gave us no chance on the soccer field.

The two boys showed the Armenian guest the beauty of South Africa and forced him to add a Mandela shirt to his wardrobe.

It was a great emotion to meet Aronian, said Lindiwe Kololo, an intellectually-disabled player who made the ceremonial first move against the GM. Chess taught me that if you really want to achieve something, you will. Now that I've met one of the best players in the world, I want to play international tournaments with opponents from all over the world.

On another note:

Levon Aronian's visit to South Africa was a unique experience for many aspiring GMs, and an opportunity for the country to promote chess in local news and national broadcasts. The tournament has few equals worldwide in terms of participation, despite the gap that still exists between the quality of chess in the continent and global standards.

However, South African chess has experienced a political crisis for the past few months, resulting in the coexistence of two national federations. The Chessa crisis has precedents in Gabon and Kenya and has hindered the organization of international tournaments in the country, as well as the participation of some players in the 2019 African Youth Chess Championship.

A severe restructuring of the federation will possibly have a more effective impact on local chess players than the visit of an incredible role model like Aronian. In the margins of the SAJCC, Chessa is expected to find a quick solution to months of uncertainty and court cases. This will certainly help South African chess to move forward, and players to be competitive internationally.

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Aronian In South Africa: 'Chess Is The Purpose Of My Life' - Chess.com

Britains 4NCL (Four Nations Chess League) has been monopolised by a single team for almost a decade now.

Guildford last lost a match in 2012, since when the Surrey players have won 79 encounters and drawn just two. They often score at least 7-1 over eight boards, and even single game defeats are rare.

They had just one game loss in the entire 2018-19 season, and in last weekends matches, which launched the 2019-20 fixtures, Guildford crushed Cambridge University by 8-0, then Barbican, the City of London team, by 7-1.

Englands national team, which won medals at the 2019 world and European championships, form Guildfords core players along with highly rated GMs from France. Continuity also counts. Roger Emerson and Nigel Povah, the managers and sponsors, are experts with successes of their own.

Guildfords hegemony faces a double challenge this season. Manx Liberty, based in the Isle of Man, has a nucleus of GMs who played for Trier in the Bundesliga, and is now sponsored by the website Chess.com. Manx lost to Guildford in the 2019 final round after a close match, and is set for a fresh attempt with a reinforced squad.

Yorkshire-based White Rose, the strongest team in the North, has new backing from Magnus Carlsens Chessable learning site and hopes to field elite GMs from India and the US who teach there in the later 4NCL rounds.

It promises to be a competitive season.

2350

Can you work out Whites bizarre three-move winning tactic in this (see graphic ) apparently drawn rook ending?

Click here for solution

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Chess: find Whites weird three-move winning tactic - Financial Times

Doncic dished out a career-best 17 assists against the Kings on Thursday. One of those assists serves as a perfect example of his other-worldly vision.

Welcome to "One Possession!" Throughout the 2019-20 NBA season, our NBA.com Staff will break down certain possessions from certain games and peel back the curtains to reveal its bigger meaning.

Today, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic takes the spotlight.

Context: In a win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, Doncic recorded his league-leading 11th triple-double of the season with 25 points, 17 assists and 15 rebounds in 34 minutes of action. He set a new career-high with those 17 assists, surpassing his previous career-high of 15 assists set earlier this season.

The possession: Of all of Doncic's assists against the Kings, this was by far and away the most impressive:

Breakdown: Doncic brings the ball up the court following a made shot by Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica.

The possession begins with what appears to be a pindown for Tim Hardaway Jr. in the right corner, with Maxi Kleber being the one to set the screen on him. However, rather than running off of the screen, Hardaway returns the favour by setting a screen on Kleber's defender, Bjelica.

Kleber curls to the 3-point line to receive a pass from Doncic. He then passes the ball back to Doncic and sets a screen on his defender, De'Aaron Fox.

Dwight Powell, who has been hanging around the elbow, turns to face Doncic and sets a second screen on Fox, turning the possession into a pick-and-roll while Kleber, who is shooting 40.6 percent from the 3-point line this season, pops to the top of the perimeter to draw Marvin Bagley out of the paint.

Doncic and Powell are two of the best pick-and-roll scorers in the league. According to NBA.com, only three players are scoring more points per game as the ball handler in pick-and-rolls this season than Doncic, and he ranks in the 90th percentile with 1.06 points per possession. Powell, meanwhile, ranks in the 85th percentile with 1.33 points per possession as the roll man.

That's important because Doncic's ability to score at all three levels as the ball handler in pick-and-rolls forces Bjelica to hedge when he comes off of Powell's screen.

And because Powell is one of the best finishers in the league, Buddy Hield has to slide over on the weakside to prevent him from getting all the way to the basket for an uncontested dunk.

That sets Doncic up to make a cross-court pass to Dorian Finney-Smith, who knocks down the open 3-pointer to extend the Mavericks' lead to 13 points.

Why it matters: I mean, goodness gracious.

I've broken down a similar pass from Doncic before, but this one takes it to another level. The timing is impeccable - he always seems to be a step ahead of the defence, knowing where the next rotation is coming from and which passes are available - and the accuracy with which he throws a one-handed pass from one side of the court to the other is, quite frankly, absurd. Finney-Smith has to shuffle over a little bit to receive the pass, but it arrives in his shooting pocket in time for him to get off a clean look before Hield recovers.

The alternative would've been to slip a pass to Powell on the roll for him to make the read - either continue towards the basket for a dunk if Hield rotates back to Finney-Smith or kick the ball out to Finney-Smith if Hield parks himself in the paint to draw a charge. By making the pass to Finney-Smith himself, Doncic cuts out the middle man and makes it harder for Bagley to rotate over to Finney-Smith.

Just look at Bagley here. It's safe to assume he wasn't expecting Doncic to do what he did.

The list of players who can make that sort of pass is ... not long. Without putting too much thought into it, it's basically Doncic, LeBron James, James Harden, Nikola Jokic and maybe Ben Simmons. Chris Paul and Trae Young can be included in that list, but the extra six or so inches Doncic has on them helps him see over defenders in ways they simply can't.

It's passes like this that have Doncic creating 22.8 points per game for his teammates this season, putting him behind only James (26.8) and Ricky Rubio (23.3) for most in the league.

If this is what 20-year-old Doncic is capable of, it's scary to think about what he's going to be doing in his prime.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.

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One Possession: Luka Doncic is playing chess while the rest of the league is playing checkers - NBA IN