Far West Open — Day 0

I’m in Reno for the Far West Open, my first chess tournament of the year! I’m writing this on Friday morning, before the first round, so my score is still perfect for the year … no wins, no losses, no draws. I had some unexpected company on the drive...

The 41st Move

Note: If any of you are waiting for the follow-up to my previous post, “Chicken!” (Part 2), I am delaying that post for a few days because I decided I wanted to cover it in a ChessLecture first. So look for the thrilling conclusion to the chicken saga...

“Chicken!” (part 1)

One of the nice things about tournament chess, as compared with (say) poker or basketball or most other sports, is the almost complete lack of chatter or “trash talking.” In kids’ tournaments it’s not too unusual to see players talking to each...