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Chessville
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Let's dispose of the chess site itself quickly, because there's really not much there, except for information on how to sign up for Chess Today (CT), the daily email chess newsletter which is what this review is really all about. It's what this web site is all about, too. The site contains an interview with GM Yasser Seirawan from March, 2001, and a discussion board which is virtually unused. Only 21 messages had been posted there at the time of this review (11-29-02). Six sample issues are available for your review, in addition to the ones provided here at Chessville. There's also a link to a Yahoo Group maintained for the purpose of sending out sample copies, roughly once a month. Chess Today began publication in November of 2000. Besides GM Baburin, whom we met above, other CT content contributors include GM Ruslan Scherbakov, GM Mikhail Golubev, IM Vladimir Barsky, and IM Maxim Notkin. Ralph Marconi and Graham Brown ably handle the technical production details. Chess Today arrives in your email inbox bearing three files. The first is a PDF file containing the newsletter itself. To open PDF files, you need Acrobat Reader. This useful program can be downloaded for free at www.adobe.com. The other two files are PGN and Chessbase (cbv) formats (your choice which one you want to use) of the games and annotations contained in the newsletter itself, along with a small assortment of additional games selected for their topicality and relevance. You can download Chess Base Light at www.chessbase.com - enabling you to open CBV and PGN files, although there are, of course, many other PGN readers available. Each issue of Chess Today usually ranges from three to five pages in length and contains a puzzle, news reports from major chess tournaments and matches, and annotated GM/IM games from those events. Occasional OpEd pieces discuss chess politics and other current chess events. Some issues contain instructional materials, book review, interviews and cartoons. Players rated 1500+, who are serious about chess, will benefit from the paper the most. You can load the games onto your computer to follow along, or just print CT and take it with you to read during your commute to work, or on your lunch hour. The extra versatility provided by the inclusion of the games files make CT the perfect daily chess information source. About the only criticism I can voice is the two-column format of CT. While that works just fine on printed copies, it is awkward when reading it online, since you have to read column one to the bottom of a page then scroll back to the top to follow onto column two. When working with PDF files is seems all too easy to accidentally overshoot the end of the page when you're scrolling, and wind up on the next page without intending to. Current subscription rates are $19 USD for four-months, $25 for six-months, or $44 for one year, although GMs are offered free subscriptions. You can pay by credit card (VISA, Mastercard or American Express), bank transfer, check, bank draft, postal order, PayPal or cash. ICC members can also pay for Chess Today with ‘chekels’. All paid CT subscribers are automatically included in a monthly lottery, with a chance to win a free chess book. With the kind permission of GM Alexander Baburin, click on the link below to download issue #751, November 27th, 2002, or issue #785, January 1st, 2003. These are zipped files. And remember - if you decide to subscribe (and you really should if you can afford to) tell Alex you read about Chess Today here at Chessville! Or take a peek at Chess Today's 4th Anniversary issue (11-6-2004): CT-1460
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