ChessManiac.com

Current Statistics: "Active Games: 943 Finished games: 1343 Users: 835"

"2004 U.S. Championships Tournament Relocates to San Diego, Calif.
NTC Foundation is New Event Co-Sponsor
America's Foundation for Chess announces the NTC Foundation as its new partner for the annual U.S. Chess Championships scheduled for the first two weeks in December 2004.

The NTC Foundation in San Diego, Calif., will host this national tournament at their new arts and cultural venue, Promenade Centre. The winner will represent the United States at the World Chess Championships.

This will be the fourth year that AF4C has hosted the annual tournament and its first year doing so with a co-sponsor. Expected to maintain its $250,000 prize fund, the 2004 U.S. Chess Championships will be held over 11 days and is expected to attract attention from around the world. Chessmaster will also return as a 2004 corporate sponsor.

Do you Qualify to Play?

The 2004 US Championships will be a 64 player field comprised of:
43 qualifying players from various open tournaments
17 seeded players
2 from a State Champions' qualifying event
2 AF4C wildcard players
As the Championships have been moved to December 2004, the emphasis for qualifying players has been placed on the February 2004 USCF Rating List and 2004 Qualifying Events. "
Read More...

WebChess: "Current Stats for ChessManiac.com: Active Games 921 Finished games 1324 Users 825"

ChessManiac.com - Chess Trivia: "One never reads about checker players or bridge players going bonkers but chess abounds with these basket cases. It would certainly be an interesting discussion. What is it about chess that makes a man devote his entire life to moving wooden pieces around on a board..." Read More!

Chess History With Sarah Beth: Gioachino Greco - short bio.: "Gioachino Greco, also known as Il Calabrese, was born around 1600 in Celico, which near Cosenza in Calabria. Calabria had already produced such players as Leonardo di Bono and Michele di Mauro. From his writing it's apparent the he wasn't educated and likely came from... Read more..."

Chess History With Sarah Beth: Early Modern Writers - Salvio/Carrera/Greco: "There were three important writers in the 17th century: Dr. Alessandro Salvio, Pietro (Peter) Carrera, and Gioachino Greco. "
More...:

Register Now!: "Current Stats- Active Games: 827 Finished games: 1197 Users: 773"

Delaware Club Listings: "New chess club listing added to the ChessManiac.com Chess Directory-Delaware Chess Club Listings
Delaware State Chess Association"

Chess clocks: "Is it my move? I thought it was your move!..."

ChessManiac.com- Chess History by Sara Beth - Early modern writers: Ruy Lopez, Part I: "One of the most enigmatic players of the 16th century was Ruy Lopez de Segura... "

The West Suburban Chess Club: New chess club listed in the Chess Maniac.com Minnesota Chess Clubs Directory. "The West Suburban Chess Club Home of the 2003 National Youth Action Champions!"

West Shore Chess Club:
New chess club added to Pennsylvania Chess List on ChessManic.com
"Location
Cavalry United Methodist Church,
700 Market Street, Lemoyne, PA
(immediately west of Harrisburg)
Monday evenings 7:00-10:00pm
(except major holidays)
NOW OPEN MOST SATURDAYS!
(will not be open 01/10/04 due
to church's schedule)
10:00am-2:00pm"

ChessManiac.com - How to Become a Chess Professional: "Have you got what it takes?

Your desire to become a professional deserves respect. First of all you should arm yourself with patience, as the way from an amateur to....

ChessManiac.com :: View topic - Chess History - Early modern writers: Ruy Lopez, Part II by Sarah Beth: "Leonardo di Bona was also known as Leonardo di Cutri, il Puttino and Cavaliere Errante (by King Sebastian of Portugal). He was born in 1542 in the town of Cutro in the Province of Crotone in region of Calabria, Italy. He was a small man which may be why he was called il Puttino which means the Boy.

Along with Paolo Boi (sometimes referred to as Paola Bove; sometimes called il Bove, the Ox; often referred to as Siracusano because he was from Syracuse, Sicily) Leonardo was the best player of the 16th century and a new breed of wandering chess professional. Both Leonardo and Boi made their entire living playing chess and they either traveled to where chess was played or they worked for rich patrons.

Leonardo, after studying chess intently for two years, traveled to Madrid to re-challenge Ruy Lopez. He was accompanied by his friend, Giulio Cesare Polerio (nicknamed l'Abruzzese because was born, in 1548, in Lanciano, an ancient town in the Chieti province of the Abruzzo region of Italy In Madrid). He played Ruy Lopez in off-hand games for money, winning every game. Philip II learned of this and decided to stage a match in his court. This was seemingly a big deal. Boi, who had traveled separately to Madrid, came by to observe. In the court was Ruy Lopez and Alfonso Ceron, a Portuguese player considered 2nd only to Ruy Lopez. Leonardo and Ruy Lopez were to play 5 games. If one could win 3 consecutive games, there was a 3000 scudi bonus!

Well the match progressed. Ruy Lopez won the first two games. Philip II, who had probably seen all this before and assumed the probable outcome, made to leave, figuring what he had heard of Leonardo was exaggerated and that the match was a mis-match. But Leonardo begged the king to stay,"

The Sacramento Chess Club has placed ChessManiac.com on its highly recommended list. "ChessManiac.com offers a browser based free e-mail chess site. Contains a chess store, chess resources, and chess links. highly recommended! "

ChessManiac.com Chess Outlet: " You can get the following chess products here.
Chess Accessories
Chess Bags
Chessboards
Chess Books
Chess Clocks
Teaching materials
Giant Chess Sets
Chess Pieces
Chess Sets
Chess Software
Travel Chess "

Chess Reading List: "ChessManiac Recommended Reading List"

ChessManiac.com Checkmate Forum

This is a great chess related forum where you can post and read information about chess pros, chess computers, chess magazines, chess links and anything else regarding chess.

ChessManiac.com offering free email chess, player ranking and rating, tournament, chess teams, forums, chat rooms, graphical user interface chessboard, game history, pgn chess game export, Multilanguage support in English, German, Fr

Hello everyone,

This is a chessweblog and you will be able to find cool information about chess here in the near future. Stay tuned as this will be an exciting area for chess information! I also look forward to playing chess with all of you at chessmaniac.com

Sincerely,

ChessManiac!