The chess terms 'problem', 'puzzle', and 'study' are sometimes used interchangeably. Although they all have something to do with finding the best move in a given position, they have different meanings. Do you know the difference between the three terms? Read more... • See also Two Books by Burt Hochberg about Chess Problems, our review of 'Award-Winning Chess Problems' and 'Outrageous Chess Problems'.

Participate in our new poll : Who will win a Topalov - Kramnik unification match? • What happens if the match ends with a tied score? Will it even be held?

Most chess players can only dream about sitting at the board with a former World Champion challenger and learning the secrets of chess. The Guardian's Stephen Moss has been doing just that with the publication's newest chess columnist, GM Nigel Short. After beating Anatoly Karpov, himself a former World Champion, in the qualifying matches, Short faced Garry Kasparov in a memorable 1993 title match ('My opponent is Short and the match will be short', quipped Kasparov) that was more exciting than the 12.5-7.5 result would indicate. Read more...

Our annual list of holiday gift ideas concentrates on chess sets. It starts with two sets designed to teach newcomers how to play the game, then moves on to lots of suggestions for theme sets. For good measure, we also mention a couple of fashion accessories. Read more...

In Google Print, your Chess Guide says, 'I hate to use the word awesome, but this is awesome'. Here are hundreds, maybe thousands, of complete books about chess. Online! • The publishing houses are grumbling about copyright violation. Here today, gone tomorrow?

Women's chess is back in the spotlight. The publication of 'Chess Bitch : Women In The Ultimate Intellectual Sport' by Jennifer Shahade (Compare Prices) is getting attention from chess and non-chess quarters alike. Shahade, U.S. Women's Champion in 2002 and 2004, is often introduced as 'the strongest American-born female chess player of all time'. Read more...

The most common continuation of the French Defense is 2.d4 d5. Black accepts a restricted Bishop and less space in return for a solid position which is not easily breached. The variations after 3.Nc3, where the Knight develops to its natural square, keep the central tension. Black has three good replies: 3...Bb4, 3...Nf6, and 3...dxe4. Read more...

We often use our forum to spotlight press releases and to invite comment. • Here's the press release : U.S. Chess Championship (March 2006); 'The U.S. Chess Championship returns to San Diego from 1 March - 12 March 2006. The prestigious tournament will be held at its new permanent home at NTC Promenade. The Championship was brought to San Diego last year by America’s Foundation for Chess and the NTC Foundation'. A second post lists the players seeded into the 2006 U.S. Championship. • Have a comment?

Everyone loves a winner and the Bulgarian press has been having a field day with new World Chess Champion Veselin Topalov. Here are a selection of English language reports from the Sofia News Agency [novinite.com], Bulgarian Focus News [focus-fen.net], and Sofia Echo [sofiaecho.com]. Read more...

One of the many qualities that determine a good chess game is a surprising sacrifice. The 2005 FIDE World Championship at San Luis, Argentina, was full of excellent sacrifices. Here are seven from the first half of the tournament. Read more...