Looking for an easy way to learn more about the openings? See our new email course. Our goal is to get you through the first few moves successfully and to teach you something about the different positions that you'll encounter. The course is structured so that 10 minutes per day is sufficient, but there's plenty more material if you have the time. Read more...

P.S. The course is absolutely free, but if you want 'to try before you buy', it uses the same principles shown on A Structured Introduction to the Chess Openings.

Over the next few months there an unusual number of first class chess events on the agenda. First, here are a handful that are going on at this moment.

• Chess Classic Mainz, 2008-07-27/-08-03
• British Championship, 2008-07-27/-08-09
• FIDE Grand Prix, Sochi, Russia, 2008-07-30/-08-15
• World Junior Chess Championship, Gaziantep, Turkey, 2008-08-02/-08-16

Coming up we can look forward to a World Championship Match, a Women's Chess Championship, an Olympiad, and much more.

• World Women's Chess Championship, Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, 2008-08-28/-09-18
• Grand Slam Chess Final Masters, Bilbao, Spain, 2008-09-02/-13
• World Championship Match, Anand - Kramnik, Bonn, 2008-10-14/-11-02
• European Club Cup, Kallithea, Greece, 2008-10-16/-24
• World Youth Championship, Vung Tau, Vietnam, 2008-10-19/-31
• 38th Chess Olympiad, Dresden, Germany, 2008-11-12/-11-25
• World Championship Challengers Match Topalov - Kamsky, Lvov, Ukraine, 2008-11-26/-12-15

If that doesn't satisfy your craving for top level chess, nothing will!