Well, I went to Wijk aan Zee in January because I thought I had to be present at this tournament at least once in my life. But I had so much fun that I'm going back next year as well - for the final 3 rounds, like this year.

Gold: from the BBC Archives - the 1972 documentary 'Bobby Fischer - This Little Thing with Me and Spassky'. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzlO... Apart from Fischer interviews, the film features archive footage from the 1959 Candidates, plus footage of the Teesside International of spring 1972.

Petition for the clocks to go forward at 4pm on a Friday afternoon instead of in the middle of Saturday night...

Three World Champions. Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky, pictured at the 41st USSR Championship final in Moscow, October 1973. With his back to the camera - Mikhail Tal. (📷: V. Savostianov, TASS.) #chess

56 years old today - Ukrainian GM and former World #2, Vasyl Ivanchuk. Pictured here in 1991. (📷: V. Rodionov, Novosti Press.) #chess

Beinn Tulaichean (left; 946m), seen from near the summit of Cruach Àrdrain (1046m). Southern Highlands of Scotland. We climbed both mountains today. Some much-needed time away from the computer screen.

'The Master Game'. Robert Byrne (USA) v. Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland) Top-class grandmasters on the BBC, and a classic game by Korchnoi. This episode was broadcast on BBC2 on Wednesday, 27th February 1980. #chess

He would have turned 82 today. #chess

Some photos of Boris Spassky’s memorial service in Moscow are available via the link below. The tenth World Champion was buried in the Troyekurovo cemetery earlier today. 🕯️ ruchess.ru/news/all/v_m...

Pictured, according to the archive, in 1986 - grandmaster & Women's World Champion* Maia Chiburdanidze (b. Kutaisi, USSR, 1961). *She held the title from 1978-1991. (📷: B. Kaufman, Novosti Press.) #chess

Iraida Spasskaya - sister of Boris - also passed away this year, on 23rd January. A 4-time Soviet champion at Russian draughts (shashki), she was born in wartime evacuation in Sverdlovsk (modern Yekaterinburg) on 6th November 1944. Pictured here (right) in 1965. (📷: M. Berger, Novosti Press.)

Very sad news. Boris Spassky 1937-2025. RIP.

Hans Ree ('My Chess', 2013) again - on the level of chess content that at one time used to be printed by the national press (at least, in the Netherlands).

A journalist who once saw [Kasparov & Karpov] chatting together amiably enough asked one of the two - I forget which one - how he should square this with the reports about their supposed enmity. The answer he got was: "Who else can I talk about chess with?" - Hans Ree, ‘My Chess’ (2013).

I don't know if the fictional detective 'Morse' is well known outside the U.K. but the novels by Colin Dexter & especially the TV series, with John Thaw starring in the title role, were extremely popular here. Morse was a lover of crosswords.

Half a century ago today: the 1st round of the biennial international tournament in Tallinn. Among the pairings: Keres v. Marović. Spassky can be seen passing in the background. (📷: D. Prants, O. Vihandi, via muis.ee, meediateek.ee.) #chess

65 years old today - German (formerly Soviet) GM Artur Jussupow. World Junior (U-20) Champion in 1977, he was three times a Candidates' semi-finalist. Seen here in play during his Candidates' Quarter-final match v. Jan Timman in Tilburg, January 1986. (📷: J. Klok / ANP.) #chess

Two portraits of the great Aron Nimzowitsch, the first (by John Graudenz) from 1927, the second (Atelier Jacobi) from 1930. #chess

Born 75 years ago today in Cheliabinsk, USSR - Evgeny Sveshnikov (1950-2021), without doubt one of the most significant opening theoreticians of the 20th century. Pictured here at Wijk aan Zee, January 1981. (📷R. Bogaerts / ANEFO, via nationaalarchief.nl.) #chess

Bobby Fischer, pictured in play v. Yair Kraidman in the 2nd round of the international tournament in Netanya, Israel, 18th June 1968. The Israeli player pushed Fischer all the way but the game ended in a draw in 80 moves. (📷via jfc.org.il.) #chess

@gmjtis.bsky.social This is the film I was telling you about. Magical. www.youtube.com/watch?v=E48r...

What a final round! Having to miss the playoffs, as I need to catch the plane back to Scotland. My time in Wijk aan Zee was a total joy. Fantastic atmosphere, new friends made, & it was lovely to meet online acquaintances in person for the first time as well. #TataSteelChess

Another glorious morning in Wijk aan Zee!

A packed Café De Zon, with Ivan Sokolov on stage.

Finally made it to Wijk aan Zee. Plane from Aberdeen to Amsterdam early yesterday, visited Rijksmuseum & Max Euwe Centre, then train to Beverwijk, then walked the few remaining kms to the coast. I really like the place! Already made some friends here. And the weather could hardly be better.

The Dutch master Salo Landau (b. Bochnia, Poland, 1903) was one of several well-known chessplayers who lost their lives in the Holocaust. He died some time between December 1943 & March 1944 in the labour camp at Grodziszcze (Gräditz), Poland. #HolocaustMemorialDay

Half a century ago today - the drawing of lots for the 1975 edition of the Hoogoven tournament, at Wijk aan Zee. L to R: Svetozar Gligorić, Lajos Portisch, Robert Hübner, Jan Smejkal, Walter Browne, Hans Ree. (📷:https://noord-hollandsarchief.nl) #chess

Born 81 years ago today in Kladno (in what became Czechoslovakia) - Vlastimil Hort. In 1977 he reached the Candidates, and got as high as World #6. He is a 3-time German champion. Pictured here at Wijk aan Zee, 1982. (📷: H. van Dijk / ANEFO, via nationaalarchief.nl.) #chess

"Wijk aan Zee is a small town in the Netherlands that can be reached from Amsterdam by train or bus in an hour. Nothing special happens there most of the year, but in summer people like to go there to swim..."

6-time U.S. Champion, GM Walter Browne (1949-2015) was born 76 years ago today in Sydney (Australia). Pictured here in play at the 1971 Amsterdam IBM tournament (📷: H. Peters, R. Mieremet / ANEFO, via nationaalarchief.nl.) #chess

Born 73 years ago today in Lviv - Oleg Romanishin. A Soviet Master of Sport at only 16, he was European Junior Champion in 1972/73. He became a GM in 1976 after finishing =2nd in the 1975 USSR-ch. Pictured here at the 50th USSR-ch (Moscow, 1983). (📷: D. Donskoi, Novosti Press.) #chess

"Fischer once asked me, 'Lajos, is it true that you work [on chess] 8 hours a day?' And I said, 'Why are you asking? People also think that you work 8 hours a day. ' Then Bobby said, 'Oh yes, but they think that I am crazy.'" - Lajos Portisch, speaking in 1990.

There is a small exhibition in honor of the Andreas Dückstein who passed away in august last year. During his career he played against 7 world champions and won against 3 of them! @dgriffinchess.bsky.social #chess #chesspunks

Wijk aan Zee, 7th round, 19th January 1971. Miguel Najdorf v. Robert Hübner - a key game in the development of what would become known as the Hübner Variation in the Nimzo-Indian Defence. (📷: R. Croes / ANEFO, via nationaalarchief.nl.) #chess

Very sad news. en.chessbase.com/post/robert-...

Some nice views to be had in this part of the world, from near the road, or even on it.

Happy New Year to all from Ullapool in the North-West Highlands of Scotland.

In case people were unaware: the back catalogue of the Danish magazine 'Skakbladet' is available, free, on line: danbase.skak.dk/skakbladet.php Currently enjoying some of Larsen's annotations, with the help of Google Translate. There are some real gems to be found.

Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., 1904 - the event after which the eponymous variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined is named. Note the dress code...

The tournament book of the 2nd Moscow International (1935). Both the original (published in the USSR in 1937) and the English-language translation, produced by Caissa in 1998, are things of beauty.

Wijk aan Zee, 29th January 1975. A live broadcast by the Dutch radio station 'NOS' (Nederlandse Omroep Stichting) during the 1975 Hoogovens tournament, featuring Rob Hartoch (speaking) & Jan Timman. On the board is an Alekhine's Defence. (📷:https://noord-hollandsarchief.nl) #chess

70 years old today - Aleksandr Beliavsky. World Junior (U-20) Champion in 1973, he won four Soviet championships (1974, 1980, 1987 & 1990) and was a World Championship Candidate in 1983. Photo details via the 'Alt' tabs.

A very fine website for those with an interest in Aaron Nimzowitsch, and chess history in general: nimzowitsch.net/startseite.h... #chess

BLOG UPDATE: 5 games added to the page on Lisitsyn's book on the 10th USSR Championship: Belavenets-Ragozin, Ilyin Zhenevsky-I. Rabinovich, Rauzer-Alatortsev, Rauzer-Panov & Levenfish-Rauzer. dgriffinchess.wordpress.com/2022/03/26/l... #chess

Opened this evening. Well, it’s nearly Christmas-time.

#Chess history was made today. Here is a graphical representation of the age at which each of the 18 World Champions first gained the title. #DingGukesh.

Havana, 17th November 1966. Bobby Fischer is pictured in play v. Florin Gheorghiu on top board of the Romania v. USA match, in the 12th round of the 'A' finals. (📷: Yu. Paporov, Novosti Press.) #chess

David Bronstein & Boris Spassky, possibly in Argentina in 1960 - both Soviet GMs played in the tournament in Mar del Plata in March of that year. (📷via gpntb.ru.) #chess

One of the great #chess photos, taken on this day in 1962 by A. Ekekyan: ex-World Champion Mikhail Tal, pictured in play v. Nikolai Krogius in the 11th round of the 30th USSR Championship final, on the stage of the Yerevan Philharmonia in the capital of Soviet Armenia.

The medal collection of David Bronstein, which resides in the Chess Museum in Moscow (having been presented to the RCF by Bronstein's widow in Feb. 2021). Included are golds from 2 USSR Championships (1948, 1949) & 3 Olympiads (1952, 1954, 1958). (📷: ruchess.ru.)