RaindropChess

Chess has inspired some of the most psychologically rich and compelling fiction ever written. From Walter Tevis’s accessible storytelling to Vladimir Nabokov’s complex literary style, the best chess novels explore the game’s unique ability to reveal the depths of human obsession, strategy, and mental endurance. Our Top 3 Chess Novel Recommendations The Queen’s Gambit by … Read more

Free chess apps for iPhone and Android have completely changed how we play and learn chess. Whether you are just starting out or sharpening your game, these apps put everything you need right in your pocket. In this guide, I will walk you through the best free options available right now, what makes each one … Read more

If you are a chess player who just discovered Go, you are probably staring at that massive 19×19 grid thinking: where do I even begin? You are not alone. I have been there, and so have thousands of other chess players who made the jump to Go (also known as baduk, weiqi, or igo). The … Read more

Building a solid opening repertoire used to mean spending hundreds of dollars on chess courses or subscription services. I spent years bouncing between expensive platforms before discovering that Lichess offers everything you need to build a professional-grade opening repertoire for free. The Lichess Study feature is one of the most powerful yet underutilized tools in … Read more

I spent six months bouncing between ChessBase, Chessable, and Aimchess trying to figure out which one would actually help me improve. After hundreds of hours of training, dozens of tournament games, and more than a few frustrating evenings staring at chess boards, I finally have a clear answer. The ChessBase vs Chessable vs Aimchess debate … Read more

I have played thousands of games at the 1500 level, and one thing I can tell you with certainty: opening traps at 1500 are a completely different beast than traps at 800 or at 2000. At this rating, your opponents know enough to avoid the most obvious blunders, but they still fall for well-disguised tactical … Read more

I’ve noticed something interesting happening at my local chess club lately. More players rated around 1500 are abandoning their trusty Sicilians and Caro-Kanns in favor of a defense that grandmasters consider “unsound” at the highest level. I’m talking about the Scandinavian Defense, also known as the Center Counter Defense. After watching three of my regular … Read more

The 1972 World Chess Championship in Reykjavik, Iceland was won by American Bobby Fischer, who defeated Soviet champion Boris Spassky 12.5-8.5 to become the first American World Chess Champion. The match lasted from July 11 to September 1, 1972, and is widely regarded as the Match of the Century. I have studied this match for … Read more

I have played chess for years, and one thing I see over and over is adult improvers winning material, building a dominant position, and then completely missing the finishing blow. It is frustrating. You played 35 good moves and then the checkmate was right there, staring you in the face, and you played something else. … Read more