Competitive juices sometimes overflowSaturday September 1, 2012 9:32 AMBy Shelby Lyman A chess game is usually a well-mannered affair. In formal tournaments, a handshake is expected before play begins. Bobby Fischer, although usually intent on fighting “to the naked...
Stalemate rut
Club fever can lead to stalemated rutSaturday August 25, 2012 10:25 AM For some people, a chess club or chess cafe becomes a dead end. The chess club of my teenage years was a vibrant place frequented by exceptional...
Fischer helped game come full circle
On Chess: Fischer helped game come full circleSaturday August 11, 2012 8:25 AMShelby Lyman Chess was introduced to Russia partly by ninth-century Viking merchants who had learned the rules of the game from Arab traders. The Norsemen plied river...
Rankings tell tale of Russian decline
Rankings tell tale of Russian declineSaturday July 28, 2012 9:08 AM The July World Chess Federation ratings, as usual, reflect historical change as well as individual achievement. Russian domination has gradually eroded during the past two decades. Only two...
Anand fires back at critic Kasparov
Anand fires back at critic KasparovSaturday July 21, 2012 8:11 AMBy Shelby Lyman Viswanathan Anand’s recent and difficult defense of his world chess title against Boris Gelfand left the Indian grandmaster in an uncharacteristically tense, rather than celebratory, mood....
Anand thought he had “blown the match”
On Chess: Format perks up world-title seriesSaturday July 14, 2012 8:28 AMShelby Lyman The recent 12-game World Championship match in Moscow between Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand seemed to many a stodgy affair. Half the games were completed in...
Carlsen so cavalier yet so effective
On Chess: Carlsen so cavalier yet so effectiveSaturday July 7, 2012 9:26 AMBy Shelby Lyman Magnus Carlsen — at 21, the best chess player in the world — is nonchalant, noncontroversial and seemingly at ease in the stressful game....
Warriors honed skills with royal game
Warriors honed skills with royal gameSaturday June 30, 2012 9:40 AMBy Shelby Lyman Chess appeals to something deep in the human psyche. To novelist and essayist Ayn Rand, the appeal was its intellectual function. The process of thinking, she...
“Your body has to be in top condition. Your chess deteriorates as your body does. You can’t separate body from mind.”
Physicality crucial in seated combat, tooSaturday June 23, 2012 8:29 AMBy Shelby Lyman Good physical health and conditioning are critical to maximizing success in chess. Few in the game — including the Soviets, who were the first to approach...
Taimanov: At least I still have my music
On Chess: Game might be slow, but it’s intenseSaturday June 16, 2012 8:37 AMShelby Lyman To the casual onlooker, a game of competitive chess seems to have nothing going on — and whatever happens unfolds in slow motion. The...