World Championship G11 – Anand draws with a Nimzo Indian
26.05.2012 – It was the penultimate game of the match, and the last white for Gelfand. The game was a Nimzo-Indian once more, and though it ended in a draw after 25 moves, the tension came from Gelfand’s extensive use of the clock, leaving him with only twelve minutes when they shook hands. Will Anand go all out with white in the last game, or prefer the rapid playoffs? Pictures, videos, GM commentary.
 

Secret Story
25.05.2012 – Unless you have been living in a cave for the past ten years, the words “Big Brother” will first evoke thoughts of the world-wide TV phenomenon, rather than George Orwell’s classic novel. France has a particular spin-off that is now entering its sixth season, called Secret Story, starting tonight. Why are we publishing this? It is because this season, there is a chess player in the group.
 

Kavalek in Huffington: US Chess Champ Hikaru Nakamura (Part 2)
25.05.2012 – Two best U.S. grandmasters, the defending champion Gata Kamsky and the top-rated American Hikaru Nakamura, went neck-to-neck in the 11-round robin, leaving others far behind them. Hikaru was a half point behind Kamsky with two rounds to go. They met in the penultimate round and Nakamura scored the most needed victory – with black. GM Lubomir Kavalek annotates the key games.
 

FIDE Grand Prix 2013 in Lisbon, Madrid, Berlin, Paris
24.05.2012 – At last! – we hear you exclaim. These big chess events with the finest players in the world, deserve to be held in big Western cities, instead of Chelyabinsk or Tashkent (the venues of the two upcoming 2012 GPs). And, as we are hearing in the grapevine, the prize fund is to be doubled. The names of all eligible players are given in this FIDE press release.
 

WCh 103 years ago
24.05.2012 – The first player is planning 28.Bd3 with the idea 29.exf5 in order to upgrade his light-squared bishop and give his rooks more space again. A move of which black piece counters this manoeuvre?
A) knight e6
B) rook f8
C) pawn g6

ChessBase Magazine, larger diagram and solution.
 

Asian Team Championship – China dominates
24.05.2012 – The 2012 Asian Team Championship is underway from May 19 to May 26 in Zaozhuang, Shandong, China. The event brings together many of Asia's top players including Wang Hao (2730), Krishnan Saskiran (2720), Le Quang Liem (2703), and more. In the men's event, China has dominated with a stellar Wang Hao while they won the women's event in a clean sweep. Illustrated report with videos.
 

World Championship G10 – An offbeat Sicilian is flavor of the day
24.05.2012 – With two whites to go, Anand chose 1.e4 as one means to try and keep his opponent off-balance. Gelfand was ready with his Sicilian, and even Vishy's 3.Bb5, and fairly offbeat 5.b3, were replied to nearly instantly. The queens came off by move eleven after which the position remained equal until their handshake at move 25. Illustrated report with GM analysis and videos.
 

Chesska defends World Champion title in Robot Chess
23.05.2012 – Picture this: two massive industrial robots playing five-minute blitz in a Moscow park, for a world championship title no less. To warm things up Alexander Grischuk risked his life playing a six-game match against the challenger, a robot named KUKA from Germany. He remained uninjured – except for his ego, after a 1.5:4.5 loss. Do not miss the HD video at the end of our report.
 

World Championship G9 – Anand saves a tough game to a draw
23.05.2012 – After an almost embarrassing defeat in round eight, Gelfand regrouped and won a moral victory in round nine. Anand went for the Nimzo-Indian, and Gelfand once more showed an edge with white. Despite clearly having the better chances, he was unable to maneuver to a win, and drew after making Anand suffer until move 49. Full report with pictures, video and GM commentary.
 

Video commentary and impressions from Moscow
23.05.2012 – Believe it or not we have more on the World Championship. First our most prolific trainer and commentator GM Daniel King asks whether the 17-move win by Anand in game eight was the shortest in World Championship history (spoiler: it was!). He looks at the second shortest game – from 1886! Then GM Robert Fontaine takes us on a fascinating video tour of the chess-riddled Russian capital. Enjoy.
 

Chess Match: Blondes vs Brunettes in Moscow
23.05.2012 – Eric van Reem is a German Lufthansa employee and chess organiser. He is also a member of Team Anand and the hero of the last World Championship in Sofia, when he arranged a 40-hour transportation for Vishy when an Icelandic volcano paralysed most of Europe. Eric is maintaining a blog on the World Championship, and has thankfully reported pictorially on an important side event.
 

Impressions of the World Championship in Moscow
22.05.2012 – It's another free day, and after the drama of games seven and eight, time to catch our collective breaths. We have been providing you with a lot of information – games, analysis, videos. Here as a change is a personal view of what it is like to attend such an event. IM Venkatachalam Saravanan, who hails from Anand's home town of Chennai, has sent us a report. Guess who impressed him the most.