In the late 40s - early 50s, Alexander Kotov was probably among the top 10 chess players in the world. That is, the level of 2760-2780 by modern standards. But who now remembers this grandmaster?

@UnityChess

“The center of the chessboard is a magnet, which pulls to itself all the pieces. Therefore the most beautiful and amazing moves, for me, are those with which a piece, counteracting the gravitational force of the center, suddenly fly to the edge of the board.”

🔸 Ashot Nadanian

@UnityChess

The Women's Chess Club of New York
http://bit.ly/2VuDrYY

@UnityChess

Tigran Petrosian, World chess champion 1963-1969.

@UnityChess

Daniel King on the intricacies of the Keymer v Meier endgame:
How do you stop the pawns? - Keymer vs Meier | Grenke Chess Classic 2019

Carlsen & Vishy in the lead, 4 men trailing on half a point as we shape up for round 6 #GRENKEChess

🔴 round 6 #GRENKEChess

https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/grenke-chess-classic-2019/6/1/1

Happy 21st Birthday to Jan-Krzysztof Duda (World #28)! In July 2018, he tied 2-4 at the Dortmund Sparkassen. In December 2018, he won the silver medal at the World Blitz Championship in Saint Petersburg.🎂🎉🎈

The 2020 World Championship match will have 14 games instead of 12, with no increments before move 61! Check out all the details:

http://bit.ly/2L8sUic

The new regulations for the World Championship Match 2020, as well as for the Women's World Championship match 2019-2020 are out.

http://bit.ly/2VnFu1b

https://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/FWCM2020.pdf

Interview with Gukesh | Joint Winner of the GRENKE Chess Open 2019

🔸12th Kings Rapid 2018
🔸Round 5
⚪️Iordachescu,V (2597)
⚫️Istratescu,A (2565)
🔸1-0

21.Nf6+! [In order to destroy Black's castled position.]

21...Kh8 [21...Nxf6? 22.exf6 Bd6 23.fxg7!‚ Bxf4 24.gxf8Q+ Rxf8 25.Qd1!±]

22.Nxe4 dxe4 23.Ne1 [△f3]

23...Nb6 24.f3! [Opening up the position for the bishop pair.]

24...exf3 25.Rxf3! [△Rh3]

25...g5™ 26.Bg3 Nd5 27.Nc2 Qd7 28.Ra1± [¹28.Rf1! △Bf3 28...Kg8 29.Bf3 Rbd8 30.Rfa1±]

⚪️#200 (Strategy-White to Move)
🔸Kokarev,Dm (2598)
🔸Sjugirov,S (2663)
🔸ch-RUS Rapid GP Final 2018

19.Nd4 [The Hedgehog pawn structure. White should have found a way to exploit his space advantage. 19.f4! h6 20.Na1 Qc7 21.Nc2 Bb7 22.Rd3 Nf6 23.Rf1 Kg7 24.b4 Qe7 25.a3 b5 26.cxb5 axb5 27.Nxb5±; 19.h3 Qc7 20.f4 Bb7 21.g4 Ng7±]

19...Nxd4 20.Qxd4² Bb7 21.Qxb6 Bxe4 22.Qxa6±

⚪️#200 (Endgame-White to Move)
🔸Shuvalova,Polina (2441)
🔸Demidov,M (2520)
🔸ch-RUS Rapid GP Final 2018

45.Kd4? [45.Kb5? Rc3 46.Bd4 Rxf3 47.Bxg7 Rxf5 48.Kc4 Rf4+ 49.Bd4 Kd6 50.Kd3 Rf1 51.Bb6 Rd1+ 52.Kc4 Rxd5–+; 45.Kd3! Kd6 46.Bb6 Ra8 47.Kc4 f6 48.f4 Kd7 49.Kd3 Kd6 50.Kc4 Rc8+ 51.Kd3 Kxd5 52.Bxa5 Rc3+ 53.Kd2 Bxa5 54.Rxa5+ Rc5 55.Rxc5+ Kxc5 56.Ke3 Kc4 57.Ke4 Kc3 58.Ke3=]

45...Bc5+ 46.Kd3 Bxe3 47.Kxe3 Rc5 48.Ke4 Kd6 49.f6 g6 50.Kf4 Rxd5 51.Kg4 Ke6 52.Rf4 Rf5 53.Rc4 Kxf6 54.Rc6+ Ke5 55.Ra6

0–1