Tag Archives: chess

A Life In Profile: Daniel Naroditsky

Posted on October 20, 2025 by nathanalbright

The chess world grieves the loss of Daniel Naroditsky (November 9 1995 – October 19 2025), an American Grandmaster whose talent, curiosity, and spirit left a meaningful imprint on the 64-square battlefield and beyond. Here is a tribute to his … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Elite Participation in Grassroots Chess: Implications of Hikaru Nakamura Playing U.S. State Tournaments to Accrue FIDE-Rated Games for Candidates Eligibility

Posted on September 16, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive summary In late August and early September 2025, GM Hikaru Nakamura—world #2 and 2024 Candidates co-runner-up—entered two U.S. state-level events (the Louisiana State Championship and the Iowa Open), scoring perfect results to accelerate his progress toward the 40 classical … Continue reading →

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Exploring Why FIDE Hates Blue Jeans

Posted on December 30, 2024 by nathanalbright

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has garnered significant attention and criticism for its strict dress code policies, particularly its stance against wearing jeans at official chess events. This policy, highlighted by incidents involving high-profile players like Magnus Carlsen, raises questions … Continue reading →

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On The Strange Exile Of Hans Neimann

Posted on April 15, 2023 by nathanalbright

As a rising young superstar in the world of chess, things seemed to be going up and up for Hans Neimann in the early 2020’s. As one of the top-ranked junior chess players in the world, 2021 found Hans Neimann … Continue reading →

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Always Be Prepared

Posted on March 5, 2022 by nathanalbright

Although I was never a boy scout myself, I have long been fascinated with the motto of the organization, whatever the ups and downs of the organization itself. The boy scouts (and a host of other related organizations) spring from … Continue reading →

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Simplification Of Life

Posted on February 14, 2022 by nathanalbright

There are some people who are hostile to games, but in truth all games are a simplification of life and, viewed the right way, the games we like to play tell us a lot about ourselves and about what we … Continue reading →

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The Longest Match

Posted on December 4, 2021 by nathanalbright

A record fell today that drew a great deal of attention in the world of chess. Currently, for those who are not aware, the chess championship is going on between reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen and challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi, and … Continue reading →

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Book Review: How To Become A Deadly Chess Tactician

Posted on June 4, 2021 by nathanalbright

How To Become A Deadly Chess Tactician: Bewilder And Defeat Your Chess Opponents, by David LeMoir One of the more interesting things about this book is the way that the author chooses a goal that does not involve merely defeating … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Sharp Endgames

Posted on June 4, 2021 by nathanalbright

Sharp Endgames, by Esben Lund This is an interesting book if you have an interest in winning chess endgames that feature particularly sharp endgames. Since sharp endgames are ones where there is a great deal of simplification of material, they … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Dynamic Decision Making In Chess

Posted on May 19, 2021 by nathanalbright

Dynamic Decision Making In Chess, by Boris Gelfand One of the notable aspects of being a high-ranking chess player is always being able to revise one’s chess history. I once received some criticism for publishing my college essays, it being … Continue reading →

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