Nigel Davies, substance abuser I bet you all want to know what happened at B.T. Batsford, for many years the world’s leading chess book publisher which recently went bankrupt. I must admit that I know a lot of stuff that would set these pages alight! Would you really, really like to know the full story? [...]
Entries from February 15th, 2009
Bent Larsen
February 15th, 2009 · 1 Comment · Bent Larsen, Interviews
What is your earliest memory of playing chess? I was six, and a boy two years older than me taught me the rules. In one of our first games he got king and two rooks against my bare king and forced me to the edge of the board. What is your most memorable [...]
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Peter Svidler
February 15th, 2009 · 3 Comments · Interviews, Peter Svidler
What is your earliest memory of playing chess? I have quite a few, including the ones my parents have described to me when I grew up, but the very earliest is the recollection of beating some dude a year older than me when at the age of 7 I was taken to the Pioneer’s House. [...]
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How Good Is Your Chess Set?
February 15th, 2009 · No Comments · Features
Chess can damage your brain The chess world was shocked by pictures of ex-world champion Garry Kasparov being struck over the head with a wooden chess board by an irate Russian chess fan. ‘It’s just as well Russia’s national game isn’t baseball’, quipped the indomitable retired superstar. But when it comes to assaulting your political opponents, just [...]
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Gary Lane’s Agony Column
February 15th, 2009 · No Comments · Features
DEAR GARY I would like to bring to the attention of readers the old but entertaining tome Castling through the Ages: From 0-0-0 to 0-0. I would certainly recommend any aspiring player to seriously study this aspect of their game and try spectacular castling. I enclose my finest moment when I was able to refute [...]
Tags: Gary Lane
Has Karpov Lost His Marbles?
February 15th, 2009 · No Comments · Features, Games
Tony Miles As it happens I am in a position to reveal exclusively to Kingpin readers (unless, of course, someone else actually offers to pay me) the true and tragic story of why the invincible Anatoly failed to dispose of that young upstart Kasparov. I first recognised the symptoms when browsing through a copy of [...]
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Kingpin Chess Magazine, issue 39
February 15th, 2009 · No Comments · Back Issues
UK: £5.95 Europe: £6.95 RoW: £7.95 Kibitzing with the Poisoned Pawn Chemical warfare and the carnally desirable opponent disturb our caustic commentator Gary Lane’s Agony Column More sound advice from the savvy IM Northern Man at the ECF Martin Regan on his campaign to revive English chess ‘I’m going to stand for election for the [...]
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Profile: Dilip Patel
February 15th, 2009 · No Comments · Dilip Patel, Interviews
India’s latest star reveals the secrets of his preparation Ever heard of Dilip Patel? Maybe not, but it’s guaranteed you will soon. 38-year-old Patel burst onto the scene with a bang recently, coming from nowhere to threaten the ranks of the Super GMs with a string of remarkable tournament performances around the world. There’s [...]
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The Art of Bullshitting
February 14th, 2009 · 1 Comment · Reviews
by former US scholastic chess superstar and martial arts giant, What-a-load-of-old Josh Munchkin Scene: The final of the 2007 Tai Chi Kwaendo-kwaendo-kwaendo Look No Hands world championships, Taiwan I am standing in the middle of the mat, drenched in sweat, feeling as though I am watching my own death. Both my legs had been torn [...]
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Saddam's Friend
February 14th, 2009 · No Comments · Features, Kirsan
Sarah Hurst Up here in Alaska, we’re used to earthquakes. FIDE is not, apparently. The prospect of a democratic challenge to His Excellency Kirsan Ilyumzhinov’s reign at the Bled Olympiad proved too much for the organisation to withstand, and the election was cancelled. The tiny Russian republic of Kalmykia was more [...]
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