Chess Today
{{Short description|First Internet-only daily chess newspaper}}
{{Infobox newspaper
| name = Chess Today
| image = File:Chess_Today_Front_Page_Issue_5000_(Low_Res).png
| caption = Front page of the Chess Today newspaper
| type = Daily Internet-only newspaper
| format = E-mailed PDF file
| owners = Alexander Baburin
| editor = Graham Brown
| foundation = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2000|11|7}}
| headquarters = 3 Eagle Hill, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland.
| website = [http://www.chesstoday.net chesstoday.net]
| publishing_country = Ireland
}}
Chess Today was the first, and longest running, Internet-only daily chess newspaper,{{cite web|url=http://www.chesstoday.net|title=chesstoday.net|date=2017-06-07|publisher=chesstoday.net}} having continued virtually uninterrupted from 7 November 2000 through to December 2020. It was distributed to subscribers by e-mail. Each e-mail had the PDF of the newspaper attached, as well as a small collection of recent games. The editor and proprietor of Chess Today was Grandmaster Alexander Baburin.{{cite web|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/che-today-turns-1000/808|title=Chessbase on Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chessbase.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www3.sympatico.ca/g.giffen/periodicals.htm|title=Chess Periodicals|date=2017-06-08|publisher=Glenn Giffen|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926221207/http://www3.sympatico.ca/g.giffen/periodicals.htm|archivedate=2007-09-26}} Each edition contained at least one tactical puzzle, an annotated game, and world chess news. Other elements of the publication included 'On This Day', endgame analysis and chess reviews.{{cite web|url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic316.html|title=theweekinchess.com|date=2017-06-09|publisher=theweekinchess.com}} Chess Today also conducted and printed interviews with at least four former World Chess Champions.{{cite web|url=http://www.gmsquare.com/interviews/smyslov.html|title=GMSquare Smyslov|date=2017-06-10|publisher=gmsquare.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gmsquare.com/interviews/spassky.html|title=GMSquare Spassky|date=2017-06-10|publisher=gmsquare.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gmsquare.com/interviews/ponomariov1.html|title=GMSquare Ponomariov|date=2017-06-10|publisher=gmsquare.com}}
Editors and contributors
In addition to proprietor and editor Grandmaster Alexander Baburin, for much of the life of Chess Today Graham Brown was both web designer and editor and Ralph Marconi was the second editor.{{cite web|url=http://www.chesstoday.net/issues/CT-1460.pdf|title=1460th Issue of Chess Today (4 year anniversary edition)|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chesstoday.net}} Some editorial work was also done by Tim Harding in the early years.{{cite web|url=http://www.chesstoday.net/issues/CT-1000.pdf|title=1000th Issue of Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chesstoday.net}} A number of Masters and Grandmasters contributed either entire editions or contributions to editions of Chess Today including Grandmasters Mikhail Golubev,{{cite web|url=http://www.kingpinchess.net/2015/09/the-grandmaster-activist-3|title=KingPinChess|date=2017-06-10|publisher=kingpinchess.net}} Andrei Deviatkin,{{Cite web|last=Doggers|first=Peter|date=2006-12-10|title=Rybka's immortal game|url=http://www.chessvibes.com/?p=363|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211221554/http://www.chessvibes.com/?p=363|archive-date=2007-12-11|access-date=2020-12-30|website=Chess Vibes}} and Ruslan Scherbakov, and International Masters Vladimir Barsky, Nikolai Vlassov, and Maxim Notkin.{{cite web|url=http://www.chesstoday.net/editors.html|title=Chess Today Editors|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chesstoday.net}}{{cite web|url=http://www.clubedexadrezonline.com.br/artigo.asp?doc=1497|title=clube de xadrez online|date=2017-06-10|publisher=clubedexadrezonline|access-date=2017-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170617085137/http://www.clubedexadrezonline.com.br/artigo.asp?doc=1497|archive-date=2017-06-17|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|last=Doggers|first=Peter|date=2011-08-31|title=Issue no. 2500 for Chess Today|url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/issue-no-2500-for-chess-today|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126040521/https://www.chess.com/news/view/issue-no-2500-for-chess-today |archive-date=2020-11-26 |access-date=|website=Chess.com}} Grandmaster Karsten Müller also contributed endgame analysis to some of the early issues.{{cite web|url=http://www.chesstoday.net/issues/CT-1000.pdf|title=1000th Issue of Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chesstoday.net}}
Technical format
Chess today was sent to subscribers by e-mail. Every issue of Chess Today included three files in different formats. The PDF file contained the entire (printable) newspaper which varied in length but was generally 3–5 A4 pages in a two-column format.{{cite web|url=http://www.chessville.com/links/Chess_Today/Chess_Today.htm|title=Chessville Review of Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chessville.com|url-status=usurped|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321195646/http://www.chessville.com/links/Chess_Today/Chess_Today.htm|archivedate=2012-03-21}} The games in each issue came in a CBV (Chessbase Format) file and were duplicated in a PGN file.{{cite web|url=http://seagaard.dk/review/eng/bo_magazine/ct_chess_today_03.asp|title=Seagaard Chess Review of Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=Seagaard Chess Reviews}}
Milestone editions
Circulation
Although Chess Today began with a relatively small readership (only 650 readers [including 40 Grandmasters] by the 1000th issue{{cite web|url=http://www.chesstoday.net/issues/CT-1000.pdf|title=1000th Issue of Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chesstoday.net}}) its readership grew and for a number of years it was one of the main paid-for sources of chess news on the web {{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/16/AR2007091601342.html|title=Washington Post Article|date=2017-06-09|work=Washington Post}}{{cite web|url=
https://chessdailynews.com/10th-anniversary-for-chess-today|title=Susan Polgar Chess Daily News|date=2017-06-11|publisher=chessdailynews.com}}{{cite web|url=http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/the-big-three-and-then-some|title=John Watson review ten years on|date=2017-06-11|publisher=theweekinchess.com}} often referred to as a source of material and point of reference by other authors.{{cite book|author=Emmanuel Neiman|title=Tune Your Chess Tactics Antenna: Know When (and where!) to Look for Winning Combinations|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2CBBCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA23|year=2014|publisher=New In Chess|isbn=978-90-5691-450-9|page=23}}{{cite book|author1=Geert van der Stricht|author2=Sipke Ernst|title=Tactics in the Chess Opening 6: Gambits and Flank Openings|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z7xRCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT69|year=2015|publisher=New In Chess|isbn=978-90-5691-625-1|page=69}}{{cite book|author=Gary Lane|title=Improve Your Chess in 7 Days|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wiO_CAAAQBAJ&pg=RA1-PA59|year=2013|publisher=Pavilion Books|isbn=978-1-84994-131-0}}{{cite book|author=Junior Tay|title=The Old Indian: Move by Move|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2XWlDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA204|publisher=Everyman Chess|isbn=978-1-78194-234-5|page=204}}{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lubomir-kavalek/chess-in-clouds-of-smoke_b_1270659.html|title=Huffington Post article by Kavalek|date=2017-06-13|publisher=Huffington Post}}{{cite magazine|magazine=Chess Life|title=unknown|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XGJLAAAAYAAJ|volume=57|year=2002|publisher=United States Chess Federation|issue=7–12|page=44}}{{cite book |last1=Aagaard |first1=Jacob |authorlink1=Jacob Aagaard |last2=Ntirlis |first2=Nikolaos |date=2013 |title=Playing the French}} For example, many of the 'Move by Move' series of books (particularly those authored by Cyrus Lakdawala) cited 'Chess Today' in their bibliographies as an electronic resource.{{cite book|author=Cyrus Lakdawala|title=The Petroff: Move by Move|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jHSlDQAAQBAJ&pg=PP10|publisher=Everyman Chess|isbn=978-1-78194-259-8|page=10}}{{cite book|author=Cyrus Lakdawala|title=The Slav: Move by Move|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-HOlDQAAQBAJ&pg=PP8|publisher=Everyman Chess|isbn=978-1-85744-887-0|page=8}}{{cite book|author=Cyrus Lakdawala|title=The Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Move by Move|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEWlDQAAQBAJ&pg=PP8|publisher=Everyman Chess|isbn=978-1-78194-114-0|page=8}}{{cite book|author=Cyrus Lakdawala|title=Kramnik: Move by Move|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vpGlDQAAQBAJ&pg=PP8|publisher=Everyman Chess|isbn=978-1-85744-955-6|page=8}}{{cite book|author=Cyrus Lakdawala|title=Carlsen: Move by Move|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1YClDQAAQBAJ&pg=PP10|publisher=Everyman Chess|isbn=978-1-78194-209-3|page=10}} Originally planned to cost $15 every 4 months{{cite web|url=http://www.chesscenter.com/twic/jwatson30.html|title=John Watson original review|date=2017-06-09|publisher=cheescenter.com|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010203214600/http://www.chesscenter.com/twic/jwatson30.html|archivedate=2001-02-03}} the price effectively increased slightly from €19 for 4 months in 2001{{cite web|url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic316.html|title=theweekinchess.com|date=2017-06-09|publisher=theweekinchess.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.chesstoday.net/|title=Archive of chesstoday.net|date=2017-06-09|publisher=chesstoday.net|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20020122122748/http://www.chesstoday.net/|archivedate=2002-01-22}} to €15 for 3 months.{{cite web|url=http://www.easytorecall.com/chess_today.htm|title=easytorecall.com|date=2017-06-07|publisher=easytorecall.com}}
Origins
Chess Today was created by Alexander Baburin. He has related that he had the idea to create and run a daily Internet-only chess newspaper in the middle of 2000 while flying to Copenhagen. He has stated that he identified a gap in the market for paid-for daily chess news intended to inform, educate and entertain.{{cite web|url=http://www.chesstoday.net/issues/CT-1000.pdf|title=1000th Issue of Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chesstoday.net}}
Content
Chess today contained a mix of different articles, each edition included a selection from the following:
= Test Yourself!/Tactical Quiz =
This generally took examples of recent tournament and match games and set the reader the challenge of trying to find the tactical win available.{{cite web|url=http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/the-big-three-and-then-some|title=John Watson review ten years on|date=2017-06-11|publisher=theweekinchess.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.easytorecall.com/chess_today.htm|title=easytorecall.com|date=2017-06-07|publisher=easytorecall.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.chessville.com/links/Chess_Today/Chess_Today.htm|title=Chessville Review of Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chessville.com|url-status=usurped|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321195646/http://www.chessville.com/links/Chess_Today/Chess_Today.htm|archivedate=2012-03-21}}
= On This Day =
This section was present in most editions. It included facts about well known chess players who were born or died on this date in previous years. It also noted other significant chess events that occurred on the same date in previous years.{{cite web|url=http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/the-big-three-and-then-some|title=John Watson review ten years on|date=2017-06-11|publisher=theweekinchess.com}}
= World Chess News =
This included news stories not only about chess tournaments and matches, but also the goings-on in FIDE and other chess organisations.{{cite web|url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic316.html|title=theweekinchess.com|date=2017-06-09|publisher=theweekinchess.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.easytorecall.com/chess_today.htm|title=easytorecall.com|date=2017-06-07|publisher=easytorecall.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.chessville.com/links/Chess_Today/Chess_Today.htm|title=Chessville Review of Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chessville.com|url-status=usurped|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321195646/http://www.chessville.com/links/Chess_Today/Chess_Today.htm|archivedate=2012-03-21}}
= Annotated game =
This section was present in every edition and included detailed annotations on a recent game between strong players (generally Grandmasters).{{cite web|url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic316.html|title=theweekinchess.com|date=2017-06-09|publisher=theweekinchess.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.chessville.com/links/Chess_Today/Chess_Today.htm|title=Chessville Review of Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chessville.com|url-status=usurped|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321195646/http://www.chessville.com/links/Chess_Today/Chess_Today.htm|archivedate=2012-03-21}}{{cite web|url=http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/the-big-three-and-then-some|title=John Watson review ten years on|date=2017-06-11|publisher=theweekinchess.com}}
= Chess reviews =
This section generally included reviews of recently published chess books. Reviews were contributed by Sam Collins, Don Aldrich and Andy Ansel but there were reviews from other players too.{{cite web|url=http://www.easytorecall.com/chess_today.htm|title=easytorecall.com|date=2017-06-07|publisher=easytorecall.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.chessville.com/links/Chess_Today/Chess_Today.htm|title=Chessville Review of Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chessville.com|url-status=usurped|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321195646/http://www.chessville.com/links/Chess_Today/Chess_Today.htm|archivedate=2012-03-21}}{{cite web|url=http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/the-big-three-and-then-some|title=John Watson review ten years on|date=2017-06-11|publisher=theweekinchess.com}}
= Endgame kaleidoscope =
This was a speciality of Chess Today and usually involved Grandmaster Baburin investigating a topical or recent endgame or endgames in great detail, also making use of endgame tablebases (sometimes using ‘FinalGen’{{cite web|url=http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/33196/1/CEN36-2.pdf|title=University of Reading Chess Endgame News|date=2017-06-13|publisher=University of Reading}}) and modern chess engines.{{cite book|author=Joel Benjamin|title=Liquidation on the Chess Board: Mastering the Transition into the Pawn Ending|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NyhBCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA8|year=2015|publisher=New In Chess|isbn=978-90-5691-554-4|page=8}}{{cite web|url=http://www.kingpinchess.net/2014/03/short-and-brutal|title=Review of Nick Pelling's 'Chess Superminiatures' in Kingpin Chess Magazine.|date=2017-06-12|publisher=KingPin}}{{cite web|url=http://dejanbojkov.blogspot.co.uk/2008/03/alex-baburin-annotates-endgames-from.html|title=Dejan Bojkov Chess Blog|date=2017-06-12|publisher=Dejan Bojkov}}
= Web watch =
This section offered readers updates on changes in the lay of the land in terms of the presence of chess on the Internet.{{cite web|url=http://www.gmsquare.com/webwatch/index.html|title=GMSquare Webwatch|date=2017-06-15|publisher=GMSquare}}
= Beware: blunder! =
This section gave examples of relatively or very strong players making mistakes and allowed readers to find improvements and understand the reason for the blunder.{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1016974|title=Collection of games at chessgames website|date=2017-06-12|publisher=chessgames.com}}
= Interviews =
Occasionally Chess Today included interviews with Grandmasters and with other important individuals from the chess world.{{cite web|url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic316.html|title=theweekinchess.com|date=2017-06-09|publisher=theweekinchess.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.chessville.com/links/Chess_Today/Chess_Today.htm|title=Chessville Review of Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chessville.com|url-status=usurped|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321195646/http://www.chessville.com/links/Chess_Today/Chess_Today.htm|archivedate=2012-03-21}}{{cite web|url=http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/the-big-three-and-then-some|title=John Watson review ten years on|date=2017-06-11|publisher=theweekinchess.com}} Some of the most notable interviews have been with Grandmasters Glek,{{cite web|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/che-today-turns-1000/808|title=Chessbase on Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chessbase.com}} Anand{{cite web|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/che-today-turns-1000/808|title=Chessbase on Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chessbase.com}} (five-time World Chess Champion), Svidler,{{cite web|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/che-today-turns-1000/808|title=Chessbase on Chess Today|date=2017-06-08|publisher=chessbase.com}} Smyslov{{cite web|url=http://www.gmsquare.com/interviews/smyslov.html|title=GMSquare Smyslov|date=2017-06-10|publisher=gmsquare.com}} (former World Chess Champion), Spassky{{cite web|url=http://www.gmsquare.com/interviews/spassky.html|title=GMSquare Spassky|date=2017-06-10|publisher=gmsquare.com}} (former World Chess Champion) and Ponomariov{{cite web|url=http://www.gmsquare.com/interviews/ponomariov1.html|title=GMSquare Ponomariov|date=2017-06-10|publisher=gmsquare.com}} (former FIDE World Chess Champion).
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.chesstoday.net}}
{{Chess|state=collapsed}}