Sacrificing a queen for a quick checkmate is always fun, but there’s a lot to be said for sacrificing a pawn in the opening that leads to a winning endgame. The positional sacrifice may not get as ...

It is autumn in earnest, Keats’ “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,” and a columnist’s fancy naturally turns to thoughts of positional chess. It’s no secret most chess players are attracted to ...

McShane-Kramnik, London 2009. Black to play. With two rounds to go in the London Chess Classic, the Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen looks set to win the tournament. Vladimir Kramnik, his main rival, ...