<![CDATA[EL PAÍS]]>https://english.elpais.comSat, 04 Apr 2026 17:46:34 +0000en1hourly1<![CDATA[Judit Polgár, the chess master taught to beat men ]]>https://english.elpais.com/culture/2026-02-13/judit-polgar-the-chess-master-taught-to-beat-men.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/culture/2026-02-13/judit-polgar-the-chess-master-taught-to-beat-men.htmlFri, 13 Feb 2026 17:27:50 +0000Since the Spanish cleric Ruy López de Segura became the first unofficial world chess champion in the 16th century, only one woman, Judit Polgár, has been among the world’s top 10 players while there are few among the top 100. Having retired from playing tournaments in 2014, the 49-year-old Hungarian has intelligence, sympathy, and culture in spades. No one would guess she had never been to school, except for exams. The Netflix documentary Queen of Chess focuses on her success on the chess board but does not say much about this. Nor does it flag up the scarcity of women in a sport where physical strength is irrelevant.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Sara Khadem: ‘The people of Iran have done their part, but they alone cannot resolve this situation’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-26/sara-khadem-the-people-of-iran-have-done-their-part-but-they-alone-cannot-resolve-this-situation.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-26/sara-khadem-the-people-of-iran-have-done-their-part-but-they-alone-cannot-resolve-this-situation.htmlMon, 26 Jan 2026 18:54:34 +0000Sara Khadem, 28, feels a moral obligation to speak out about what is happening in her country of origin, Iran, from her home in Andalusia, where she lives with her husband and a four-year-old son as a Spanish citizen since she refused to play wearing a headscarf at the World Rapid Chess Championship in Almaty (Kazakhstan) in December 2022. The horrific images sent to her, showing hundreds of corpses and the anguished cries of relatives who must pay to access them, prompt her to speak again (via video call) with EL PAÍS, which interviewed her in depth three years ago.

Seguir leyendo

]]>Walusza<![CDATA[A three-year-old Indian boy becomes the youngest chess player in history after being recognized by FIDE ]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2025-12-08/a-three-year-old-indian-boy-becomes-the-youngest-chess-player-in-history-after-being-recognized-by-fide.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2025-12-08/a-three-year-old-indian-boy-becomes-the-youngest-chess-player-in-history-after-being-recognized-by-fide.htmlMon, 08 Dec 2025 07:56:13 +0000Two trends are converging. One is the boom of chess in India, where it competes with cricket as the most popular sport; the other is the surge of precocious chess players, whose numbers have skyrocketed thanks to training with very powerful computers. But until recently no one could have imagined that a child of three years, seven months, and 20 days, Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha, could enter the international list of players. And he’s not the only chess player that young.

Seguir leyendo

]]>FujiCraft<![CDATA[Tragic death of chess player Naroditsky sparks conspiracy theories and reproach]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2025-10-27/tragic-death-of-chess-player-naroditsky-sparks-conspiracy-theories-and-reproach.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2025-10-27/tragic-death-of-chess-player-naroditsky-sparks-conspiracy-theories-and-reproach.htmlMon, 27 Oct 2025 12:41:31 +0000Many chess players, led by world number one Magnus Carlsen, have linked the sudden death of U.S. grandmaster and commentator Daniel Naroditsky last Monday at age 29 to the attacks from Russian former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, who had been accusing Naroditsky of cheating since 2024.

Seguir leyendo

]]>Ennio Leanza<![CDATA[The inside story of Daniel Naroditsky: Defamation and a public spat with Vladimir Kramnik]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2025-10-21/the-inside-story-of-daniel-naroditsky-defamation-and-a-public-spat-with-vladimir-kramnik.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2025-10-21/the-inside-story-of-daniel-naroditsky-defamation-and-a-public-spat-with-vladimir-kramnik.htmlTue, 21 Oct 2025 15:13:54 +0000The tragic death of Daniel Naroditsky (on Monday, at his home in Charlotte, United States, at the age of 29) is the most extreme possible outcome of a trending wave of defamation: chess players suspect others of cheating with the help of computers — especially in online games, but also in real-life competition — and accuse them without providing any evidence. One of the main victims was Naroditsky himself, whose family has not revealed the cause of death.

Seguir leyendo

]]>Lennart Ootes/FIDE<![CDATA[Taliban government reimposes chess ban in Afghanistan]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-05-20/the-afghan-government-bans-chess-once-again-as-it-did-until-2001.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-05-20/the-afghan-government-bans-chess-once-again-as-it-did-until-2001.htmlTue, 20 May 2025 17:40:09 +0000Chess mirrors the fanaticism of the Taliban government. Banned during the Taliban’s first rule (1996–2001) and tolerated — although women were not allowed to play — after they returned to power in 2021, it is now banned again on the grounds that it is a source of gambling, which is prohibited under Afghan law and described in the Quran as “an evil act.”

Seguir leyendo

]]>Ebrahim Noroozi<![CDATA[Boris Spassky, the chess player who was a victim of Bobby Fischer but also much more]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2025-02-28/boris-spassky-the-chess-player-who-was-a-victim-of-bobby-fischer-but-also-much-more.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2025-02-28/boris-spassky-the-chess-player-who-was-a-victim-of-bobby-fischer-but-also-much-more.htmlFri, 28 Feb 2025 20:10:16 +0000Boris Spassky’s life (1937-2025) is enough to make a good film, even if Bobby Fischer (1943-2008) doesn’t appear in it. But his mark in history will always be that he lost the historic duel with Fischer in Reykjavik in 1972, in the middle of the Cold War between the USSR and the USA. Spassky, the 10th world chess champion (1969-1972), died on February 27 in Moscow, where he had lived since 2012 when he himself — aided by the Russian embassy — organized his own kidnapping in Paris to leave his wife, Marina, departing in a wheelchair with his new partner, Valentina.

Seguir leyendo

]]>Evening Standard<![CDATA[Garry Kasparov: ‘I cannot show weakness, it’s not a good sign for a leader’]]>https://english.elpais.com/people/2024-06-04/garry-kasparov-i-cannot-show-weakness-its-not-a-good-sign-for-a-leader.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/people/2024-06-04/garry-kasparov-i-cannot-show-weakness-its-not-a-good-sign-for-a-leader.htmlWed, 05 Jun 2024 12:52:16 +0000Garry Kasparov, 61, knows that he could be assassinated at any moment. This is because he occupies a prominent place on Vladimir Putin’s blacklist and considers himself to be “the most radical of his opponents.” Back in 2005 — after being the number one chess player in the world for two decades — he retired from the competition to fight the Russian leader. He now chairs the Human Rights Foundation and the Renew Democracy Initiative (RDI), while continuing to publish books and give conferences. Kasparov, who has visited 104 countries, has lived in New York City since 2013. This is where he received EL PAÍS.

Seguir leyendo

]]>Brenda Maytorena Lara<![CDATA[Putin’s thorny foe: Chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2024-03-08/putins-thorny-foe-chess-grandmaster-garry-kasparov.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2024-03-08/putins-thorny-foe-chess-grandmaster-garry-kasparov.htmlFri, 08 Mar 2024 17:12:42 +0000I’m worried about the safety of a significant person in my life — Russian chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov. AFP, the French international news agency, recently reported that Kasparov has been included on the Russian government’s list of “terrorists and extremists.” Although not surprising (read on for my reasons), it concerns me because President Vladimir Putin doesn’t believe in Danish chess theorist Aron Nimzowitsch’s principle: “A threat is stronger than the execution.” Putin espouses exactly the opposite, which puts all of his critics at risk.

Seguir leyendo

]]>TATYANA MAKEYEVA<![CDATA[The Carlsen-led chess revolution will have its own circuit on four continents]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2024-02-16/the-carlsen-led-chess-revolution-will-have-its-own-circuit-on-four-continents.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2024-02-16/the-carlsen-led-chess-revolution-will-have-its-own-circuit-on-four-continents.htmlFri, 16 Feb 2024 15:24:34 +0000There are indications that Philip II sponsored large tournaments in the 16th century because chess was highly valued in his court. Almost 500 years later, German Jan Henric Buettner is, for the moment, a patron of the arts who has invested €2 million in revolutionizing the mental sport as an “exciting challenge.” But he claims that 120 million people have already been impacted by the tournament in which eight stars are competing at his luxury resort Weissenhaus on the Baltic coast (he expected only 20 people). And he hopes to recoup the money when he adds the U.S., India and South Africa to the 960 (or freestyle, as he calls it) tournaments, which require deep thinking from the opening move because the position of the pieces is drawn minutes before each game. The number one player, Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, supports it unequivocally. This Thursday and Friday he faces the American Fabiano Caruana in the final.

Seguir leyendo

]]>María Emeliánova<![CDATA[Chess stars compete in opulent seclusion]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2024-02-14/chess-stars-compete-in-opulent-seclusion.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2024-02-14/chess-stars-compete-in-opulent-seclusion.htmlWed, 14 Feb 2024 17:02:25 +0000Many fans badmouth the Chess960 format (also called Fischer Random), maybe because it’s so unfamiliar. There’s a heated debate about this format that alters the starting positions of chess pieces, neutralizing centuries of knowledge on classical openings. However, it’s undeniable that the exclusive Weissenhaus private nature luxury resort on Germany’s Baltic coast is hosting an intense tournament. The players told us they’re pleased, but that may be due to the luxurious surroundings.

Seguir leyendo

]]>María Emeliánova<![CDATA[The incredible case of Russian chess player Khismatullin, who is ‘forgiven’ by FIDE for supporting the invasion of Ukraine]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-30/the-incredible-case-of-russian-chess-player-khismatullin-who-is-forgiven-by-fide-for-supporting-the-invasion-of-ukraine.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-30/the-incredible-case-of-russian-chess-player-khismatullin-who-is-forgiven-by-fide-for-supporting-the-invasion-of-ukraine.htmlSat, 30 Dec 2023 11:06:22 +0000Walking through the World Rapid Chess Championship, held in Samarkand in Uzbekistan, one can find a cast of characters among the 319 players (202 men and 117 women) from 46 countries. Like 10-year-old Argentine child prodigy Faustino Oro. Or American-Uzbekistani grandmaster Timur Gareyev, the world record holder for simultaneous blindfold chess (48 games in 19 hours), who was accused of sexual assault in the U.S. Or Sara Khadem, a refugee from Iran who fled the country after she played without a hijab in the previous edition of the tournament. But the most controversial of all is Denis Khismatullin, a fervent supporter of Russia’s war against Ukraine, who — unlike other Russian chess players — has never been sanctioned to a ban from playing.

Seguir leyendo

]]>Lennart Ootes<![CDATA[Chess champion Carlsen found innocent and guilty at the same time after accusing rival Niemann of cheating]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-12-15/chess-champion-carlsen-found-innocent-and-guilty-at-the-same-time-after-accusing-rival-niemann-of-cheating.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-12-15/chess-champion-carlsen-found-innocent-and-guilty-at-the-same-time-after-accusing-rival-niemann-of-cheating.htmlFri, 15 Dec 2023 15:59:32 +0000Magnus Carlsen withdrew without a valid reason from the 2022 Sinquefield Cup after losing to Hans Niemann and accusing him of cheating without evidence; and for this withdrawal he has been fined €10,000 ($10,800). But he is not guilty of unfounded accusations or of attacking the American player’s honor or damaging the prestige of chess. These are the conclusions of the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission (EDC) of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), which highlighted the importance of being prudent due to the damage that the Norwegian’s absence from tournaments would cause.

Seguir leyendo

]]>Lennart Ootes<![CDATA[Ding Liren, world chess champion: ‘I remembered Camus: ‘If you can’t win, you have to resist’’]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-05-02/ding-liren-world-chess-champion-i-remembered-camus-if-you-cant-win-you-have-to-resist.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-05-02/ding-liren-world-chess-champion-i-remembered-camus-if-you-cant-win-you-have-to-resist.htmlTue, 02 May 2023 12:15:39 +0000He likes to watch and listen to the rain. But he’s also just become the world chess champion, triumphing in a sport that involves a lot of mental boxing. Ding Liren, 30, has been playing chess intensively since he was four years old. However, he completed a law degree because his father did not want him to abandon his studies. He also reads a lot, especially philosophy. Ding — who is heir to the throne of Norwegian chess player Magnus Carlsen after defeating Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in an electrifying quick tiebreaker — spoke to EL PAÍS for 20 minutes in Astana, Kazakhstan. What follows includes quotes from previous interviews Ding has done with Chinese media.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Timur Gareyev’s fantastic feats of blindfolded chess]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-04-24/timur-gareyevs-fantastic-feats-of-blindfolded-chess.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-04-24/timur-gareyevs-fantastic-feats-of-blindfolded-chess.htmlMon, 24 Apr 2023 17:39:02 +0000A blindfolded grandmaster rides an exercise bike as he plays 15 games of chess simultaneously for 15 hours straight, memorizing the positions of a total of 480 pieces. To the astonishment of everyone watching, he wins 14 matches and draws one. His name is Timur Gareyev, he is 35, and he has a mental capacity that pushes the limits of human possibility.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[President of Russian Chess Federation takes aim at Nepomniachtchi: ‘He’s a monkey with a hand grenade’]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-04-24/president-of-russian-chess-federation-takes-aim-at-nepomniachtchi-hes-a-monkey-with-a-hand-grenade.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-04-24/president-of-russian-chess-federation-takes-aim-at-nepomniachtchi-hes-a-monkey-with-a-hand-grenade.htmlMon, 24 Apr 2023 10:59:15 +0000Chess players often agree on the difficulty of performing at your best when other problems are boiling inside your head. Despite his frontal opposition to the invasion of Ukraine, Ian Nepomniachtchi is supported by one of the richest men in Russia, Vladimir Potanin. But another millionaire, Andrei Filatov, president of the Russian Chess Federation, criticized him a few days ago, following a defeat, for his insecurity: “He looks like a monkey with a hand grenade.”

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Ian Nepomniachtchi: A meticulous Russian who opposes the invasion of Ukraine ]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-04-20/ian-nepomniachtchi-a-meticulous-russian-who-opposes-the-invasion-of-ukraine.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-04-20/ian-nepomniachtchi-a-meticulous-russian-who-opposes-the-invasion-of-ukraine.htmlThu, 20 Apr 2023 02:13:04 +0000Today, a normal Russian citizen could go to jail for saying what chess player Ian Nepomniachtchi told EL PAÍS on April 8: that he is against the invasion of Ukraine and that, to him, that war is “horrific.” Such courage contrasts with another of his most solid principles: in a duel for the World Championship, such as the one he is contesting against China’s Ding Liren in Astana, Kazakhstan, no detail is too small. Everything matters. Like having his own Russian cook, even if he is staying in a luxury hotel. Last Sunday, April 16, Nepomniachtchi, ranked second in the world, lost the sixth game against the Chinese world number three and he will lead the white pieces next Tuesday in the seventh of 14 games, with the score level at 3-3.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Chess was once banned in China. Today, the country wants to win the World Chess Championship ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-04-15/chess-was-once-banned-in-china-today-the-country-wants-to-win-the-world-chess-championship.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-04-15/chess-was-once-banned-in-china-today-the-country-wants-to-win-the-world-chess-championship.htmlSat, 15 Apr 2023 22:00:14 +0000Beethoven’s music, chess and everything that was interpreted as a sign of “decadent capitalism” was banned in China during the Cultural Revolution (1965-1976) — a sociopolitical movement that saw millions arrested and killed during the last years of Mao Zedong’s regime. Today, however, the story is very different. All of China’s state media is covering the 2023 World Chess Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan, where Liren Ding is the first Chinese grandmaster fighting for the world chess championship. And, since 1991, China has won every other title, women’s, junior and team.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Enigmatic moves, empty tables: Ding loses game two of World Chess Championship in bizarre way]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-04-11/enigmatic-moves-empty-tables-ding-loses-game-two-of-world-chess-championship-in-bizarre-way.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-04-11/enigmatic-moves-empty-tables-ding-loses-game-two-of-world-chess-championship-in-bizarre-way.htmlTue, 11 Apr 2023 14:28:18 +0000Almost none of chess’ elite players are particularly strange people, even if the cliché suggests otherwise. But world number three Ding Liren has fed that perception during the ongoing World Championship he is contesting against Ian Nepomniachtchi, the world number two, in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, where on Monday he lost the second game of the scheduled 14 after the first ended in a draw. And he did so in a particularly strange way. And not only because of his moves (his fourth was unprecedented on such a stage). Ding spent more time in the locker room than at the table (even when it was his turn to play) dressed in an overcoat with the door to the street standing open. After Tuesday’s rest day, Nepomniachtchi will have the advantage of playing with the white pieces in game three on Wednesday.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Nepomniachtchi and Ding go head-to-head in Astana to succeed Magnus Carlsen]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-04-09/nepomniachtchi-and-ding-go-head-to-head-in-astana-to-succeed-magnus-carlsen.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-04-09/nepomniachtchi-and-ding-go-head-to-head-in-astana-to-succeed-magnus-carlsen.htmlSun, 09 Apr 2023 15:02:04 +0000World number two Ian Nepomniachtchi, recognizes his mistake in the previous World Championship in Dubai in 2021, where he did not remain faithful to his own style against Magnus Carlsen, who has elected not to defend his classical chess world title this year. China’s Ding Liren, ranked third, was the opponent Carlsen feared the most in 2019 and he will take on Nepomniachtchi instead at this year’s world championship. The contest, with $2.2 million in prize money at stake, will last for 14 games beginning on April 9 in Astana, Kazakhstan, where EL PAÍS spoke to both finalists.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Life lessons from the world of chess ]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-03-14/life-lessons-from-the-world-of-chess.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-03-14/life-lessons-from-the-world-of-chess.htmlTue, 14 Mar 2023 15:17:02 +0000People who have to make difficult decisions every day often do so under enormous pressure and time constraints, like expert chess players who use a reasoning process that can be applied in everyday life. The Munich Chess Academy in Germany has developed a methodology for using chess strategies in business called Der Königsplan (The King’s Plan). After successfully using Der Königsplan to train top business executives, the Munich Chess Academy recently developed a version for children and has used chess in childhood education programs for 15 years.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Sara Khadem: ‘I’m not me when I’m wearing a hijab’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-01-24/sara-khadem-im-not-me-when-im-wearing-a-hijab.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-01-24/sara-khadem-im-not-me-when-im-wearing-a-hijab.htmlTue, 24 Jan 2023 10:39:49 +0000One day, Sara Khadem will have to explain some very complicated realities to Sam, her 10-month-old son. Like why she decided to compete in the 2022 World Rapid Chess Championship in Kazakhstan with her head uncovered. These days, that’s a very serious offense in her native country of Iran. She made that decision to protest the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old woman who died in police custody last September, three days after being arrested by the morality police in Tehran. Amini’s offense? She had been accused of wearing the obligatory hijab (head covering) incorrectly. Khadem will also have to explain to Sam why she moved to Spain with her husband, 32-year-old Ardeshir Ahmadi, the Iranian filmmaker, TV host and businessman. In 2015, Ahmadi spent three months in an Iranian prison. Sam sat nearby with an angelic smile on his face during our interview, which was conducted in a secret location for security reasons. Khadem was worried about reprisals against relatives still in Iran, because a few careless words are enough to land someone in prison.

Seguir leyendo

]]>Ximena y Sergio<![CDATA[Magnus Carlsen suffers back-to-back defeats for the first time since 2015]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-01-20/magnus-carlsen-suffers-back-to-back-defeats-for-the-first-time-since-2015.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-01-20/magnus-carlsen-suffers-back-to-back-defeats-for-the-first-time-since-2015.htmlFri, 20 Jan 2023 16:08:53 +0000Many fans were forced to rub their eyes in disbelief when they saw Magnus Carlsen placed 10th in a field of 14 after suffering back-to-back defeats at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands. It was the first time the world number one had been beaten in consecutive rounds in the classical chess format since 2015 and came on the same day that the Norwegian’s renunciation of his world title and his number one ranking acquired a concrete date: May 1, when the world championship title contest between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Liren Ding concludes in Astana.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Magnus Carlsen: Fifteen world titles and two major problems]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-01-02/magnus-carlsen-fifteen-world-titles-and-two-major-problems.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-01-02/magnus-carlsen-fifteen-world-titles-and-two-major-problems.htmlMon, 02 Jan 2023 13:32:16 +0000“We come into life by chance, and it doesn’t last forever. I want to enjoy it as much as I can and achieve the best version of myself.” This is Magnus Carlsen’s philosophy at the age of 32; he already has 15 world titles to his name after the two he won last week in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in the rapid and blitz categories, and he is a millionaire. But two clouds threaten Carlsen’s blue sky: he has elected not to defend his classical chess world title for fear of losing it, and he is facing a $100 million libel lawsuit after accusing teenage sensation Hans Niemann of cheating.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[After playing without a hijab in a world championship, Iranian chess star defects to Spain]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2022-12-29/after-playing-without-a-hijab-in-a-world-championship-iranian-chess-star-defects-to-spain.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2022-12-29/after-playing-without-a-hijab-in-a-world-championship-iranian-chess-star-defects-to-spain.htmlThu, 29 Dec 2022 04:20:35 +0000Iran is the perfect example of how political and religious extremism can ruin sporting success. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, 25, one of the most promising chess players in the world since 2012, will have to change her place of residence to Spain after her participation in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan (25-30 December). This is because she played without the traditional headscarf known as a hijab, for which she could face serious reprisals from the Iranian regime, which sees the gesture of uncovering her hair as a display of support for the protests that have shaken Iran in the last three months. Three years ago, Alireza Firouzja (16 at the time), currently ranked 4th in the world, defected to France, upset at being forced to lose by default against Israeli rivals. Imam Khomeini banned chess after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but he rectified it shortly before he died, and today Iran is a world chess power.

Seguir leyendo

]]>Lennart Ootes/FIDE<![CDATA[Chess teen sensation Niemann sues for $100 million after being accused of cheating]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2022-10-21/chess-teen-sensation-niemann-sues-for-100-million-after-being-accused-of-cheating.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2022-10-21/chess-teen-sensation-niemann-sues-for-100-million-after-being-accused-of-cheating.htmlFri, 21 Oct 2022 09:07:38 +0000Far from abating, the scandal is getting worse. Teenage chess sensation Hans Niemann has filed a $100 million libel suit after world champion Magnus Carlsen accused him of cheating (without providing evidence) following Carlsen’s defeat at the Sinquefield Cup on September 4.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Niemann case: Chess.com publishes report accusing US grandmaster of cheating in over 100 online games]]>https://english.elpais.com/culture/2022-10-05/niemann-case-chesscom-publishes-report-accusing-us-grandmaster-of-cheating-in-over-100-online-games.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/culture/2022-10-05/niemann-case-chesscom-publishes-report-accusing-us-grandmaster-of-cheating-in-over-100-online-games.htmlWed, 05 Oct 2022 11:46:01 +0000American chess prodigy Hans Niemann cheated during more than 100 games conducted over the internet between the ages of 12 and 17, according to a 72-page report from Chess.com provided to the Wall Street Journal a month after Niemann beat the world champion, Magnus Carlsen, in a face-to-face game on September 4 at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis (USA). Chess.com, which claims to have more than 90 million users, is in the process of acquiring Play Magnus, a web portal group whose majority shareholder is Carlsen, for $83 million.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Chess cheaters of the past, present and future]]>https://english.elpais.com/culture/2022-09-28/chess-cheaters-of-the-past-present-and-future.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/culture/2022-09-28/chess-cheaters-of-the-past-present-and-future.htmlWed, 28 Sep 2022 04:14:56 +0000Just like the illegal doping techniques used by athletes, powerful computers have enabled chess cheaters to stay one step ahead of the rulebook. The current world champion, Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, has scandalously implied that American teen prodigy, Hans Niemann, played dirty to beat him. Niemann admits he cheated when he was younger, but not anymore, and the Norwegian hasn’t provided any solid proof. Chess trickery has existed since the 18th century, and is sure to thrive when computer chips are connected to human brains.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Hikaru Nakamura: Meet the world’s wealthiest chess player]]>https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2022-06-29/hikaru-nakamura-meet-the-worlds-wealthiest-chess-player.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2022-06-29/hikaru-nakamura-meet-the-worlds-wealthiest-chess-player.htmlWed, 29 Jun 2022 14:20:11 +0000Multiple sources estimate 34-year-old chess player Hikaru Nakamura’s fortune at around $50 million (or €47.3 million). However, only a small percentage of those earnings come from prizes he has won in chess competitions such as Madrid’s Candidates Tournament, where he is currently competing (he is in third place). At the beginning of the pandemic, the American chess player, who was born in Hirakata, Japan, devoted himself heart and soul to streaming (playing or commenting on his own games live on the internet). This pursuit made him the richest chess player of all time.

Seguir leyendo

]]><![CDATA[Spain’s politicians reach rare education agreement: chess is good]]>https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2015/02/12/inenglish/1423753836_722134.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/elpais/2015/02/12/inenglish/1423753836_722134.htmlThu, 12 Feb 2015 16:00:39 +0000Introducing chess as a compulsory subject in school is one of the precious few issues that all Spanish political parties seem to agree on.

Seguir leyendo

]]>N. G.