Is calculation becoming a strength that turns into a weakness? In this opinion piece, Ravi Abhyankar explores the delicate balance between calculation and instinct in modern chess. Can today’s elite players afford to rely only on deep calculation and ignore speed? Why does blitz matter so much for a classical World Champion today? By blending data, history, and modern realities, the article explains what dominance means in modern chess. Photo: Eng Chin Ann

Are the Candidates and World Championship time controls stuck in the past? Players are still facing brutal time scrambles that hurt the quality of chess we love to watch. Why does the increment start at move 41 for some, but from move one in others? Is tradition really helping, or just stressing players unnecessarily? In this opinion piece, Ravi Abhyankar dives into why FIDE’s current system feels arbitrary and offers a smarter, simpler solution. If you are interested in how time controls shape elite chess, this article offers a thoughtful perspective. Photo: Wikipedia

On 11th of December 2019, Vishy Anand will turn 50 years old. As a mark of our gratitude to the immense contribution that this legend has made to the field of chess, we are celebrating Vishy's December! Throughout the month we will have stories, articles, anecdotes and wishes put out on Anand by his friends, competitors, peers and well wishers! We kick off the series with the first one by one of his oldest friends in the world of chess - Ravi Abhyankar. Ravi sent us four short stories of Anand which are interesting, humorous and at the same time thought provoking! In case you have an interesting story or anecdote to share about Vishy Anand, you can do so from the google form link that we have provided at the end of the article or email it to us at chessbaseindia@gmail.com!

Bobby Fischer quit the game of chess after he became the World Champion in 1972. That's nearly 45 years ago! Seems like a distant past when Fischer was on top of his game. Donald Trump, on the other hand, is the man of the moment. He became the US President just a few months ago and has been in the news just about everywhere. In spite of this long hiatus there are a few things that are very similar between the greatest chess player ever and the current US Presient. Ravi Abhyankar tells us about it.