The myth, romance, intrigue, passion, treachery, politics, mystery and seduction of... chess!

HISTORICAL ARCHIVEChesstories

Table of Contents

Final Gambit by Karah Pino: We received this very interesting chess story for publication from Karah Pino, who stopped playing chess in 1999 after a personal trauma and subsequent realization. This is the true and well written story of her final game.

George Koltanowski Remembered: Just who was George and what made him so special to chess? The Knight's Tours of George Koltanowski, by Frederic Friedel takes us on a brief journey back in time...

Check Republics by Sally Feldman - With the kind permission of Paul Sims, this article is reproduced from New Humanist, a London-based magazine promoting reason,debate and free thought since 1885. Visit their website to browse an extensive archive dating back to1999, where you can also request a free trial copy

The Real Honest to Goddess Truth about Football By Alpheta Patton (with Donus Felinicus) Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner. Goddesschess (the game of the goal posts) is pleased to present the real meaning behind the game and what this means to chess. Truthiness in action! Grab a beer, hang onto your helmets, sit back and prepare to be infotained! Forward en Passant! Go Ra!

"Chess", the Musical - A Story About a High-Stakes Game... and Chess, Too - (in two parts) By Jan Newton - April 16, 2007

The Legend of Dalukah (updated: July 16. 2008) Al Mas'udi's Dalukah appears to be a composite character. Here we find her in E. A..Wallis Budge's recapitulation, weaving her magic in a way that reminds us a great deal of grande alcedrix. As with almost everything Egyptian, the imagery is forcefully suggestive and profound.

The Legend of Dilaram Is this story of romance and potential sacrifice true? Read all about it, and ponder the implications along with us. UPDATED Feb. 16, 2007

Aishwarya Rai and Chess - Six Degrees of Separation by Jan Newton January 27, 2007 - Bollywood does chess on the big screen!!

Twenty Squares: Jan Newton November, 2005 - Are "culture wars" leading everyone astray? A controversial discovery made all the more so by conflicting evidence and suspect press releases.

When is a bird not a bird? Both fair and foul, board game birds of a feather flock together. Follow this Mandeaen tale of the Simourgh - and prepare to be loved!

Irving Finkel, Jeremy Silman and the Chess of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" A "stream of consciousness" foray into the creative depths of Harry Potter's chess adventures...(March, 2005)

What Men Think About Women Chessplayers Janet Newton, April, 2004. An article inspired by an email I received from my friend and co-partner in Goddesschess, Isis a/k/a Georgia.

Chess Hustlers Never Die, They Just - Get Evicted Janet Newton May, 2004. Up and down times in the glenn and on the lam in Toronto.

King Canute and the Murder of the Danish Earl over a Chess Game Not the first time a game of chess has led to disorderly conduct.

Living Chess & "La Partita a Scacchi a Personaggi Vivent" Marostica, Italy, The Human Chess Game, and the Quest for a Fair Maiden’s Hand The story and the sequence of moves from the Human Chess Game at Marostica

The First Black Chess Grandmaster Author: Melissa Ewey Ebony, Issue: July, 1999 Goddesschess is pleased to present this excellent biographical article on American GM Maurice Ashley.

One Bridge Too Far With permission of the author, IM Ricardo Calvo, we're pleased to reproduce this article. It provides valuable insight into the Byzantine world of international chess politics through the first-hand experience of the author

A Day in the Life of Vladimir Kramnik A 2001 interview with Vladimir Kramnik shortly after he won the World Chess Champion title from Kasparov. Interview by Richard Johnson. Portrait by Eva Vermandel.

Emmen Women's Olmpiad 1957 - Danger! Women at Work! In the 1957 Women's Olympiad, Ireland were represented by Helen Chater and Beth Cassidy. After the event, Beth Cassidy wrote the following amusing article for the British Chess Magazine, reproduced with the kind permission of the editor.

Templars, Chess, Seattle and the WTO December 3, 1999 A look at some of the similarities between the old game of corporate expansion and the new by Don McLean

When The King Is Dethroned I jumped at the chance to teach my son how to play Chess. I just wasn't prepared for him to beat me By William O'Fallon September 10, 2001 Newsweek Magazine

Machine vs. Man: Newsweek Magazine July 21, 2003 By Steven Levy Checkmate We are sharing our world with another species, one that gets smarter and more independent every year

Man bites Machine! Humans Strike Back! The scientifically assessed superiority of the human brain. It's agreat day for us hominoids!

On the Nature of FIDE Legitimacy With permission of the author, IM Ricardo Calvo - we continue in the tradition of his previous analysis.

The Ghost of Bobby Fischer FROM: The Atlantic Monthly - December 2002 Bobby Fischer's Pathetic Endgame Paranoia, hubris, and hatred - the unraveling of the greatest chess player ever by Rene Chun

On The Morals of Chess Benjamin Franklin From The Big Book Bunch, Benjamin Franklin's famous essay on The Game, originally posted at that site on December 27, 1997.

Political Chess: The U.S. Presidential Race, 2000
Let's Check Into the Vice-Presidential Chess Match Frank Pellegrini July 14, 2000