National chess master Bruce Pandolfini will be sharing his secrets at the 11th Annual ChessFest in the US. Continue reading →

The LSU Museum of Art in Louisiana is hosting an exhibit of huge stone sculptures, one of which is an enormous granite chess set that has attracted local chess clubs eager to try it out. Continue reading →

The use of a game of chess with Death himself to symbolise the protagonist’s battle with fate in Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal started a trend that has seen the great game pop up in many equally great films over the years. Continue reading →

The Guardian newspaper has published an article this week claiming that primary schools in the UK should follow in Armenia’s footsteps and re-establish chess as a subject for all children to learn as part of the curriculum. Continue reading →

Ever heard of chess boxing? Nor had we. But apparently the combination of these two incredibly different disciplines is becoming a popular ‘sport’ with its own central body in the form of the World Chess Boxing Organisation (WCBO). Continue reading →

When is a chess set no longer just a chess set? When it’s designed by a master jeweller and has a value of over half a million dollars, that’s when. Continue reading →

Those of us who have ever slouched over a chess set for hours against a single opponent will find it hard to believe that a chess fan in Kent took on 15 opponents simultaneously as part of a tournament. Continue reading →

A six-year-old boy from Oxford is one of the most unlikely rising stars in the world of UK chess. Continue reading →

The BBC has recently published an interesting article on the role chess plays in Armenian culture. Continue reading →

Rising American hip hop star Rook has been talking to the Palm Beach New Times about how his love for chess influenced his name. Continue reading →

A major chess tournament in New Zealand almost didn’t happen this year after the van carrying all the chess sets crashed on the edge of Queenstown. Continue reading →

A luxurious chess set encrusted with Swarovski crystals has been designed by US-based Jewel Cast & Techno, and only 50 of the sets are available to buy anywhere in the world. Continue reading →

A chess trophy has been discovered in a polishing room at a jewellers in Dublin after spending 50 years lost. Continue reading →

Two American brothers who have been playing chess since before they started nursery school claim that the game helped them learn to read and do well in other school subjects. Continue reading →

One school in North Wales is doing a huge amount for British chess, according to recent report in the North Wales Weekly. Continue reading →

Wuang Yue, a 24-year-old from China, is seeded as number 2 in his home country and also ranks within the world top 50 chess players. Continue reading →

Chess is set to become a compulsory subject in schools in certain regions of India, it has been confirmed. Continue reading →

Read the story through printed emails of how ChessBaron got back at a scammer who tried to trick us out of nearly £50,000. Retailers regularly get emails asking for large orders, and then a follow up email later saying that the wrong amount had been entered onto the cheque, and could we send them the difference ASAP?

http://www.chessbaron.co.uk/tables-turned.php

In this case ChessBaron even warned the scammer early on in the email sequence that security checks would be made. Incredibly, the scammer still proceeded with the attempted ploy.

It was kinda fun – and ChessBaron are £25 better off.

The draw for the qualifying round of the Isle of Man’s 2011-12 international chess tournament has been revealed. Continue reading →

The Guardian newspaper has axed its weekly chess column in its current format. Continue reading →