RaindropChess 
The Carlsen-Niemann cheating controversy is one of the biggest scandals in modern chess history. It began when reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen lost to 19-year-old American grandmaster Hans Niemann at the Sinquefield Cup in September 2022. What happened next shocked the chess world. Carlsen withdrew from the tournament. He posted a cryptic tweet implying Niemann … Read more
Rook endgames are the most common endgame type in chess, and two positions tower above all others in importance: the Lucena position and the Philidor position. Whether you are trying to convert a extra pawn into a full point or fighting to save a seemingly lost position, knowing these two theoretical positions can mean the … Read more
Imagine reaching the absolute pinnacle of your field before turning 22, defeating every challenger put in front of you, and then walking away forever. That is the story of Paul Morphy, the American chess genius who quit chess too early and left the world wondering what might have been for over 160 years. Born in … Read more
When Netflix released The Queen’s Gambit in October 2020, something unprecedented happened. The series about fictional chess prodigy Beth Harmon became the streaming platform’s most-watched scripted limited series ever, with 62 million households tuning in worldwide. Chess shops sold out of boards. Online chess servers crashed from traffic overload. Suddenly, everyone wanted to learn this … Read more
Chess has fascinated storytellers for centuries, and some of the most memorable characters in literature and film have been defined by their relationship with the game. From orphan prodigies battling Cold War rivals to wizard children facing enchanted stone pieces, famous fictional chess players have shaped how millions of people think about strategy, intelligence, and … Read more
If you are preparing for your first rated event or looking to branch out into faster formats, understanding USCF tournament time controls is one of the most practical things you can do before sitting down at the board. The time control determines how long you have to play your moves, what kind of rating your … Read more
I have played thousands of online chess games, and I will be honest with you: at some point, I suspected almost everyone. A 900-rated player who played a perfect rook endgame against me. An opponent who somehow found the only winning move in a tangled middlegame. A bullet game where my opponent never blundered once. … Read more
Imagine a chessboard where one player commands a lone king and a handful of bodyguards, while the other sends twice as many pieces flooding in from every edge. That is Hnefatafl — the Viking strategy game that flips everything you know about board games on its head. Unlike chess, where both sides are mirror images, … Read more
If you have ever played the King’s Gambit and felt that rush of throwing your f-pawn forward on move two, you already know why this opening has refused to die. But here is the question that keeps showing up on chess forums in : is the King’s Gambit still playable above 1800? The short answer … Read more
Chess Opening Strategy Written by RaindropChess | Updated May 13, 2026 Every chess player using the black pieces faces a pivotal moment after 1.e4: which defensive system should become your go-to? Two of the most respected responses—the Caro-Kann Defense (1.e4 c6) and the French Defense (1.e4 e6)—appear superficially similar yet demand fundamentally different mindsets and … Read more