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Record-breaking mini-grandmaster?
16.05.2002 – Can you imagine that you may soon have to address the boy in this picture respectfully as "grandmaster"? 12-year-old Sergei Karjakin (learn to pronounce it now: car-yack-kin!) has just gained his second GM norm and looks poised to gain his title well before his 13th birth in January 2003. That would make him the only person in the world to become a grandmaster and second a world champion before reaching his teens! More
 

Sharpen your tactical teeth
15.05.2002 – The Mitropa Cup ended last Sunday in Leipzig and was won by Slovenia, ahead of the German team. A report with results, games and pictures is available here (text in German). Now we present you with ten tactical puzzles taken from the Mitropa games. Some are very easy, some a little tricky. Take half an hour off to hone your combinational skills here.
 

Junior beats Super-GM with black
15.05.2002 – Mikhail Gurevich, Elo 2641, lost his first game against the computer world champion Junior. You can replay the game with online chat on our javascript board. Tomorrow's game starts at 15:00 GMT = 17:00 Paris/Berlin, 11 a.m. NY and can be followed on the the Hellas Chess Club web site, Kasparov Chess or on our Playchess server.
 

And what does Karpov think?
14.05.2002 – Flushed with his success at the Eurotel World Chess Trophy, Anatoly Karpov was an honoured guest at the 125th anniversary celebrations of the German Chess Federation. At a breakfast meeting the 50-year-old gave us his views on the Chess Unity Plan that was signed in Prague exactly a week earlier. Anatoly was frank and thoughtful in his views, which you will find in a special interview here.
 

1.e4 – Du må tenke selv
13.05.2002 – An eleven-year boy is taking on the entire web. Magnus Carlsen, rated 2163 FIDE, is undoubtly the biggest talent in Norway ever. "I'm going for a win, and I hope the Net does the same," says Magnus. To even the field his opponents will be guided by GM Simen Agdestein (2572). The English version of the lovely coverage page will be available soon.
 

Batumi in the summer
13.05.2002 – The exotic, subtropical city south-west coast of Georgia is full of palms, cypresses, magnolias, oleanders, lemon and orange trees, for huge beds of flowers, sparkling fountains, tennis courts, lace-work buildings, holiday homes and lots of other attractive features. If you want to see it why not attend the 3rd European Individual Championship. More
 

Chess sells!
13.05.2002 – Chess is in, chess – and not just sex – can help big corporations sell their products. On German TV there are currently two ad campaigns for cars which use chess to highlight the products. In one a chess player is shown but never named. You may just recognise the face, though. More
 

Facts and fallacies in the world of chess
12.05.2002 – The Prague Unity Plan (didn't we just mention it somewhere?) has led to vigorous debate in the chess world. Especially in the days leading up to the key meeting "the BS level in the air rose to dangerous levels," says Michael ("Mig") Greengard. He should know, he was there. Mig tells us what to think of The Plan in part one of his latest column.
 

Dortmund: no change to candidates' format
12.05.2002 – Why haven't Anand and Ivanchuk been included in the Prague Chess Unity Plan? This is a question may chess fans have been asking. One suggestion they put forward is to add the two players to the Einstein qualifier. "Nein", says the organiser in Dortmund, this is not a possible option. More
 

India chess diary
10.05.2002 – If you wondered what happened to our Indian chess correspondent V. Krishnaswamy, he was on a stint producing a TV serial on golf. He returns to find the chess world in a turmoil and a reunification in place that no Indian fan can accept. Swamy explains why in a new column of his India Chess Diary.
 

Memories of Moscow
09.05.2002 – Peter Svidler is 25, one of the world's top GMs. He is also intelligent, funny and very eloquent. During a recent visit in Hamburg Peter spoke to us about the FIDE world championship, Ruslan Ponomariov, women's chess, books, music, movies, humour and more. The video interview is on ChessBase Magazine 87. You will find excerpts of it here.
 

One giant leap for mankind
09.05.2002 – Why is a great chess player, vice champion of the world at that, dangling at the end of a 150-foot rope? Well, just taking a break from chess and going for adventure in the south-sea island of Bali. Alexandra Kosteniuk, who stopped over in Hamburg for a few days, brought along an electronic picture album. You will find a small selection (plus a nice video clip) here.