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New material is posted sporadically. ChessCafe.com suspended publication of new columns in May 2015. All the articles, reviews, and endgame studies that have appeared at ChessCafe.com are available in our Archives. You will find them stored in PDF or Plain Text format, with newer articles in Ebook format for ChessBase and PGN viewers available to members.
ChessCafe.com Columns
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Chess Mazes Bruce Alberston
There are two types of chess mazes: checking and mating. For bishop, rook, and knight mazes the play is to check the black king. For queen, pawn, and king mazes the object is to checkmate the enemy king.
CC Chronicles Bo Bredenhof
Since 1999, Bo Bredenhof has played more than 500 international correspondence tournament games. He has represented Sweden in team tournaments and international matches, and he recently qualified for his first international master norm.
ChessBase Cafe
The ChessBase Cafe column showcases the new software and training DVDs being produced by ChessBase to improve your play and enjoyment of the royal game, as well as in depth tutorials of how to use ChessBase programs.
The Puzzling Side of Chess Jeff Coakley
Canadian master Jeff Coakley is the author of the popular Winning Chess For Kids books. He is one of Canada’s leading coaches and a long time composer and collector of chess puzzles. His column features a wide range of material, with original compositions and classic puzzles from the past.
Trial by Tactics Mark Donlan
“Trial by Tactics” is our member-only Daily Chess Puzzle. A new puzzle is posted daily.
The Instructor Mark Dvoretsky
Russian IM Mark Dvoretsky may be the most respected chess instructor and trainer in the world today. His books serve as the teaching cornerstones in chess courses worldwide. Read him to sharpen your analytical skill, read him for enjoyment. But make sure you don’t miss what he has to say.
Everyman Ebook Cafe
An excerpt from the diverse line of Everyman Chess Ebooks.
An Arbiter’s Notebook Geurt Gijssen
One of the world’s most respected arbiters discusses issues and relates anecdotes from his years of experience at the highest levels of the international chess scene. The Chief Arbiter of the 1987 and 1990 world championship matches also accepts questions from readers.
The Kibitzer Tim Harding
Irish master Tim Harding’s diverse writings have been enjoyed by the chessplaying public for almost three decades. Editor of the highly acclaimed correspondence magazine Chess Mail, Tim’s unique insight has made him aChessCafe.com favorite.
Novice Nook Dan Heisman
American master Dan Heisman is the author of several books, and a full-time chess instructor. His column is specifically designed to help the Elo 1000-1400 player improve.
Opening Lanes Gary Lane
British international master Gary Lane brings a new dimension toChessCafe.com fine line-up of chess journalists. Gary’s column will specialize in discussing the latest in opening theory and related topics. We encourage you to submit your questions about your favorite opening to Gary for consideration in one of his columns.
The Openings Explained Abby Marshall
ChessCafe.com is pleased to introduce a new column, The Openings Explained, in which contemporary opening variations are explained move-by-move.
Endgame Corner Karsten Müller
Dr. Karsten Müller earned the grandmaster title in 1998 and is the co-author with IM Frank Lamprecht of the highly acclaimed Fundamental Chess Endings. His popular column has appeared at ChessCafe.com since January 2001.
Chess Evolution Arkadij Naiditsch & Csaba Balogh
The Chess Evolution Newsletter (CEWN) is released every Friday of the week. The newsletter contains twenty-plus pages of great chess material written by top grandmasters Arkadij Naiditsch and Csaba Balogh.
Pando’s Ten-Pack Bruce Pandolfini
American master Bruce Pandolfini has been teaching chess for more than forty years. With Pando’s Ten-Pack, he offers ten puzzles for solving from his treasure trove of teaching material. This is a terrific column for both the student and the teacher!
Checkpoint James Rizzitano
International master James Rizzitano turns his critical eye each month to perhaps the largest segment of the chess publishing market, opening books. Is that new opening book you were thinking of buying a ‘hit’ or a ‘miss’? Join him each month as he surveys the latest releases.
Inside Chess
American grandmaster and four-time United States champion Yasser Seirawan was the chief editor of Inside Chess magazine. The publication ran from 1988 to 2000 during which time it was one of the world’s top chess magazines.
Past Pieces Olimpiu G. Urcan
Past Pieces will bring to light forgotten players, matches, games, problems, photographs and miscellaneous information that will interest all chess history enthusiasts.
Feature Content
Daily Chess Puzzles
Every day we feature a new puzzle to test your chess and keep your skills sharp! This feature content is freely available!
Book Reviews
The weekly in-depth book reviews at ChessCafe.com are noted for their honesty and objectivity. We have published almost 1,000 book reviews since 1996, all of which are still available in the ChessCafe.com Archives! This feature content is freely available!
Step by Step Mark Donlan
Step by Step: Mate, Step by Step: Tactics, Step by Step: Calculation and Step by Step: Test are designed to improve your visualization, tactical skills, and calculation ability. You can also print out these pages and use them as workbook exercises in a classroom setting. This feature content is freely available!
Endgame Study
Combining beauty and practicality, the Endgame Study is one of the unique and subtle wonders of the Royal Game. ChessCafe.com is pleased to present, on a weekly basis, a selected endgame study for your enjoyment, all of which are still available in the ChessCafe.com Archives. This feature content is freely available!
From the Archives
Since it came online in 1996, ChessCafe.com has presented thousands of articles, reviews, columns and the like for the enjoyment of its worldwide readership. We decided that the occasional selection from the archives might be a welcome addition to the regular fare. This feature content is freely available!
The Skittles Room
One of the most popular features at ChessCafe.com, the Skittles Room provides a forum for guest authors to present material on any chess related theme. The ChessCafe.com Archives contains more than 400 articles on a cornucopia of topics. This feature content is freely available!
Video Spotlight
The ChessCafe.com Video Spotlight features a chess related video for your entertainment. This feature content is freely available!