Run-DMSteve

  • World Chess Championship, Game 7: Does chess make you smart?

    When I was starting out in chess, when Victoria was on the throne and Britannia ruled the waves, the U.S. Chess Federation had a simple philosophy: Chess is for old white males. This wasn’t the USCF’s mission statement, but it might as well have been, because in 1967, when I…

  • World Chess Championship, Game 6: Horsepocalypse

    “Which chess piece has the most sex?” Emma Baccellieri asked last year on Deadspin. She was reacting to the unveiling of the NSFW, pawnographic 2018 World Championship logo. The knight was Ms. Baccellieri’s choice. The knight is sexy. The knight is DTF. Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana must feel the same…

  • World Chess Championship, Game 5: Royal rampage

    There are some weird things about chess. The people who play it, for example. OK, everything about chess is weird, beginning with the game’s raison d’être: the king. The king was one of the original pieces from the launch of chess in the 6th century. He hasn’t changed a bit,…

  • The sweet smell of success

    Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana are playing for a purse of one million euros. How much is that in real money? About $29.16 in the U.S., $31.20 in Canada, enough to buy a nice dinner for four in Mexico or a two-bedroom house in China with off-street parking. Each member…

  • World Chess Championship, Game 4: Chess broke my modem!

    Our modem tipped its king today and was removed from the board. Our resourceful internet service provider immediately vowed to replace the device…in two days. I don’t understand why an ISP would not have a modem or two in the supply closet. I guess they have to order one from…