Opinion/Editorials
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Classical Chess is still King… Here’s Why
In post-quarantine times, chess has returned to its classical roots, but quick chess has surged and even surpassed all forms of chess in terms of sheer popularity. Popular streamers like Hikaru Nakamura and Levy Rozman have amassed huge followings and the online platform has made chess accessible to a wider…
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After World Cup, Where is African Chess?
One month ago, African Chess was on display. Twenty-two of Africa’s finest chess players (17 Open and 5 Women) participated in the World Cup tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan. Magnus Carlsen scored a historic victory winning the final over phenom Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. The results of the tournament clearly showed that a…
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Aftermath of Niemann/Chess.com/Carlsen agreement
One week ago, Chess.com released a statement announcing the reinstatement of Hans Niemann on chess.com and an end to the legal dispute that gripped the chess world for the past year. The revelation raises some questions about how the matter unfolded and whether there was an out-of-court settlement. However, the…
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After 2023 World Open, a new chess era unfolding
A few weeks ago, Fidel Corrales Jimenez won the 2023 World Open with an undefeated 7.5/9 beating out eight others (including GM Hans Niemann) by a half-point. A strong performance was put in by 17-year-old IM Justin Wang who earned a GM norm in the pack of players ending on…
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Reflections on the 1st HBCU Chess Classic
On April 22nd, the 1st HBCU Classic took place at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia. Students from nine different Historically-Black Colleges and Universities (“HBCUs”) came to participate in a historic event highlighting the importance of targeting overlooked segments of the global chess community. It was a beautiful event from…
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Is Racism in Chess Overlooked?
In a world where gender discrimination and racism often rear their ugly heads, sexism in chess is trending, but is racism in chess overlooked? The Chess Drum has featured articles discussing the issue, but there has never been a serious discussion. When the racial tirade of Baadur Jobava recently came…
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Is Classical Chess Dead?
The future of classical chess has been discussed for decades, and the topic has come up once again. The question has been how to make it more marketable for wider public appeal and to eliminate the dreaded “draw death.” Quickplay via online platforms has exploded. Will classical chess be phased…
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Fischer Random Chess: A Dream Deferred
In what was perhaps the most exciting chess tournament we’ve seen in some time Hikaru Nakamura won the 2022 Fischer Random World Chess Championship in Reykjavik, Iceland. The American legend lost only once in the entire tournament and took a handsome prize of $150,000 after winning an Armageddon game again…
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The Anatomy of Carlsen-Niemann cheating controversy
Over the past month, the chess world has been turned upside down and inside-out with the cheating controversy surrounding world champion Magnus Carlsen and Grandmaster Hans Niemann. The Chess Drum has closely followed the drama on all media social platforms including Reddit and Twitter, where information is able to reach…
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Carlsen quits against Niemann… the saga continues
Yesterday, Magnus Carlsen quit against Hans Niemann after playing his first move. Playing black… after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Carlsen resigned and simply logged off abruptly. The cheating insinuation by Carlsen had been simmering down, but this latest action has thrown gasoline on the fire of a controversy leaving it open…
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