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The 2023 FIDE World Youth Championships are underway in Montesilvano, Italy. The tournament features sections for under-18, under-16, and under-14 age groups in both Open and Girls divisions. Overall, 766 players are competing, including 27 Americans.
At the end of a period in most sports, athletes are eager to score going into the intermission: maybe even a buzzer-beater. The 2023 U.S. and U.S. Women’s Championships were no different, as the last round before the first rest day showcased immense energy on almost every board. Players were going all-in in their opposite-side-castling pawn races, patiently squeezing in objectively drawn endgames, and even king-walking to the center of the board with queens present!
38 years ago in 1985, the first Denker Tournament of High School State Champions was held: a melting pot for strong chess players all over the nation. Since then, multiple other tournaments emerged like flowers in a blossoming garden, including the Barber Tournament for Middle School Champions, the Haring Tournament for Girls Champions, the Irwin Tournament for Senior Champions, the Rockefeller Tournament for Elementary Champions, and the Weeramantry tournament for Blitz Champions.
Castling is a privilege which both sides have in each game. Despite the choices being two, a player can castle only once in the entire game. The choice often determines the fate of the game. It might seem easy, yet the underlying consequences of a correct or a misjudgement can be long term. GM Sundararajan Kidambi shows two examples of former world champions’ games where one of the contenders made an incorrect call. Check out the grandmaster’s detailed analysis and enrich your knowledge.
Pushing the g-pawn early in the game has become so common that when GM Jon Speelman watches Shakhriyar Mamedyarov play, he feels tempted to bet with himself when ‘the bayonet’ will be deployed. This week’s thematic column features a couple of classics (by Paul Keres and Alexei Shirov), an example from Mamedyarov’s practice and a remarkable win by Richard Pert from the British Championship. | Photo: Niki Riga