It's So-Carlsen in Round 1 as the #OperaEuroRapid kicks off on Saturday at 17:00 CET! Full pairings & details:

https://chess24.com/en/read/news/wesley-so-vs-carlsen-opera-euro-rapid-starts-saturday

#c24live #ChessChamps

The 3rd event of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour is just days away: The opera Euro Rapid will begin on February 6th at 17.00 CET. Who is your favourite? #ChessChamps https://championschesstour.com/

At the drawing of lots for the Hoogovens tournament, Wijk aan Zee, 19th January 1978 - grandmaster Vikor Korchnoi.
(Photo: H. Peters / ANEFO, via http://www.nationaalarchief.nl.)

🔗 Douglas Griffin (@dgriffinchess)

"Play on both sides of the board is my favorite strategy."

🔸 Alexander Alekhine

@UnityChessClub

Wijk aan Zee, 29th January 1975. In the 13th round of the Hoogovens tournament, Vlastimil Hort (ČSSR) faces Lajos Portisch (Hungary).
(Photo: V. Verhoeff / ANEFO, via http://www.nationaalarchief.nl.)

🔗 Douglas Griffin (@dgriffinchess)

Spain, 12th century. If this is a chess representation, (not so easy to tell) this could be the oldest chess sculpture in a column capital of the Spanish Romanesque cloister of the old Salamanca Cathedral. Most likely they where playing alquerque, an old version of checkers.

The first printed chess book was published in Salamanca (Spain) in 1497. "Repetition of Love. The Art of Playing Chess" by Luis Ramírez de Lucena.