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Pro Total Chess pilot: Budapest, Nov. 10–20 6 Americans in a field of 24 The fieldWhat's next
Quote of the Day
"The players of 1862 knew something very valuable that the players of today would do well to make note of: 1 P-Q4 leads to nothing!"
Bobby Fischer, Chess Life, April 1964, page 84 · via Edward Winter's Chess Notes
Pro chess · Total Chess

Carlsen and six Americans head to Budapest for FIDE's new Total Chess tour

Fabiano Caruana and Wesley So seated across a chessboard
Caruana and So, two of the six Americans in Budapest, at the 2018 Candidates Tournament. Photo: Vladimir Barskij, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

FIDE's Total Chess World Championship Tour starts Tuesday with a pilot event in Budapest, Nov. 10–20. It mixes three time controls: Fast Classic (45 minutes plus 30 seconds), Rapid (15+10) and Blitz (3+2). The 24 players open with a blitz tournament that sets the tiebreaks, then play in four groups of six. The group winners meet in the semifinals and the final.

Magnus Carlsen leads the field. The United States sends six players: Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Hans Niemann, Abhimanyu Mishra and Andrew Hong. Bibisara Assaubayeva and Vaishali Rameshbabu are the two women. Over the full series, the tour's top two earn places in the next Candidates Tournament.

Levy Rozman (GothamChess) hosts a new highlights show. Anna Rudolf, Fiona Steil-Antoni, David Howell and Jovanka Houska lead the main broadcast.

Reports: ChessBase · ChessBase on the format · Chess.com on the field

Krush starts with a win at the Marshall The Mona Karff Memorial, the Marshall Chess Club's women's championship, runs through Sunday in New York. US Masters in Charlotte, Nov. 25–29 A US Chess national championship for players rated 2200+, with norm chances and $27,500 guaranteed.

Move of the Day

Black to move and win.

Laertes Neuhoff vs. Peter Acs, Bavarian Championship, round 7. White's knight on e8 forks both black rooks.

Click a black piece, then the square it should go to.

Chess pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Club Watch

Charlotte Chess Center
  • Nov 7 Reverse Angle, $1,000 gtd.
  • Nov 25–29 US Masters, 2200+, $27,500 gtd.
  • Nov 27–29 NC Open, $12,000 gtd.
  • Dec 18–23 North American Junior Championships
  • Dec 26–28 Charlotte Winter Classic, $7,500 gtd.
Founder Peter Giannatos told ChessBase how it started. Its foundation runs the $50,000 Naroditsky Fellowship; applications close Dec. 1. Full calendar
Saint Louis Chess Club
  • Oct 27–29 Clutch Chess Champions Showdown: Sindarov won
  • Weekly Friday Night Quads, Saturday and Sunday Rated Games, Saturday Night Blitz
  • Nov 13–15 Kent Family Thanksgiving Open (registration opening soon)
  • Dec 18–20 Saint Louis Chess Club Championship
Lichess has also resumed broadcasting US Chess events after ending its boycott. Full calendar

All clubs, including Charlottesville →

Biggest Rating Gains

This week · USCF VirginiaPhi Phan +246303 → 549 at SKCA Fairfax Quads This month · FIDE U.S.Ryan Chen +1551524 → 1679 on the November list See all rating gains →

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