… And Out Popped a Mate

In 1978, I was an exchange student for a semester in what was then called the Soviet Union, studying Russian language at what was then called Leningrad State University in the city then known as Leningrad. One of my biggest goals for the semester was to participate in...

World Cup Wrap-Up

Today Levon Aronian won both of his 25-minute playoff games against Ding Liren to become the first two-time winner of the World Cup. (He also won in 2005. I’m not including the two earlier World Cups that were held using a different format and only 24 players.)...

Weeeellllll…

It’s interesting how you can learn so much about your own language by learning another language — or by hearing a non-native speaker speak your own. This entry is inspired by a lecture at chess.com by grandmaster Alex Yermolinsky, called “1. e4...