Best of Chess – Level Up Chess https://levelupchess.com Ultimate resource for chess players Mon, 20 Jul 2020 14:22:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.19 https://levelupchess.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/circle-logo.png Best of Chess – Level Up Chess https://levelupchess.com 32 32 Niclas Huschenbeth Biography https://levelupchess.com/niclas-huschenbeth-biography/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=niclas-huschenbeth-biography https://levelupchess.com/niclas-huschenbeth-biography/#respond Thu, 14 May 2020 10:10:24 +0000 https://levelupchess.com/?p=1280

An aspiring grandmaster, who has put a spin on the game of strategy and wisdom, talks about his career, inspirations, childhood toys that led him to chess. He is a guru in not just playing chess, but also in inspiring people and teaching them the game.


It all started when his father saw Niclas putting up his toy cars in neat symmetrical order. After noticing that, his dad could not help not teaching him the orderly game of chess. As Niclas has told us, he no longer possesses the old cars that led him to chess, but the knowledge and love for the game he has never lost.


On March 4, 2017, he announced on his YouTube channel that he is initiating an ambitious quest to enter the list of top 100 chess players in one year. In the video, he reveals, “So one year from now, I want to have entered the FIDE rating list of the top 100 players”. Unfortunately, Mr. Huschenbeth’s goal was found floundering by his deadline. Yet, the rationale of his ambitions was not only to cross the elite line.


In an interview, he exclaimed that there were two original ideas behind his campaign: to push himself further and to inspire other chess players. He, indeed, pushed himself way far from the starting point. By the time of his announcement, his ELO was 2581, but now he is the 175th chess player in the world, with a significant increase to 2624.


Encouraging and helping competitive chess players form a large part of his character. Moreover, even though Mr. Huschenbeth vigorously boasted that he loves competing, he also noted that he loves seeing other chess players improving at the game. That is why he created his chess school in Germany, called Chessence, and uploaded more than 500 chess training videos for advanced level chess players both in German and English.


Mr. Huschenbeth fulfilled International Master’s Norm at 16, and the natural continuation after this honorary achievement is to get a Grandmaster title. It required a great deal of work, but at last, in 2012, FIDE granted him the title.


As someone, who managed to clinch this rare position, Mr. Huschenbeth’s advice to all the players who are struggling to find motivation goes like this, “The motivation is winning. I want to win, and I know that to win, I need to practice. Find an enjoyable balance between a practice that is not enjoyable (endgames, theory, tough positions, and tactics) and practice that is enjoyable (for most people openings). If you keep your goal in mind, then it helps you to keep practicing. Keep asking you why you want to practice and answer, “Oh, it is because I want this,” and it is going to get more comfortable to sit in front of the board and practice.”


Chess is a game of thoughtful choices both on and off the board. There is a colossal mission of adopting a righteous path of improving at the game. Mr. Huschenbeth discovered his Golden Ratio, and his experience can help any competitive chess player do that too.


The emergence of YouTube on our left side has already filled our right side with a series of YouTube channels dedicated to chess. Using communication tools is the twenty-first-century path of improving at the game.


As an addition to our previous article about the best chess YouTube channels, we would highly recommend investigating the immense library of Mr. Huschenbeth’s YouTube channel.


As mentioned previously, he has more than 1000 videos that cover a wide range of chess topics and will enhance you during your mission of improving at chess.

Editor of Level Up Chess and long time chess fanatic. May or may not own more chess sets than one person ever needs (at least that’s what the wife says), but can’t see himself slowing down anytime soon.

]]> https://levelupchess.com/niclas-huschenbeth-biography/feed/ 0 Maurice Ashley: Neil DeGrasse Tyson of Chess https://levelupchess.com/maurice-ashley/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=maurice-ashley https://levelupchess.com/maurice-ashley/#respond Wed, 20 Nov 2019 14:30:08 +0000 https://levelupchess.com/?p=1285

During the Great Migration, African-American residents began to arrive in the Northern neighborhood of New York City, called Harlem.


It goes without saying that during that period the social status-quo was rife with injustice and unreasonable discrimination, and one of them was that “the Black Kids” of Harlem cannot play decent chess.


This attitude was partly archived when the talented group of teenagers from Harlem made the front page of The New York Times treasuring the headline of “Harlem teen-agers checkmate a stereotype”.


The Raging Rooks, as was their team’s name, won the National Junior High Chess Championship by defeating the elite Dalton private school, where tuition was $12,000 per annum. The Raging Rooks were polished by Richard Gudonsky, who was a casual player.


Later, the school recruited a professional chess player who happens to be Maurice Ashley. "He was the answer to our dreams," Mr. Gudonsky said. "Besides being a great coach and player, he's an African-American, and he's just the kind of man these boys need in their lives. Watching them with him, it's like moths to a flame. He coaches them chess, and I take care of the logistics. He's the brains, and I'm the brawn."


A tiny glance to the major success of the Harlem kids compels us to take a deep thought about the titanic work that Mr. Ashley did. Every apprentice can dream about having a teacher who is capable of being more than just a teacher; perhaps, Mr. Ashley had that dream as a vehement chess beginner and that is why he has been such a diligent guide to his students.


The Early Days


He was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica, on March 6 in 1966. In 1978 his family decided to move to NYC for better living conditions and settled down in Brooklyn. Maurice has outlined that he discovered chess back in Jamaica, but only in high school he managed to manifest deep interest in it.


In many of his talks and interviews, Mr. Ashley recalls that he was so crazy about chess that he would play it every day after the school and sometimes just in the streets, where you had to deal with many trash-talkers.


Taking subsequent steps in the cavernous universe of chess, he spotted the racial deadlock in it and in 1991 asserted that he views the potential of becoming the first African-American Grandmaster. 8 years later Mr. Ashley reached his goal by defeating Romanian Grandmaster Adrian Negulescu.


Mr. Ashley has never stopped since the day he fulfilled his Grandmaster norm. Being a genuine connoisseur in the chess world, Mr. Ashley is a massive ambassador of chess as a sport and a good source of educating young people.


Chess Celebrity

As a successful speaker he performed a TEDEdTalk that included a brief description of an alternative perspective of thinking. Mr. Ashley thinks that chess has the powerhouse to perform as a tool to help people think backwards.

Insert Video

In the talk, he puts forth the importance of Retrograde Analysis, which is an interesting and quite a rare technique used in chess. To get the gist of what Retrograde Analysis is, let us take a look at this miniature.

The problem requires you to mate in two. When you take a simple look at it, you will most probably think that white just castle and mate on f8 in the next move.


But it is not as simple as you might think. In reality, instead of mating in two, we have an obligation to prove that black king cannot castle and to do that we must use the technique of Retrograde Analysis.


What's the Solution?


If the rook on f3 is a promoted piece, then it is possible to prove that Black cannot castle. White, on the other hand, can castle; since it cannot be proved that it is illegal.


If the rook on f3 is not a promoted piece, then one of White's two rooks originally came from a1, in which case the white king has moved and White cannot castle; Black, on the other hand, can castle since it cannot be proved that it is illegal.


Put another way, either White can castle, or Black can castle, but not both. If Black can castle, then the problem has no solution, so White must castle in order to prove that Black cannot castle.

The solution is, therefore 1.O-O ("preventing" Black from castling by proving that the rook on f3 is promoted) followed by 2.Rf8#. Note that if White were to play 1.Rhf1, Black would be permitted to castle, and there would be no mate.


After solving, it looks so simple, but this is a tough way of thinking that requires a great deal of logic and flexibility.


Mr. Ashley indicates that the technique is adequate enough to have a wide range of applications and plays tiny games with the audience to prove that it is helpful in many cases.

It is incredibly aesthetic to look at the way Mr. Ashley tries to combine his chess skills with the passion of making a difference in the field of education.


To have a stroke of better luck in it he has worked as a Joint Fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center and MIT’s Media Lab to bring the benefits of chess and other classic games to a wider educational audience through the innovative use of technology.


In another talk, Mr. Ashley meets high school football players from the chess capital of the USA which is Saint Louis, Missouri. He develops a fascinating batch of metaphors between chess and football trying to explain why knowing how to play chess can make you a better thinker.


Mr. Ashley underlines the fact that nowadays many people are including their chess abilities in their resume since day by day more employers are starting to give advantage to the applicants who have tried competitive chess.


In the process of presenting the vast difference that chess can make in anyone’s career, Mr. Ashley is being reasonable and convincing. He is truly an inspiring speaker. By the end of the talk, he provides the ground rules and the basics of playing chess, so if you need to learn or revise some of them you might want to check the whole talk.


Organizer & Promoter 


Mr. Ashley is famous for his experience in organizing chess events. In fact, his FIDE profile is registered to be of an event organizer as well.


In an interview with CB India, he has talked about the general issues in chess and the specific issues in making it popular.


First and foremost, he supports the stance that it is thoroughly realistic to increase the earnings of Grandmasters and adds that 2600+ rated chess Grandmasters not making a decent living out of chess is ridiculous.


To fathom out the money issues Mr. Ashley provides a particular lane. He is assured that convincing businesses that investing in chess works for them, is key just because all they need is money and whenever they stop earning it, they simply stop investing.


However, there are many people who enjoy investing in chess since they are a big fan of the game. You may think that these people will keep investing just for their affection, but Mr. Ashley’s experience with one of his friends taught him otherwise.


All the investments that Mr. Ashley has brought were used to organize chess events and the biggest of them was the Millionaire Chess Open With a $1,000,000 guaranteed prize fund (largest in history). 


The first time it was from October 9-14, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada and had Wesley So as its premiere winner. In 2015, the prize of $100,000 was treasured by Hikaru Nakamura. As of today, the third and by far the last tournament was held in October 2016 in Atlantic City. The highest grant was $70,000 less this time and was claimed by Dariusz Świercz.


Nobody can help not admiring the endeavors of Mr. Ashley, who has been trying to make chess a money game like the other popular sports. After all these attempts it is huge grief that he has decided that he does not want to go back to organizing, calling it:


the most difficult thing you can do in chess.

Commentator & Writer


Exploiting his giant experience of commentating in chess, which includes captioning the great game between Deep Blue and Garry Kasparov, currently, Mr. Ashley is working as a chess commentator in Today in Chess program.


Alongside with all of his occupations, Maurice is also a writer. He does not own a wide bibliography, but is an author of several chess textbooks that include vital techniques and curious chess puzzles.


He is the author of the bestseller Chess for Success: Using an Old Game to Build New Strengths in Children and Teens (2005). 


In an interview with Chessbase India in 2018, he announced that he is working on a book that is going to be on a topic that has not been covered in chess. Nevertheless, as of 2019 nothing has come from the ground about his new book.


Final Thoughts


It is a unanimous opinion that Mr. Ashley has been one of truly the best chess public figures in our age.


The fact that in 2016 he had his name officially printed in the Hall of Fame of chess players in Saint Louis speaks alone about his legacy. The town of Brookhaven attached August 20 with Mr. Ashley’s name forever; now, they celebrate that day as Maurice Ashley day.


In these mixed up times, our society needs people who use their acquired heirloom to promulgate education for young people and motivate them. We can sincerely admit that Mr. Ashley is the one person who made thousands of adolescent enthusiasts believe in themselves and work hard…and not just in chess.

Editor of Level Up Chess and long time chess fanatic. May or may not own more chess sets than one person ever needs (at least that’s what the wife says), but can’t see himself slowing down anytime soon.

]]> https://levelupchess.com/maurice-ashley/feed/ 0 Best Chess YouTube Channels https://levelupchess.com/best-youtube-channels/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-youtube-channels https://levelupchess.com/best-youtube-channels/#respond Sat, 09 Nov 2019 06:22:51 +0000 https://levelupchess.com/?p=1159

Learning chess from YouTube is a popular and fun way to learn. However, while there's no shortage of channels to watch on YouTube on, there are only so many hours in a day. So you'll want to make sure that you spend your time on the channels that are the best for you. 


Doing this on your own can take some time, so in this guide we'll take you through some of the best chess YouTube channels so you can find the ones you want to spend your time on. 

Quick Navigation
agadmator
chess24
Saint Louis Chess Club
PowerPlayChess
Chessexplained
kingscrusher
Hikaru Nakamura
chessbrah
MatoJelic

agadmator

(441k subscribers, 1214 videos,149 million views)

The host of the channel is from Croatia, so you can spot a little Slavic touch in his accent. He posts daily chess videos and the enormous amount of the videos is either classic chess games or contemporary ones that were played, say, yesterday.


The videos cover a major area of chess curriculum, so it genuinely does not matter if you are a beginner or an advanced player since the host is breaking down all the simple variations while analyzing the games so everyone would understand. If you want to keep up with the latest tournaments and their most remarkable games agadmator will be a great help.


chess24

​(111k subscribers, 3055 videos, 43 million views)

Covering all significant tournaments and creating entertaining events for their viewers is what chess24 does. If there is a tournament that has some famous grandmasters playing in it you will be able to view the coverage on their channel.

 

One of their most curious types of videos is RadioJan that features a candidate master playing chess while trying to make it entertaining.


Therefore, the channel posts both entertaining and educational videos, making it available for almost everyone interested in chess. If you speak Spanish you might want to try the Spanish version of chess24 en Español(69k subscribers, 1552 videos, 21 million views).


Their content has the core that the English channel does, but the commentators are unique in their own way. To get the gist of their uniqueness you should check this video of Pepe Cuenca commentating the blunder of Wesley So in the game against LevonAronian.


Saint Louis Chess Club

​(224k, 2276 videos, 64 million views)

This channel provides with unique insight to the chess theory combined with practical experience. They release videos for beginners, intermediates, and advanced chess players.


It is critical to point out that the videos were filmed during real chess training hosted by famous chess grandmasters, such as AtanasKolev, VarujanAkopian, CristianChirila, Ben Finegold, and ElshanMoradiabadi. Additionally, they provide in-depth coverage of ongoing chess tournaments.


PowerPlayChess

​(55k subscribers, 1300 videos, 16 million views)

The host is analyzing excerpts taken from famous games of contemporary chess players and gives his perspective on certain player’s playing style and their abilities.


He uploads two videos weekly and at times an advanced chess problem. Therefore, this channel is not recommended if you are a beginner, but if you have a solid theoretical base you will find his videos interesting and educational.


Chessexplained

​(32k subscribers, 6324 videos, 14 million views)

The channel is administered by IM ChristofSielicki. Although he has dozens of educational videos, the overwhelming majority of his uploads are entertaining blitz games and tournaments for all levels of players.


If you are interested in rapid and blitz chess games his videos will be of great help since he almost always tries to provide you with new tools and tactics that can make you victorious in your next match. If you are interested in chess theory his channel will not be much useful for you.


kingscrusher

​(102k subscribers, 9041 videos, 56 million views)

It goes without saying that this channel is the oldest and covered the widest range of chess history. He has thousands of chess games uploaded to his channel and analyzed to his best extent.


To make you imagine the mass of his curriculum I want to note that he has 400+ videos dedicated just to the games of Karpov and Kasparov. Ergo, this channel is recommended to everyone interested in chess since it is more of an encyclopedia that includes opening and opening trap videos and chess games of AI chess engines.


The channel is administered by TryfonGavriel, who runs the website chessworld.net and is a FIDE Candidate Master(CM).


Hikaru Nakamura

(57k subscribers, 176 videos, 6 million views)

As you have probably guessed the channel belongs to the famous chess grandmaster. His videos are mainly entertaining: most of them being bullet chess and blitz bingers.


It is organized for all kinds of chess players since Hikaru presents just the entertaining part of his game. The bad part about this channel is that the amount of videos is low; however, Hikaru has started uploading videos daily recently.


chessbrah

​(77k subscribers, 948 videos, 18 million videos)

Chessbrah is a thoroughly entertaining chess channel that includes three grandmasters as its hosts. They upload videos three times a week including blindfold events which makes them unique on the internet.


It is widely available for any kinds of chess players since they even mention about their content being entertaining in their YouTube channel description.


MatoJelic

​(132k subscribers, 2683 videos, 78 million views)

Mato is the best debut assistant you can have. Moreover, he explains tactical as well as positional aspects of well-known games. He is not a great option if you are a beginner, but if you have the minimum gist of the 64-boarded game he will probably turn into your best guide.

Editor of Level Up Chess and long time chess fanatic. May or may not own more chess sets than one person ever needs (at least that’s what the wife says), but can’t see himself slowing down anytime soon.

]]> https://levelupchess.com/best-youtube-channels/feed/ 0 Mikhail Chigorin: The Last Mohican of Romantic Chess https://levelupchess.com/mikhail-chigorin/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mikhail-chigorin https://levelupchess.com/mikhail-chigorin/#respond Fri, 08 Nov 2019 14:11:29 +0000 https://levelupchess.com/?p=1180

It is a well-known fact that 9 out of 16 World Chess Champions are on some level affiliated with the Russian School of Chess.


However, not many people are familiar with the man who planted the seeds of the greatest chess generation in history.


The last Mohican of Romantic Chess, Mikhail Chigorin, deserves mega credits for his sacred endeavors towards bringing up the most imposing powerhouse: Soviet Chess School.


Chigorin was born in 1850 in a small city near St. Petersburg oblast. At the age of 9, he had to live in an orphanage since both of his parents were dead. Indeed, these events struck Chigorin as a little child; nonetheless, for the chess world, it was a blessing in disguise.


At the orphanage, he met his German-language teacher August Schumann, who was a chess connoisseur and taught Mikhail how to play chess. Mr. Schumann could never imagine how drastically the talented kid was going to change the history of the game.


Chigorin established a new romantic epoch in the history of chess. Before Chigorin, Russian art of chess was not taken seriously on the international level. N. N. Grekov, the author of Chigorin’s biography, states that Alexander Petrov, the Urusov Brothers, and Carl Jaenisch were the fathers of the Russian Chess School and they so much paved the way for the great Mikhail Chigorin, who not only carried the name of his country to an unprecedented level but also implemented his visions about chess that turned out to be adequate to challenge the fierce authority of Steinitz.


The battle between these two “megaminds” was captivating everybody’s attention by the end of the 19th century. At that time Steinitz was deemed a mesmerizing theoretic and a chess literalist. It is a matter of fact that he carried the torch of establishing chess theories.


The first World Chess Champion achieved this avant-garde status in 1873, when he altered from all-out-attack method to a positional play. Steinitz received severe criticism for his move that went as far as calling him a coward. At the end of the game, the criticism was not thoroughly valid as most of his games finished with deadly attacks.


The ability of Steinitz to snatch the process of a chess game with so-called own principles stood firmly on a ground that had never been touched by anyone before. Nobody could ever think that a player from Russia was going to be the first one.


To clinch this position Chigorin came a long way. It all started back in 1875, 14 years before Chigorin would be able to challenge Steinitz. Szymon Winawer, a prominent Polish chess master, was in St. Petersburg to play against Ilya Shumov.


The master from the east ended up defeating Shumov, 5-2, but it was not the most influential thing he did in the capital of Russia. Archives tell us that Winawer got acquainted with Chigorin and realizing the potential he got, advised Mikhail to try his abilities in the international arena.


Three years later Chigorin got an invitation to participate in a tournament in Paris but was unable to redeem it. The world had to wait for another three years to meet the Russian genius.

Chigorin had his international debut in 1881, in Berlin.


The squad for the matchup was inadequately exquisite: Joseph Henry Blackburne, Johannes Hermann Zukertort, SzymonWinawer, James Mason, Louis Paulsen, and others.


Based on the buzz given by the local papers, Chigorin’s biographer N. N. Grekov asserted that Berliners were genuinely interested in the arrivals of Blackburne from Great Britain, Mason from the USA, and Chigorin from the Russian Empire. Mikhail Chigorin won 10.5/17 points and shared the 3rd and 4th spot with SzymonWinawer: the same guy, who gave him the idea of playing outside of Russia.



 



A year later, Chigorin succumbed to failure by getting 14/34 in Vienna. Even so, in 1883 he reimbursed his failure by triumphing in London. An extremely powerful squad was about to feature in London. In addition to all the players that played in Vienna, Samuel Rosenthal’s appearance made the tournament even more entertaining.


The organizers made sure that the spectators were going to stay addicted to following the matches. According to the policy, the first two draws were repealed, and only the third one was registered as a draw. Because of this rule, the tournament lasted for two months.


Chigorin treasured an immense honor by finishing the 4th in the tournament. His success immediately gained vast attention. Especially, his two wins against Steinitz were noteworthy. Experts could not stop talking about his energy and will towards winning.


For example, the Tournament Digest wrote, “Undoubtedly, after winning the 4th prize, a big future awaits for Chigorin. He still does not have the experience of Steinitz or Zukertort, but is attributed with the necessary energy to become a chess master; during thetournament, he continuously played for the win, and his persistence guaranteed him with success”.


Chigorin earned the name to challenge Wilhelm Steinitz in New York 1889 Chess Tournament after sharing the 1st spot with Hungarian chess master Max Weiss. The match was held in Havana, Cuba in the same year.


During those times, the World Champion had the privilege to choose his challenger. Steinitz elected Chigorin as his adversary after getting an offer from Havana’s chess club to play a match against the most deserved player.


This choice for the World Chess Championship Match received its genuine approval from chess authorities all over the world, the main reason being Chigorin’s prevail in New York.

The match was of 20 games and the timing was 15 moves in an hour. It started on January the 20th and ended on February the 24th.


The first part of the match was fairly successful for Chigorin as he took the lead three times. Later in the match, he started making blunders in winning positions that ultimately led to his meeting with Waterloo with a score of +6, -10, =1.


The openings of the match were incredibly diverse. In eight games, Chigorin preferred Evans Gambit using the White pieces, and in the other, he played Spanish. Steinitz, in his turn, started the rest of the games with 1. Nf3 move.


Chigorin did not take this move as threatening and was not preparing in-depth whatsoever, which made it slightly easier for Steinitz to exert his pragmatic ideas merged with theoretical knowledge. Even with his loss, Chigorin had the best performance against Steinitz since in 1886 Steinitz defeated Zukertort with a score of +10, -5, =5.


It is also crucial to note that Chigorin was not in-form. In Russia he had played several matches with Alappin and Schaefers; that was all. A fascinating observation that tells us about the capacious hindrances Russian chess players had to overcome.


Undoubtedly, talented people who also had an immeasurable love for the game never gave up. It is stuffed in the archives that Chigorin played correspondence chess in order to reimburse the lack of chess opportunities provided for Russian chess players. In fact, thanks to his endeavors the team of St. Petersburg managed to beat London’s chess team.


Chigorin lived his life being a chess ambassador and promulgating his aggressive style of chess. It is no wonder that the legendary Grandmaster died playing chess. In 1907 he was diagnosed with an incurable type of diabetes while participating in a tournament in Carlsbad (also known as Karlovy Vary).


A year later he died in the city of Lublin in Poland. In 1909, the president of St. Petersburg’s chess club, Peter Saburov, organized a memorial dedicated to the legacy of Mikhail Chigorin.


After being twisted in between different Russian cities, starting from 1993, the tournament’s venue returned to St. Petersburg. This year’s tournament will mark the memorial’s 110th anniversary.


Memorial, indeed, plays a substantial role in appreciating the legacy of Chigorin; nonetheless, it is an undeniable truth that Mikhail Chigorin’s career, writings, and theories served as an inspiration to discover the immense chess talent within the borders of Russia.


Corroboration of these words is depicted in the memoirs of the 6th World Chess Champion Mikhail Botvinnik:


The first chess book that I read was 'chess paper' written by Chigorin, 1876-77. Studying this journal did not do me less favor. Chigorin perfectly analyzed active openings. I mastered the annotations and played all the games in two months

To perceive the greatness of MikhailChigorin, it is important to assert that Botvinnik is just one genius among eight others that lived and prospered to resume Chigorin’s campaign.


 

Editor of Level Up Chess and long time chess fanatic. May or may not own more chess sets than one person ever needs (at least that’s what the wife says), but can’t see himself slowing down anytime soon.

]]> https://levelupchess.com/mikhail-chigorin/feed/ 0 The Best Chess Clubs in the World https://levelupchess.com/best-clubs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-clubs https://levelupchess.com/best-clubs/#comments Fri, 08 Nov 2019 13:30:35 +0000 https://levelupchess.com/?p=1194

Are you looking forward to being a member of a great chess club? Even better, do you wish to start your chess club? You just stepped into the right place. We have what it take to choose a chess club as well as build one from scratch.


I know of friendships and partnerships that were forged in chess clubs, never to be broken for lifetimes. When the opposing armies are tearing into each other, it is there where friendships bonds are born.


You simply can’t put value to a well-organized chess club. The experience and people you meet is not anything that can happen in any other place. While in there, you can catch the air of competition as people hatch strategies to bring down a Goliath-like opponent.


It matters less where your skills are in playing chess. For the masters of the game, you will meet equally tough opponents who may make you sweat by your teeth.


If you are beginning, your skills will be sharpened, and very soon you will be waging your battles against the heavyweights. Of course, there is the digital version of chess, but it cannot beat the face-to-face experience where you can literally hear your opponent think aloud.


If you have been searching for the best chess club near you, we have searched and detailed the top list for you. For those unlucky to have no club nearby, we have included the steps and tips for starting a thriving chess club.


And we leave no stone unturned to making sure your decision is easy; we will also tell you what makes a chess club great. In our list, we have covered both informal and formal chess clubs because chess cuts through all social classes and demographics. It knows no age, ethnicity, or skin tone.


For all the ‘Intel’ on chess and its clubs, this is the ultimate read. Small, big, formal, and informal clubs; we will tell you about each one of them.


You can easily find one town. If not, why not take the challenge heads on and start your local chess chapter? So, for those who are looking to join or start their own clubs; this guide has it all.

Quick Navigation
The best Chess Clubs in Australia
The Best Chess Clubs in Belgium
The Best Chess Clubs in Canada
The Best Chess Clubs in China
The Best Chess Clubs in UAE
The Best Chess Clubs in India
The Best Chess Clubs in Germany
The Best Chess Clubs in New Zealand
The Best Chess Clubs in Russia
The Best Chess Clubs in South Africa
The Best Chess Clubs in Thailand
The Best Chess Clubs in the UK
The Best Chess Clubs in the US
A Chess Club: What is it?
How to Choose the Right Chess Club for you
Starting a Club of your own

The World’s Best Chess Clubs by Country

Chess is everywhere. From the winding paths of remote villages to the halls of leafy cities, enthusiasts play in all manner of venues. Who wouldn’t want to play or learn the game of wits in an organized setup? Now you are about to dip your hand into the cookie jar of the best chess club in the world.


The Best Chess Clubs in Australia


Melbourne Chess Club

In the heart of the City of Melbourne is the Melbourne Chess Club. It is located in 62-66 Leicester Street. It takes in players with all range of skills from newbies to pros. There are learning programs for all ages and tournaments in different categories. Are you new to chess and live in the city Melbourne and largely the eastern suburbs? This club will teach you the basics till you become a chess rockstar.


Metropolitan Chess Club

Those in Perth and largely in Western Australia, this is the go-to chess club. It has training programs, tournaments, and an affiliation to the biggest chess bodies in Australia. You can decide to be a member through an annual subscription. The members are in all ranks of skills pooled from both adults and juniors. It is the club for those who are not playing for fun, but want to become chess brand names.


Southern Suburbs Chess Club

For the People of Perth, residents, and visitors, Southern Suburbs Chess Club is the place to learn and play the world’s most renowned game. The club takes in members from all age groups and often organizes tournaments.


Hobson’s Bay Chess Club

In western suburbs of Melbourne, chess enthusiasts can play and learn the game at the prestigious Hobsons Bay Chess Club. The club takes in members as young as 8 years to beyond 60. With a vibrant community boasting of rich chess culture, you do not have to be a master player to fit in here.


The Best Chess Clubs in Belgium


Europchess

Brussels is Europe’s headquarters. The city houses many professionals and staff for continental institutions. To make the feel at home, Europchess club is there to help them flex their cerebral imaginations. This is a select club for all family and members of those working with European institutions.


The Best Chess Clubs in Canada


Mississauga Chess Club

Canada is not left out of the train of chess. They have Mississauga Chess Club in Ontario, the biggest in the country and with a foothold in the global chess arena. There are segments for each age group. There is no question of your skills in playing chess; everyone is welcome.


Scarborough Chess Club

The community of Scarborough, Toronto, does not have to look far to play chess. In their midst is the Scarborough Chess Club. It is run by volunteers from within the community. There is a seat at the table for adults and kids regardless of their skills level. There are casual games as well as tournaments run by the Chess Federation of Canada.


The Best Chess Clubs in China


The Shanghai Chess Club

The Shanghai Chess Club organizes tournaments every week. It is not only a place to compete but also where you can have fun. Every Thursday a weekly Blitz tournament goes down. You can be a winning challenger, and take home a befitting reward.


The Best Chess Clubs in UAE


Dubai Chess Club

After seeing the wonders of Dubai, what better way to relax than a game of chess? Dubai Chess Club is your gymnasium to flex your brainpower. The club helps nurture local talent and also plays host to global tournaments.


Signature Chess Club

Initiating your kid into chess at an early age is what many parents would want. Thankfully, Signature Chess Club in Dubai is the place your kid can be shaped into a champion. Unfortunately, adults will have to look elsewhere for a game with their equals.


The Best Chess Clubs in India


Alekhine Chess Club

Kolkata, India is a hotbed of chess talent. At the center of the action is Alekhine Chess Club, which has and continues to produce junior champs every year. You can come here to relax, learn, or challenge someone for a game.


The Best Chess Clubs in Germany


Baden-Baden Chess Centre

German is not all about high-end cars; there is also love for chess. Representing the Deutschland to the world of chess is the Baden-Baden Chess Center though it is listed in New Zealand. The center is flying high with success after hosting its first big tournament in 1870. Since then it has hosted mega tournaments that features chess who-is-who names like Karpov, Kasparov, Alekhine, and Anand.


The Best Chess Clubs in New Zealand


Canterbury Chess Club

In New Zealand, the game is on for 2019 and Canterbury Chess Club is where it is going down. If you are in Christchurch or generally south of the island, drop by any time and challenge someone to a game. There is special dedication to junior category, but doesn’t mean you are at the wrong place as a pro. There is a grading system and you get membership/skill badge.


Auckland Chess Center

Are you tired of the fast-moving life of Auckland’s CBD? Auckland Chess Center is just outside the city’s CBD. There you can kick it in with a game of chess. The center organizes a series of tournaments every day of the week and during holidays. The club is the biggest chess venue for all those from north of the island.


The Best Chess Clubs in Russia


World Chess Club Moscow

Who said drinks and chess do not mix? World Chess Club Moscow goes against the grain. As you sip the bar’s cocktails named after global chess champions, you can relax enjoying playing chess the Russia way. Do not leave Moscow without a game of chess because you have no excuse at all.


The Best Chess Clubs in South Africa


African Chess Lounge

The African Chess Lounge is dedicated to spreading the love for chess. Are you in Cape Town and want to play or learn the game of kings? Head to Cape Town City Centre and be part of the action. You will sure get a hell of competition since there are pros in its membership.


The Best Chess Clubs in Thailand


Bangkok Chess Club

The Bangkok Chess Club opens its doors to everyone. Residents, visitors, master chess players, and newbies are welcome. The club is diverse, and the vibrant environment keeps people coming. It is the Bangkok Chess Club Open that places the club’s name on global recognition.


The Best Chess Clubs in the UK


Greater London Chess Club

Central London is home to Greater London Chess Club with a friendly playing environment. It welcomes people in all levels of play. Tournaments are at the city, national and international levels. If you are down to meet equally passionate folks and jog your brain’s muscles; check out GLCC.


Exeter Chess Club

When you are in Devon, and you can’t shake off the itch to play chess, Exeter Chess Club is where you should go. It is a vibrant environment in a chess-loving city. The club has a junior program to help bring up youngsters into playing chess at the highest level.


Metropolitan Chess Club

Metropolitan Chess Club is another reason why London features dominantly in the list of top chess cities. The club nurtures talents as wells as organizing global tournaments. Matches go down at homes and public venues. Newbies can join for free and get training from top coaches.


Battersea Chess Club

London may boast of some of the oldest chess clubs, but it is Battersea Chess Club that cements the city’s spot in the global top chess destinations. For those who love the heat of the game and a drink to put things into perspective; this is the club for you. The club hosts dozens of events and tournament throughout the year.


The Best Chess Clubs in the US


Denver Chess Club

Denver is quite the place to catch fresh air, hike, ski, and climb mountains. That’s great for nature lovers. How about those who prefer exercising- as Blaise Pascal would put it- in their gymnasium of mind? Denver Chess Club is the place for bare-knuckle chess wars. You will meet members in their tender age to those who know the craft like the back of their palms. As you admire the city, so will you nourish your brain muscles.


Louis Chess Club

The US is a chess powerhouse. Leading the charges is the St. Louis Chess Club at the beautiful city of St. Louis and the state of Missouri. It is the best club in the federation and a top contender for the global best chess club medal. The club sponsors a chain of school competitions as well as many national and international tournaments.


San Diego Chess Club

How about a blend of sand, sun, and chess? San Diego Chess Club is the capital of chess on the west coast. Its primary focus is on pro tournaments. Sorry newbies, this is not your club. If you feel that your game is up there with the best, this is the club for you.


Marshall Chess Club

Popularly abbreviated as MCC, Marshall Chess Club is the second oldest in the US. After opening its doors in 1915, it has hosted the high and mighty of the chess world. Nestled in Greenwich Village of New York City, MCC prides itself in hosting what is dubbed as the game of the 20th century in 1956. The game featured Donald Byrne and Bobby Fischer. With such a rich history and passion for chess, this is where you can learn and hone your chess skills.


Chess Club Basics

We have talked about the best chess clubs in the world. But what really constitutes a chess club? How is one club better than the other? What considerations should you make before joining a certain club? If you decide to start your own club, how do you do it? Well, I will be answering all these questions in this section. When we are done here, you will have all you need to tell a good chess club, how to vet each of them, and most importantly the nuts and bolts of starting your club.


A Chess Club: What is it?

I would be lying to tell you we can define a chess club in one way. I will give you the best definition of would-be meanings of a chess club.


If you are a bunch of friends who come together and decide to play chess over the weekend or in the evenings, yours is an informal chess club. Schools also teach kids how to play chess as part of their co-curricular activities.


They form clubs where interested kids can join. On a formal definition, there are those who form membership-driven chess clubs. Such a club would expect prospects to meet certain prerequisites before becoming members. As long as it is a group of individuals who regularly meet for a game, then that qualifies to be a chess club.


How to Choose the Right Chess Club for you

At whatever playing level, you would like to join a chess club that fits into your needs. If you are a newbie, you want an opportunity to learn. If you are a pro, you would like to join a club where you meet your equals. So, what makes a chess club right for you?


Adequate Playtime

You are here to play. A club that gives the opportunity to play is right for you. You want to face your peers, play in domestic games, and tournaments. You want to belong to a family, and playing often is a guarantee for that.


Chance to grow

When you join as a newbie, your expectations are to go up the rating ladder and become a great player. Chess clubs with training programs help you sharpen your tactics, and it is not only good for newbies but also for the pros.


Player Rating

You join a club to play and get better at beating opponents. You need a way to rate your abilities. It motivates you to work hard and possibly get the highest rating. Besides, players can brag being the best.


Diversification of membership

Does all your family play chess? You need a club that can take in you, your kids, wife, and grandparents. A good chess club will draw membership from all genders, age, and all skill levels. Everyone should feel welcome at the tables.


Starting a Club of your own

Do not drop your head when you can’t find a chess club near you. There is always a first for everything. Even the biggest chess clubs were once an idea in someone’s mind. Look how far they have come. The ball is in your court. Start your local club and be part of history. The million-dollar question is: where do you get started with all these?


Talk to like-minded friends

Do your friends share a passion for chess? That is a good starting point. Talk to them about the idea of a chess club. I’m sure they will receive it warmly. If you can get a few of them to buy into the idea, you just beat the first hurdle.


Set and define the rules

Nothing works without rules even among friends. You need a constitution comprising of all the rules, exemptions, and how everything runs. Will you be charging a membership fee? What are the criteria for choosing members? Will you provide all the playing equipment? All the questions and many more should be dealt with before taking any other step forward.


Settle on Venue and Meeting Time

Where will members meet to play? How often will you meet? For starters, games can be played at homes. However, this will not be sustainable as the numbers grow. You can approach your local library or a restaurant for a venue. Schools and bookstores are also potential venues. Go for whatever will be comfortable for most members.


Get the talk out and keep it going

Word is powerful, and you can use it to win members in their droves. Pin posters on public places like bars, libraries, and restaurants. Talk to random people you meet on the way. Tell them about the club and how it is the right place for them to be. You can use social media as well, but it’s the word of mouth that can easily sell your idea.


Keep it lively and entertaining

It is one battle to win members, but totally a different ball game to keep them entertained. Register the club with a relevant chess body to obtain ratings. Organize tournaments as often as possible. Invite big names in chess to motivate your members. Give incentives to those who would like to join. Godspeed, your train to a famous chess club just left the station.


Wrap-Up

There are loads of benefits for joining a chess club. You meet people as passionate as you. You expand your social circle.


Who knows? You may meet your chess idols and inspire you to become great in your own way. Again, this is a place for the whole family to learn chess basics. To kids, this is an invaluable experience.


 For adults, it is like the adage of iron sharpens iron because you are able to play with people at your level or even better.


Join a club near you and help spread the true gospel of chess. If you have to build a club from square one, we have given you the literary building blocks and tips to be successful.


With an organized club behind your back, your star of becoming a chess master will shine all the way. You can now make a bold step to join or build your own chess club. The ground under you will hold; this article has made sure of that. Go champ, let nothing stop you!

Editor of Level Up Chess and long time chess fanatic. May or may not own more chess sets than one person ever needs (at least that’s what the wife says), but can’t see himself slowing down anytime soon.

]]> https://levelupchess.com/best-clubs/feed/ 2 The Best Chess Movies & Documentaries https://levelupchess.com/best-movies-documentaries/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-movies-documentaries https://levelupchess.com/best-movies-documentaries/#respond Fri, 25 Oct 2019 12:45:27 +0000 https://levelupchess.com/?p=1101

If you’re the type of chess player who lives and breathes the game, then you’ll never be able to get your hands enough chess materials.


Books, courses, YouTube videos… if it’s chess related then you’ll want to consume it.


Chess movies won’t be the exception.


In this guide you’ll find a list of the top chess movies of all time, as well as a few great chess documentaries.


Some of them feature chess as part of the main story, while in others chess only plays a background role, but if you’re a chess fanatic then these movies are ones you’ll want to watch.

Quick Navigation
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
Pawn Sacrifice (2014)
Queen of Katwe (2016)
The LuzhinDefense (2000)
Knights of the South Bronx (2005)
Dangerous Moves (La Diagonale du fou) (1984)
The Grass Arena (1992)
The Dark Horse (2014)
Fresh (1994)
The Chess Player (El jugador de ajedrez) (2017)
Documentaries
Magnus (2016)
Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine (2003)
Brooklyn Castle (2012)
Bobby Fischer Against the World (2011)
Conclusion

Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

IMDB Rating: 7.5/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108065/

Available on Netflix: Yes (As Innocent Moves)


We start this list with a movie that just about everyone has seen. Even if they’re not a chess fanatic. Yet, we can’t have a list of the best chess movies without mentioning Searching for Bobby Fischer.


Based on the childhood of chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin (just in case the movie’s title lead you to believe it was about Bobby Fischer) and his journey in the chess world of New York City, including plenty of scenes in the famous Washington Square park.


With Ben Kingsley as chess coach Bruce Pandolfini and Laurence Fishburne as chess hustler “Vinnie”, the movie has a great cast.


This is the kind of movie that people who aren’t interested in chess love, so if you’re a chess fan then this is certainly one you won’t want to miss.


Pawn Sacrifice (2014)

IMDB Rating: 7/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596345/

Available on Netflix: Yes


Ask a group of chess fans about their favourite event in chess history and the 1972 World Championship will one of the more frequent answers you hear.


It was billed as Boris Spassky versus Bobby Fischer, but really it was more than that; it was the United States versus the Soviet Union. It was capitalism versus communism.


It may have taken 42 years, but finally we have a movie that tells the story of this famous competition.


With Tobey Maguire starring as Fischer and Live Schreiber as Spassky, the movie has a great cast.


While not as famous as some of the other movies listed here, outside the chess world at least, this one is definitely worth a watch.


Queen of Katwe (2016)

IMDB Rating: 7.4

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4341582/

Available on Netflix: Yes


If you liked “Cool Runnings” and you like chess, then you’ll probably enjoy the Queen of Katwe as well.


It tells the story of Ugandan chess player Phiona Mutesi, who grew up in the slums of Katwe and became a Women’s Candidate Master.


It’s a typical Disney feel-good movie that follows a similar formula to other movies about disadvantaged people doing well, so if that kind of movie appeals to you, then you’ll enjoy this one.


The LuzhinDefense (2000)

IMDB Rating: 6.9/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211492/

Available on Netflix: Yes


Based on the popular book by Russian author Nabokov, the LuzhinDefense is a fictional telling of the story of a troubled chess player who arrives in Italy for a major chess tournament.


Part movie about chess and part commentary on life as a genius, Nabokov once said of his book that it was the story of a chess player who was crushed by his genius.

 

If you are interested in some of the more eccentric characters to have played chess at the highest level then you’ll find this movie very interesting.


Knights of the South Bronx (2005)

IMDB Rating: 6.5

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0471768/

Available on Netflix: No


A similar story to Queen of Katwe, except set in the mean streets of the Bronx, New York City, Knights of the South Bronx tells the true story of a school teacher who taught his under-privileged class of kids how to play chess.


It stars Ted Danson playing a character based on the real life David MacEnulty and was only ever a TV movie.


But don’t let that discourage you. If you like movies that are uplifting, then you can’t go wrong with this one either.


Dangerous Moves (La Diagonale du fou) (1984)

IMDB Rating: 6.6/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087144/

Available on Netflix: No


Slightly older than most of the movies in this list, this French/Swiss movie is another one to check out if you’re interested in chess movies.


About a clash of two players in a fictional world championship, this movie can be a little hard to find (and it’s not yet available on Netflix), but it’s probably worth the effort.


After all, it won an Oscar in 1984 for the best foreign language film, so unless you hate subtitles you really have no excuse to not try and find a copy.


The Grass Arena (1992)

IMDB Rating: 8.5/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101972/

Available on Netflix: No


Based on the book written by John Healy about his own life, the Grass Arena is another movie about a man whose life is turned around by chess.


Somewhat grittier than some of the other examples on this list, it’s nonetheless a great movie.

John Healy was born to Irish parents in London, joined the army and became a boxer. Undone by his drinking, he ended up on skid row where his petty crimes eventually landed him in prison.


After being taught chess by a fellow inmate, it was clear he had quite a talent for the game and it helped him turn his life around.


John Healy, in addition to writing The Grass Arena, has also written a chess book called Coffeehouse Chess Tactics which is also worth checking out.


The Dark Horse (2014)

IMDB Rating: 7.5

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2192016/

Available on Netflix: Yes


One of the newer movies listed here, this movie takes us down under to New Zealand to tell the real-life story of chess prodigy Genesis Potini.


In a similar vein to many other chess movies, the theme is one of the ability of chess to heal; with Genesis suffering from bipolar disorder.


After being released from hospital, he hears about a chess club that is not in great shape and spends the rest of the movie trying to turn it around, while keeping some of the local kids out of gangs.


While it may sound formulaic, it has been the recipient of numerous awards and some have called it New Zealand’s greatest ever film.


Fresh (1994)

IMDB Rating: 7.6

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109842/

Available on Netflix: Yes


Marketed as a hip-hop movie rather than chess, Fresh still counts in our book as a chess movie.

It tells the coming of age story of a young boy in New York who gets himself caught up in the world of selling drugs and unable to find a way out.


With the help of his chess master father (played by the one and only Samuel L. Jackson), he is able to formulate a strategy to extricate himself from his life of crime and set himself on the right path.


Fans of Breaking Bad will want to see this just to see Giancarlo Esposito (who played Gus Fring) as the bad guy here too.


The Chess Player (El jugador de ajedrez) (2017)

IMDB Rating: 6.2

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5732530/

Available on Netflix: No


This recently made movie tells the story of a Spanish chess master who ends up in a Nazi prison.


In a similar vein to other movies where chess is used to lift the player out of some kind of misery, El jugador de ajedrezdemonstrates how to use chess to survive a Nazi prison.


This movie can be a little harder to find than some of the rest and if you don’t speak Spanish you’ll need to find a version with English subtitles, but if you’re a chess tragic and can’t get enough of movies with chess themes then you’ll want to watch this one too.


Documentaries


Magnus (2016)

IMDB Rating: 7.1

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5471480/

Available on Netflix: Yes


It’s hard to read anything chess related these days without seeing some mentions of the current world champion Magnus Carlsen.


This documentary takes you back in time to when Magnus was young. You learn from his father why he began to play chess and what characteristics he had early on that hinted at the greatness he would later achieve.


You also get a look at the first time Magnus played Garry Kasparov as well as follow him on his journey to defeat Viswanathan Anand for the world title in 2013.

A must for any Magnus Carlsen fan.


Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine (2003)

IMDB Rating: 6.8

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379296/

Available on Netflix: Yes


Even people who don’t play chess know the name Garry Kasparov. Partly for his skill as a chess player, but also for his battles with the chess computer Deep Blue.


Chances are you know a little about the story of how IBM built a computer that was finally able to defeat a human champion, but there are probably plenty of details you don’t know.


If you’re interested in Kasparov or chess computers then this is another documentary you can’t miss.


Brooklyn Castle (2012)

IMDB Rating: 7.3

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1800266/


Another story about disadvantaged kids doing well through chess, Brooklyn Castle tells the story of the chess team at Intermediate School 318 in Brooklyn, New York City.


Despite 70% of the students coming from families living below the poverty line, somehow this school has won more national chess tournaments than any other. So much so that some people have branded them the “New York Yankees” of high school chess.


As much about the personal lives of the kids as it is about chess, this is another highly recommended documentary if you like chess and great human stories.


Bobby Fischer Against the World (2011)

IMDB Rating: 7.4

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1777551/


No American chess player before or since has captured imaginations quite like Bobby Fischer.

The eccentric chess genius who would break the Soviet Union’s stranglehold on the world of chess was famous not only within the chess world, but the United States as a whole.


This documentary tells the story of Fischer’s 1972 victory against Boris Spassky. If you’re a fan of the 2014 movie Pawn Sacrifice, then you’ll also want to watch the documentary of the same event.


Needless to say that if you’re a chess fan, this is a documentary you have to watch.


Conclusion

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That’s all we have for you today.


What’s your favourite chess movie?


Did we miss any must-haves?


Let us know in the comments!

Editor of Level Up Chess and long time chess fanatic. May or may not own more chess sets than one person ever needs (at least that’s what the wife says), but can’t see himself slowing down anytime soon.

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