RaindropChess

Sometime around late 2020, I noticed something strange. My social feeds, once filled with sourdough starters and workout routines, started flooding with chess boards. Friends who had never touched a pawn were suddenly posting about their ELO ratings. Twitch streamers I followed for FPS content were moving bishops instead of crosshairs. Chess, a game I … Read more

If you have ever stared at a chess tournament results sheet and felt completely lost, you are not alone. I remember walking into my first Swiss event and having no idea what “M-Buch” meant or why the standings table had so many columns. Learning how to read crosstables and standings at a Swiss tournament is … Read more

I spent six months testing three of the most popular chess opening trainer apps — Chessable, ChessMood, and Listudy — to figure out which one actually helps you remember your lines when the clock is ticking. Opening trainer apps use spaced repetition algorithms to help chess players memorize opening theory and build personalized repertoires through … Read more

If you have ever played either game, you know that American Checkers and International Draughts look similar at first glance. Both involve diagonal movement on a checkered board, mandatory captures, and the goal of eliminating all opponent pieces. But our team spent three months analyzing both variants side by side, and we discovered they diverge … Read more

If you hate slow positional chess and want openings that create immediate tension, you are in the right place. Sharp black defenses give you fighting chances in every game rather than forcing you into safe draws. This guide covers the most aggressive defenses against both 1.e4 and 1.d4, with clear sharpness ratings and theory requirements … Read more

If you have ever sat down to play Black against 1.e4 and felt like your opening choices were boring or passive, the Sicilian Defense is the answer you have been looking for. It is the single most popular response to White’s king pawn opening at every level from club play to world championship matches. And … Read more

Prophylaxis in chess is the art of making moves that prevent your opponent from carrying out their plans before they get the chance. It is the single most underrated skill separating club players from titled players, and you do not need to memorize a single Karpov game to master it. Prophylactic thinking means asking one … Read more

Philidor famously said that pawns are the soul of chess. After spending decades studying the game, I completely agree with this assessment. The way pawns arrange themselves on the board creates patterns that determine the character of every position you will ever play. These patterns are called pawn structures, and understanding them is essential for … Read more

Chess has long been viewed as a male-dominated pursuit, but throughout history, extraordinary women have shattered that perception. When I first started studying chess seriously, the name Judit Polgar kept appearing in every conversation about greatness. Her peak rating of 2735 stands as a monument that no other woman has approached. This article ranks the … Read more

As someone who has spent countless hours analyzing chess positions, I cannot help but notice when movies get chess completely wrong. You know the scenes I am talking about: pieces that float across the board without being touched, kings somehow in impossible check positions, and boards where the white squares end up in the wrong … Read more