Monthly Archives: March 2020

It enlightens The international sjakkforbundet (Fide) in a statement on Thursday.

the Background for the decision is that the government of Russia has ordered aviation authorities to put all the scheduled flights and chartered planes to and from the country on the ground from Friday. The country will stop all international flights as a measure to limit the infection of the koronaviruset.

For despite the fact that all sports events have been cancelled or moved as a result of virusutbruddet, started kandidatturneringen where eight players compete to get to meet Magnus Carlsen for the world CHAMPIONSHIP duel, as planned in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on Tuesday.

The international sjakkforbundet writes in the statement that the tournament cant continue without there being guarantees that players and managers get safely home.

It came as a consequence of that the russians have finally tightened into how they handle this viruskrisen. And since it will no longer be possible to get out of Russia about a couple of days, then found out that one only had to cancel so that the participants going home to their country of origin, says Nrks sjakkekspert Torstein Bae.

He believes this is a serious decision, which clearly is significant for would no longer be competitive and for the world CHAMPIONSHIP cycle.

Why should would no longer be competitive to continue with her?

Bae is critical that the tournament was cancelled on an earlier date, and was not cancelled or postponed like all other major sporting events.

It is clear there is reason to ask about it, if one in all ought to have gone in once with this tournament, when all the other sports have cancelled all their. Why should would no longer be competitive to continue with her? It was not difficult to predict that someone either could be sick, or if it would happen any further which meant that you had to break, he says to NRK.

the Battle for who will be Carlsens world cup rival will continue at a later time. When will the results from the seven rounds so far conducted will be applicable when the parties resumed.

If you start from scratch again, so they will which is the best the way to react to it. At the same time, if one is to take off at the starting point they have now, so it will be very difficult to get with the worst way. Seen this way, itd be better now if we had had a zero and only deferred to a later time, says Bae.

Protested against the tournament

the Introduction to the say the least, been chaotic.

Earlier this week selected, Teimur Radjabov, who should participate, to withdraw from the tournament after having asked The international sjakkforbundet whether to move the tournament.

Also the former toppspilleren Vladimir Kramnik, who would have commented on the tournament, withdrew from the mission in protest.

I think it is a mistake to hosting the tournament for several reasons: Both for the reputation, legal and not least the human, he wrote in a statement.

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The pursuit of Carlsens world cup rival in the chess engine is stopped - The KXAN 36 News

FIDE Candidates TournamentYekaterinburg, RussiaMarch 15April 5, 2020

Current Standings (round 7 of 14)

12 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave FRA 2767, Ian Nepomniachtchi RUS 2774, 4.5/7

36 Fabiano Caruana USA 2842, Alexander Grischuk RUS 2777, Anish Giri NED 2763, Wang Hao CHN 2762, 3.5/7

78 Kirill Alekseenko RUS 2698, Ding Liren CHN 2805, 2.5/7

Average Rating 2774 Category 21

Time Control: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, then 15 minutes for the rest of the game with 30 seconds added to the clocks after every move starting move 1

Special Rules: No draw offers allowed until after move 40

Tie Breaks: The following are used to break a tie for 1st place: (1) Direct encounter, (2) Wins, (3) Sonneborn-Berger. If they are still tied after the three systems are applied then a playoff beginning with four 25-minute games is played

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave defeated erstwhile tournament leader Ian Nepomniachtchi in the 7th round of the Candidates Tournament and tied with him for the lead.

Opening Note: In December 2017 Demis Hassabis (a former world-ranked junior chess player) and his DeepMind team (DeepMind is a subsidiary of Google Inc.) introduced AlphaZero to the world. It is an artificial intelligence which can play chess. What is so revolutionary about it is that whereas the usual chess engines (the big 3 of which is Stockfish, Komodochess and Houdini) are taught by their programmers and GM consultants on how to play chess AlphaZero had a different approach. Through the process of machine learning it is just given the rules of the game and by playing against itself the algorithm determines the moves which are more likely to give you a win. As it plays more and more games it naturally gets better and better. This is the so-called Monte Carlo method.

AlphaZero was matched against Stockfish 8, the acknowledged computer chess champion, in a series of twelve 100-game matches and the Monte Carlos engine won 290, drew 886 and lost 24.

This new artificial intelligence chess engine really played some awesome games and naturally the openings it played (which, I emphasize, were not fed into it by humans but which it developed itself) were put under great scrutiny.

Many articles and even books (especially the one written by GM Matthew Sadler and Natasha Regan entitled Game Changer is very good) have been written about its groundbreaking chess strategies. One of its favorite maneuvers is to push its h-pawn towards the opponents kingside castled king. If it is not blocked it will continue its march as far as h6. This of course goes against the long-held classical strategy of not advancing ones flank pawns but the results speak for themselves.

Many GMs are now adopting this strategy. For example in the Gruenfeld Exchange we have lately been seeing 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 O-O 9.O-O Nc6 10.Be3 b6 11.h4 and sometimes without waiting to castle first himself: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 O-O 9.Be3 Nc6 10.h4.

That is the historical background to the following game we are about to see.

Vachier Lagrave, Maxime (2767) Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2774) [C18]FIDE Candidates 2020Yekaterinburg (7.2), 25.03.2020

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.h4

We have entered the realm of the French Winawer Variation, and the main line starts with 7.Qg4 leading to a very sharp struggle. Lately, with all this AlphaZero groundbreaking strategies stuff the text move has become very popular. There was a series of articles many years ago in Inside Chess by Yasser Seirawan trying to show that the Winawer has been refuted. Bobby Fischer agrees with him many years earlier he had said that I may be forced to admit the Winawer is sound. But I doubt it! The defense is anti-positional and weakens the K-side. But dont let Yasser or Fischer discourage you, for there are many great players who passionately played the line and have legions of brilliant games Mikhail Botvinnik, Wolfgang Uhlmann (who used the Winawer almost exclusively for over 50 years up to now), Tigran Petrosian, Viktor Korchnoi, former double Soviet Champion Lev Psakhis and perhaps the entire Armenian chess nation! It is still very much alive and kicking.

7Qc7

At the risk of sounding obvious, Black is threatening cxd4 followed by Qc3+. You would think that White is forced to respond with Nc3, but no he is not.

8.h5

A few rounds earlier Alekseenko played 8.Nf3 but after 8b6 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Be2 Ba4 11.00 Nd7 12.Be3 h6 13.Ra2 Nf5 14.Bf4 Qc6 15.Rb2 a6 16.dxc5 Qxc5 17.Rb4 b5 Black held easily. Alekseenko, K. (2698) Nepomniachtchi, I. (2774) FIDE Candidates 2020 1/2 40.

8h6

[8cxd4 9.cxd4 Qc3+ 10.Bd2 Qxd4 11.Nf3 Qe4+ 12.Be2 Nf5 13.Kf1 b6 is a well-known gambit which might be too risky (for both sides!) to be played in a Candidates tournament]

9.Rb1

[9.Nf3 is the normal move but apparently MVL did not want to block his queen from going to g4]

9b6 10.Qg4 Rg8!?

In the 2017 Champions Showdown in Saint Louis Wesley So defeated the newly-transplanted US (formerly Cuban) GM Leinier Dominguez with 10Kf8 11.Rh3 Ba6 12.Bxa6 Nxa6 13.Ne2 cxd4 14.cxd4 Qxc2 15.Rb2 Qe4 16.Qxe4 dxe4 17.Nc3 Rc8 18.Bd2 Rc4 19.Nxe4 Rxd4 20.Nd6 Nc5 21.Ke2 Rd5 Wesley is better. Dominguez Perez,L-So,W Saint Louis 2017 01 (32).

11.Bb5+ Kf8 12.Bd3 Ba6 13.dxc5 Bxd3 14.cxd3 Nd7

White cannot play 15cxb6? Qxc3+ 16.Bd2 Qxd3 when Black is clearly better.

15.d4 bxc5

Black is threatening to play 16cxd4 17.cxd4 Qc2 with very annoying threats.

16.Qd1 Qa5 17.Bd2 Rb8

MVL is not afraid of 17Qxa3 because after 18.Ne2 Qa6 (Black has to move his queen out of the way in order to make advancing the a-pawn a threat) 19.00 Qc8 20.Bc1 followed by Ba3 and White has castled, can put his bishop on a3 to control the a3f8 diagonal and incidentally block the Black a-pawn advance, and in general threaten the enemy King.

18.Ne2 c4

I dont think this was the right plan. Closing the center makes sense, but I do not think he is in time (Vachier-Lagrave).

19.00

MVL took 25 minutes over this move. Perhaps he was weighing castling kingside against Rh1h3f3 or g3.

19Rb6 20.Qc2

Going for f2f4f5 which probably Black must prevent with f7f5.

20Rh8

Crowther, Mark: Stopping Qh7 but it seems like a waste of time and might even be the decisive error in an already difficult position.

21.a4 Ke8

POSITION AFTER 21KE8

Blacks play in the opening makes a strange impression. He moved his rook from h8g8 back to h8, and his King from e8f8 and then back to e8.]

22.Rb4!

A very strong move, preparing an exchange sacrifice.

22Nc6

[22Rxb4 23.cxb4 Qb6 24.b5 followed by Bb4 is too strong for White]

23.f4!

With the queenside basically sealed MVL takes action against the Black King. Things are looking rather grim for Black.

23Ne7

After the earlier Rh8g8h8 and Ke8f8e8 now Nepo goess Ne7c6e7. He didnt have a choice now though for taking the rook is a disaster: 23Nxb4 24.cxb4 Qa6 (giving the exchange back is not an option, for 24Rxb4 25.Qc3 wins an entire piece) 25.b5 Qc8 26.f5 Blacks game is collapsing. MVL pointed out that in addition to the kingside threats he also has Bb4, Nc3 followed by a4a5.

24.Rfb1 f5 25.Rb5 Qa6 26.Bc1!

Repositioning his bishop to a3.

26Kf7 27.Ba3 Rhb8 28.Bxe7! Kxe7 29.g4! Rxb5

[29fxg4 30.Rxb6 Rxb6 31.Rf1! followed by f4f5]

30.axb5 Rxb5 31.gxf5 Rxb1+ 32.Qxb1 exf5 33.Ng3 Qb6 34.Nxf5+ Kf8 35.Qa1!

Prevents Black from advancing his passer on the queenside while threatening to infiltrate the black position.

35Qe6 36.Ng3! Qg4

[36Qb6 then White proceeds with 37.Qa3+ (Careful! The obvious 37.f5 is refuted by 37Nxe5 and the tables have turned) 37Kf7 38.Kg2 followed by f4f5 or Nf5 and Black cannot survive this]

37.Kg2 Qxf4 38.Qxa7

Coolly threatening the black knight. MVL is not afraid of the queen checks.

38Ke7 39.Qa3+ Kd8 40.Qd6 g5

[40Kc8 41.Qc6+ Kd8 42.Qxd5 mops up the black pawns in the center.]

41.hxg6 h5 42.g7 Qd2+ 43.Kh3 10

After this game Maxime Vachier-Lagrave tied for the lead at the halfway mark. The next day FIDE suspended the tournament because of the coronavirus pandemic.

We will continue this story on Thursday.

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

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Candidates Tournament halted - BusinessWorld Online

With eight rounds to go, we have a sole leader on +3.Ian Nepomniachtchi has been onfire in this event, playingqualitychess and pressuring his opponentsinto makingmistakes. We are seeing the best ofNepomniachtchi in this event, and withoutmaking any radical claims he should beconsidered a favouriteto win the title (notwithstanding his healthissues) dueto thelead he possesses. With this general background out of the way, let us get into the crux of this article finding resources which the Candidates either missed or underestimated.

I have found tangible improvements in Caruana-MVL and Giri-Caruana, so we will focus on those two first. I will then present an alternative way to play the theoretical Najdorf in Alekseenko-MVL, andlastly I will point out a very imaginative idea (though notnecessarily an improvement) in Wang-Alekseenko forBlack, all of these courtesyFat Fritz and my chess filters! Onwards!

Navigating the Ruy Lopez Vol.1-3

The Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest openings which continues to enjoy high popularity from club level to the absolute world top. In this video series, American super GM Fabiano Caruana, talking to IM Oliver Reeh, presents a complete repertoire for White.

Why do I start with this game? Well, think of this as the biggest findof my analytical career till now! It seemed to me during the live broadcast that the general plan chosen by Fabi according to his opening preparation was sub-optimal, so I decided to check forimprovements. The results are quite astonishing frankly after more than nine hours of work I havecompiled a ratherastonishing idea thatasfar as Iknow has never been tried in similar structures! Let'shave a look:

This is the positionafter White's 10.c2!?, which is a rare move according to the databases, but aperfectly logical continuation. Here Caruana continued with 10...bd7!? 11.0-0-0 b6, but I am not convinced with his play, and decided to find an improvement. Well, here is the idea: Black plays the seemingly anti-positional 10...dxc4!N, which isalready taking thegame into uncharted territory. After White's logical 11.xc4aren't you wonderingwhy Black took on c4? Here despite White not losing a tempo by taking on c4 directly, I feel that after the next move he should not even have a symbolic advantage! Any guesses?

11...a5!!This is the last move that would come to most people's minds here. But Fat Fritz thinks differently. What is the point of this move? Well, common senseindicates that it just gainsqueenside space, and if Black is allowed to do it he will go b5 and a4 and b4, crushing White's queenside ambitions.Does this mean c5 is chucked out of the window?Not quite!In some positions that pawn break still comes, andBlack losing control of the b5 square is not so dangerous he has the b4 square to compensate for it and White's kingside structure is rather weak, due to the advance of the f-pawn.I havetried to logicallyexplain the ideas of this move, but it is impossible to cover them all, so with concrete variations I hope to convinceyou thatthe idea is not only perfectly sound, but also practically dangerous forthe playerwith the White pieces!

The critical response toBlack's wing attack is to counter it with an assault on the other wing with 12.h4!?. We will analyse that move last let us first check the alternatives for White on move 12:

After the natural, but risky 12.0-0 (White castles into a semi-open h-file) Black has this nice pawn break with 12...c5!. Does the move a5, weakening the b5 square,come back to haunt us? Not quite! Let us check the position after a few more moves 13.b5+ c6 14.dxc5 xc5 15.a4:

White wins a pawn and makes Black lose his castling rights after 15...a7! 16.xc6+ bxc6 17.xc6+ f8, but here concrete factors are a lot more important therook on the open h-file and the monster bishop on a7 guarantee Blackcomplete compensation. After a few more logical moves we reach the following position:

Black is completely fine here he has the more active pieces and White's king will be under constant pressure.The extra pawn is simply notrelevant.

What about 12.0-0-0?Well after 12...a4 13.b1 a3! 14.b3 the above position is reached, and shows one of Black's key plansbecoming a success the advanceof therook pawn to create weaknesses around White'sking.After a few logical moves we canreach the following diagram:

Black is comfortably equal here his lack of central space is compensated by the long term weakness of the White king.

To make my lines better, I was using Stockfish in tandem to understand why it doesn't understandBlack's ideas! Its choice afterdecent thought was 12.d1 with an evaluation of around 0.20. Now after 12...0-0 13.0-0 (The alternatives can be found in the file) b5 14.e2 b6 15.h1, Black has the thematic idea 15...a6!, preparing c5 and jumping to b4.Not torepeat myself, but Black is fine!

12.e2!? is actually a clever move, stepping out of anytempo winning b5 moves. However, the catch is that after 12...a6! White is unable to stopc5 with dynamic equality.

At long last! This move is the most interesting one to analyse,though it can be disputed if it's the best White can do. Black to play 12...bd7!, andhere we have a further split.

Apart from 13.0-0-0 White has a few additional options. 13.e2!? b8! 14.0-0-0 b5! is one, where he is forced to go in for therisky line 15.xe6!? fxe6 16.xg6+ f8 17.f4d6 18.e4, but here Blackhas a strong counter.18...e5!

One can continue the analysis from here, but it is clear that Black is in noway worse White has to prove his compensation for the piece, and it seems to me that he has the tougher taskahead of him.

13.g4 is most direct, discouraging Black fromcastling short, but it doesn't seem to affect us much after 13...d5! Black takes advantage of the newly available d5 square.After alogical sequence 14.0-0-0 xc3 15.xc3 b6! 16.e2 Black has to find the only move tofully equalise, butit is not so tough:

16...b4! Black ismaking good use of the move a5!

There is the move 13.d3!?, stepping out of any b6 tricks that win a tempo, but it is a little slow 13...c8 14.e4!? b6 15.e5 (above) and here Black has a choicebetween 15...d5 (staying active) and the shocking 15...g8!, in both cases having equal chances. The choice for the reader to make isbased on the position below:

Are you afraid of this sacrifice? If so, don't choose 15...d5 (from the note above), andgo for 15...g8!,which also involves a bit of defense, but is a little safer. However, Iprefer principled chess, and the objective evaluation after this is that White is the onewho has to prove compensation for the piece, and Black holds on with moves that are relatively easy to find.

After 18.xg6!? above we reach this position after a forcedsequence. It might seem scary for Black, but he has things under control. Chess is a game where you need to do many things well, and ifdefense of such positions issomething you don't do well, then takeit as a challenge and master it!

13.e4!? should also be considered, but this is an improvement for us over the main line 13...a4! 14.0-0-0 b6, with a complex and unclear game ahead.The critical lineleads to thenext diagram

With a pawn sacrificeBlack distracts White from his kingside attack, and obtains the initiative.

Now back to the mainline 12.h4 bd7 13.0-0-0. Here Black mustmake the thematic advance 14...a4!,gaining space and creating weaknessesin front of White's king.After a logical sequence, we can reach the final diagram of this portion:

For reasons of space I didn't cover the line that leads here (consult the notes), but the final position is the culmination of Black'sideas he hasgood control of the d5 break and White's advances could quickly become weaknesses. Black is forever fine! (Thanks Adorjan!)

Here are the extensive notes to the novelty 10...dxc4! 11.xc4 a5!!

The Solid Slav Defence

This Slav DVD is a complete opening repertoire for black after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6. GM Nick Pert has played the Slav defence for over 10 years and provides all his latest and most up to date analysis crammed into one video series. Nick has spent many hours studying the best Slav lines, and he explains his favourite variations, plus includes some interactive clips where the viewer is tested on a range of theoretical questions and tactics arising from Slav games.

Caruana's Slav has not gone according to the plan so far | Photo: FIDE Candidates 2020

The other fascinating clash that caught my attention almost immediately. With 1/3it might seem as if Fabiano is playing it safe, but his games are anything but dull! He managed to put incredible pressure on the Russian, but Nepomniachtchi managed to hold after a few inaccuracies from the WorldNo.2. Here, my aim was to initially find an improvement for White, but my resulting analysis is probably relevant to the Black player as well. Let us digin!

Winning against the Grnfeld

The Grnfeld is a highly dynamic opening in which Black's position often seems to hang together by a single thread; and yet, this apparently precarious equilibrium appears to be enough to make it entirely viable up to the highest level.

The strength of 7.c4 against the Gruenfeld is sometimes underestimated as far as practical value is concerned. White plays in classical fashion, and Black's best bet is to enter this passive Semi-Tarrasch formation. Here Fat Fritz likes three moves:11.d2, which Caruana played, 11.dxc5 which has beenneutralised after 11...c7!, and my proposed improvement,11.b5!?

This moveis actually quite interesting, and hasn't been exploredmuch at the top level, save one Giri-MVL game. Itleads to positionsthat are rich in strategic content, andin the limited time I got to analyse this position, I found no clear way for Black to kill the game off. Sure, he has one nice novelty that Fat Fritzfinds almost immediately, but White can still press in the critical position arising there.

This is the novelty after 11...b7 12.c1 Black plays the aggressive 12...d6!. It takesa regular engine likeStockfish some time to appreciate this idea, but for Fat Fritzthis is a move it sticks with as the best from the beginning. Black's main idea is to keep the positions ofhis rooks flexible, and not commit to anythingdrastic. This is the hardest nut to crack as far as an opening advantage is concerned, but I have managed to find some resources here, which should interest both sides. Before analysing this in depth let us look at the old move 12...c8.

The Giri-MVL game went 13.d2a5 14.d5 and here Black's besttry to equalise is not Vachier-Lagrave'smove14..e6, but14...a6!?N as shown here. Aftera forcedsequence we can reach the next diagram:

Black is still not fully equal, and he has to suffer for quite a while here to slowly bring the game towards a draw. This is why I don't quite likethe solution Vachier-Lagrave chose on move 13, and instead recommend 13...e6! as Black's besttry for equality.

This position is from the stem game Giri-MVL. Here can you findthe best way for White to obtain a one-sided advantage?

Now,returning to the main move 13...e6! after 12...c8 13.d2,the following sequence of moves reach the above position: 14.fd1 cxd4 15.cxd4 a5N 16.xc8 xc8 17.g5 andnow the important move 17...a6!, preparing to solidify the knight on c4 with b5.

The reason I don't quite like 12...c8 as much as 12...d6!N isthis:even if Black finds all the best moves, after20.c1 Fat Fritz gives White around 0.25, which is the advantage he carries since move 1.The position here is also not that simpleto play for Black he still has to be accurate enough if he wants toequalise the game thus, my preference for the main line.

Now, we shall return to 12...d6 13.d2 (the best, read the notes to understand why)cxd4 14.cxd4 and now the surprising move 14...fc8! is Black's idea in this line. To understand exactly why this is good, go through the analysis carefully.

When the other rook comes to c8, this idea of e5loses for Black. Can you seewhy?

I hope you noticed the difference! Here White has nothing better than 18.h3xc1 19.xc1 exd420.hxg4 c8 and Black is fine because the huge pawn mass can't advance easily.

Another reason why 14...fc8 isthe best move in that given position,Black can afford to trade queensafter 15.fd1 a6 16.c4b4!. The differences arereally minute, but they end up changing the evaluation quite a bit. That's granular analysis for you!

After someworkwith the engine, I decided to recommend 15.h4!? as White's main try in this position, even though this is not the first choice of theengine. My reasons are madeclear after 15...b4! 16.xb4 xb4 17.c3 e6 18.h5!? (see next diagram).

White retains some pressure in this ending, and the presence of both rooks should favour the attacker, which is White here. An evaluation of 0.18 by Fat Fritz shows it too sees the dangers in Black's positions, even if objectively he should equalise in the long run. The line in general needs a lot of tests for a definite final evaluation, but I like White here.

The position is definitely more complex than I thought it was | Photo: FIDECandidates 2020

The last two ideas will be mentioned in brief here, as compared to the two above I didn't have too much time to spend on them:

Mastering the Sicilian Najdorf

This Najdorf-DVD is suited for the beginner as well as experienced club players. Pelletier presents a classical repertoire that's easy to learn and covers all you need to know about the Najdorf.

Instead of 14.e1, as played by White in the game, I propose the interesting continuation 14.g5 c5 15.h4! as an interesting try for players on the White side. Fat Fritz gives White 0.40 here, which is not to be underestimated, and I have attached a few sample lines for further exploration by the readers.

Instead of 9...a4 which ALekseenko tried in the game, 9...b5! seems to be a more ambitious alternative. Black is fine in all variations, and I have provided some examples.

More:

Out-preparing the Candidates with Fat Fritz (Part 2) - Chessbase News

Nick J. March 25, 2020

Reddit user Imania is a prolific creator, bending the Source Engine to his will over the years making more than 80 maps and mods for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. In his latest creation, he has decided to bring one of the world's oldest popular games to one of its newest.

Imania has ported such games as UNO, Connect 4, and Golf It! to Counter-Strike, but this time they decided to stay on the traditional side of gaming with their newest addition. Imania has managed to bring a real working chessboard into CSGO, complete with moving pieces and highlighted movement options, all governed by the classic rules of chess.

The mod is playable by two players, who choose which piece to move using a simple click of the mouse. Reception to the mod has been very positive, with some even discussing a theoretical ending to the game of chess featured in Imania's screenshots.

This isn't the first time the creator has made popular games inside the Source engine. Right now, Steam users can head over to Imania's Steam Workshop page and choose from over 80 maps and mods to download, ranging from the creator's newest uploads to Overcooked and even to a working Rubic's Cube.

Ever wanted to play Golf It!, but on Cache? You can do that.

The Source Engine is known for two things: its occasional stubbornness and its ability to create some pretty insane things. Given the amount of time everyone has on their hands these days, these are some great maps to dive into with friends while players wait for the all-clear.

Counter-Strike also has some fantastic cooperative maps out there floating around. Michael "shroud" Grzesiek famously went on a cooperative kick a few years ago, leading content so good it probably made Tarik "tarik" Celek jealous.

Be sure to check out Imania's complete collection over on his Steam Workshop page and drop them a compliment. Working with the Source Engine isn't as easy as Imania and others make it seem.

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Someone just made a working game of chess in CSGO - WIN.gg

A distinct part of German pop culture is the singer Katja Ebstein.Born on 9 March 1945, atwe just celebrated her 75th birthday. Among her songsquite a few refer to her passion, theatre, and indeed one of her most famous songs getting hersecond place atthe Eurovision Song Contest 1980 isTheater, about clowns wearing their masks for the show and feeling lonely afterwards. Our protagonistwould have probablybeen a fan of thesong,had helived a bit longer.

Theatre, literature, chess composition. Abram Gurvich (12 February 1897 - 18 November 1962) was an expert of it all. Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, Gurvich moved to Moscow to pursue a career as a literary and theatre critic and became a member of the Soviet writers guild.

Shortly before the book Meisterwerke der Endspielkunstwas printed, Gurvich died, so Dr. Speckmann added a short obituary in the book, quoting the first replayable study below as one of Gurvichs best works. It won the first prize in Shakhmaty v SSSR 1955 (first semester) and firstplace at the 4th USSR Championship 1953-1956. The ending reminds me of a widely reprinted Kasparovcombination which I include for comparison. Gurvich has 131 endgame studies in the October 2015 database by Harold van der Heijden, including versions, corrections, modifications and co-authored studies.

Speckmann referred to an unnamed article (possibly an obituary), which mentionedthat Gurvichs elaborationswere always marked by a polished expression with courageous and surprising thought, as he wasthe kind of person that could turncomplicated, unsettled and unclear productionsintoharmoniousand orderly constructions. Speckmann adds that this holdstrue not only in his literary works but also in his endgame studies despite having only published a small number of composed endgames, all of them are of high or very highartistic value.

Gurvichs article that would translate to The poetry of chess, the main portionof the book Meisterwerke der Endspielkunst,does not contain a single study byGurvich, however. Speckmann had translated this long article that servedas introduction to the book Soviet Chess Studies( ) sometimes namedSoviet Chess Problems [pictured, right]that was published in Moscow 1955by Fizkultura i Sport.

I will use that article in Speckmanns translation as a sourcefor Gurvichs views on endgame studies (also the EG, issue 4, review of the original article), so readers must note that they are from 1955 when Gurvich was in his early 60s. Gurvichs first studies were published in 1926, so at that time he had been composingfor nearly 30 years. Unfortunately, not much information is available to me about Gurvichs life, so we will mostly concentrate on his views on chess studies. It is of note that Gurvich added the experience from his profession as critic to those views for example when quoting the writer Vladimir Mayakovsky, a prominent figure of Russian Futurism.

Werner Speckmann (21 August 1913 - 23 February 2001) was President (andhonorary President later on) of the German Chess ProblemFederation Schwalbefrom 1969 to 1982, which he managed tointegrateinto the general German Chess Federation (Deutscher Schachbund). He composed several thousand chess problems, of which there are over 1700 miniatures (problems with seven or less pieces). Despite his great contribution to chess composition which cant all be named here (he wrote numerous articles, books, and other works) only 18 endgame studies (ca. 15 unique ones) are known by him. He was a civil court judge in the German city of Hamm. At the time ofpublication of the translation ofGurvichs articleeitherhe orpublisher Walter de Gruyter shortened the second half. I translatedquotes from the articleinto English based onSpeckmanns translation.

According to the mentioned article The poetry of chess,Gurvich rejected all that is mechanical, systematized or unnatural (P.S.V., i.e. Paul Valois, in the editorial ofEG, issue 4). Valois understood that Gurvichreferred mainly tostudies that use a lot of material with fixed pawns and pieces. Such studies violate the rule of strictest economy, Gurvich thought. In addition, he found such studies to be less attractive aesthetically.

As we read in the same editorial, Korolkov replied in his own study collection from1958, declaring that Gurvich concentrated too much on economy. Kasparyan, in asimilar work from 1959, remained neutral. The main composer that disagreedwith Gurvich was Alexander Herbstman, who expressed his opinion on the subjectin 1964. Valois sided with Kasparyan, noting that each endgame study should be judged on its own merits, rather than generalizing criteria and prejudices.

In his article, Gurvich states that beauty is a driving force for chess players, with its accompanying joy surpassing all other emotions felt throughout a game. As such, there was great applause when in Russiantourneys a spectacular sacrificial combination ended a game. Arbiters were put at the inner dilemma of having to maintain silence in the room while at the same time being the judges for the beauty prize, a prize that commonly was given tothe most beautiful chess game in a tourney, independent of the final standings. Usually such a game would then be widely reproduced in the press.

Gurvich asserts that similarly to the fight between two players, a composer fights with a solver, trying to hide the main point of an endgame study. As there is no opponent that could prevent the combination with his moves, the artistic expression usually is stronger in a composition than in a practical game. In this way of thinking, the beauty prize might be a special prize for practical players, but is the only kind of prize a composer can strive for. (See the chapter below on theoretical vs. artistic studies for an example chosen by yours truly.)

Starting at page 21 in the book, Gurvich, after comparing and differentiating studies from games, lays out his views. Studies, aiming to open practical players to a permanently active combinatorial mindset, must display a closed and harmonious picture. Otherwise it would fade from memory quickly. As Vladimir Mayakovsky wrote, the law of economy is the most important rule for such artistic works. The more empty a board is, Gurvich says, the more difficult it is to constrain them to a mutual dependence, and the easier they can escape attacks, be it direct or indirect ones. As such, it is a sign of high mastery when on a nearly empty board a cunning play by both sides is featured spanning the entire board.

Gurvich believes that studies where pieces only use a small part of the chessboard are usually boring. The position of the later-defeated player should be free from any constraints and seemingly not endangered, Gurvich writes. How, after all, should one gain joy from seeing aone-sided battle where the victor fights against a completely constrained opponent? Following the criteria above, a good study always would seem as if it could come from a practical game and not from a position that seems mechanical or artificial(I would like to add that sometimes positions from practical gamescan also lookartificial or unnatural).

Just as in a normal game a small error can be abused by the opponent and lead to a victory with best play, the intensity and full power of such inherent laws of chess can be transmitted in endgame studies. In this sense, Gurvich preferred works with a natural position and anunusual ending, one that seems as if it could arise from a normal game.

Gurvich quotes Rtiand slightly disagrees with his views, as he does not think it isrelevant how a composition was conceived: working backwards from the ending, or analysing a light position and adding artistic elements to it. The result, Gurvich argues, is what is important. Yours truly agreesand, as Gurvich elaborates, the Russian School (of chess composition) didnt restrict composers in their method of composing either. As such, mastery implies that no traces of the composition method are found in the final study. However, Troitzky minted the figurative coin of study composition in Russia for decades. Carried by the successes and findings of the early Russian composers, some found pleasure in showing themes in numerous variations (i.e. different studies): too many, finds Gurvich, in a large number ofcases.

Despite said influence, in the 1920s a new era of composers took over, a feat Troitzky [pictured] himself still witnessed. Alexander Herbstmans book about the chess study in the USSR was published abroad, with both Euwe and Alekhine praising it. Still, the likes of Troitzky, Platov and Kubbel faced reactions in the form of new composers that had other views about the aesthetics of chess compositions. Gurvich elaborates that while it is easy to find broad rules that apply in general, it is difficult to estimate the application of such rules to each study. Often organic and mechanic elements are mixed in a study, making its evaluation harder. Sometimes advantages and disadvantages of a study are interwoven, or the content and beauty of a study make it necessary to overlook certain aesthetic defects.

While all composers follow trends and may experiment with new styles or ideas, a deeper look into different opinions is necessary to find thriving perspectives for endgame studies, Gurvich thinks.He concludes his first chapter mentioning that one needs to detectwhich directions lead to a dead end.

The second chapter dives deeper into the concepts mentionedabove, which I have condensed from around twelvepages.Gurvich gives many studies as examples to elaborate, showing practical applications of his ideas. It would go too far to give minute details, as I hope it became clear to the reader that Gurvichs thoughts were influenced heavily by his own observations of the greater picture, the development of studies throughout many decades. As such, he merely stated what for many is obvious already, while criticizing studies that do notrepresent endgames that couldhave easilyappeared in agame. From reading this, however, his views might sound more schematic and dogmatic than they really are.

Two years ago I talked about thePlatov brothers.The famousstudy shown first in that article is also the first study given by Gurvich. He praises the composition, calling it a miracle that White wins. It is, he elaborates, the miracle of logic, the wonderful becoming reality. Both the bishop and knight fulfilthe threefold burden, and the vulnerable knight on c1 also unifies the laws of economy and greatest possible coordination.

Let me close the article by showing what Gurvich meant when mentioning that invisible weaknesses can be used to indirectly escape from an attack. This wasthe seventh study of the book.

White wants to play d3-e4, attacking both Blacks light pieces. However, the rook on h2 is attacked, so it mustfirst escape the attack while winning a tempo. As 1.g2+ g5 fails to keepe4 undefended, only 1.h7+! f8 suffices.

But now 2.e4? g5+ runs into a fork, so 2.h8+ xf7 is necessary first.

Black however still has a hidden defence: 3.e4? xe5! 4.xf4 g6+ and 5.xh8 captures the rook.

Instead, White must activate a hidden defence:3.e6+! xe6 4.e4 e5 5.d4! and the attack against knight and rook necessitates 5...c4. But what is gained by the intermediate move? In this position c4 pins the d4-pawn against e4 which attacks e5 which indirectly protects f4 by threatening to capture the rook on h8, so the rook must attack the king on e6.

After escaping from a position where it was directly threatened into a position where it was indirectly threatened, the rook now moves from the indirectly attacked to the directly attacked square: 6.h6+! xh6.Amid-board stalemate follows, a completely unexpected resourceafter taking a first glance at the initial position. With four pieces that can move and an only slightly inconvenienced king, stalemate seemed far away, yet arose logically from the battle, with all six pieces moving into their final position.

Werner Speckmann addedthat there are also endgame studies in the truer sense of the word, such that are not artistic but rather theoretical or analytical endgames, found in every endgame book, that is, endgames that the learning player needs to study. I want to add that, while it is not necessary, they can in addition have artistic elements that make them easier to remember, such as building a bridge in the endgame of KRP-KR where a rook moves to the fourth/fifth rank to protect the king from checks and ensure promotion. Please see the diagrams.

Example for a theoretical endgame study. White wins by building a bridge. Lucenas solution is 1.d4 a2 2.c7 c2+ 3.b6 b2+ 4.c6 c2+ 5.b5 b2+ 6.b4 and White wins. 1.d5 wins similarly here, but with the black king on e6 insteadWhite would need to play 1.d4 to make progress.

Black was to move and draw with 1...d6+ 2.b5 d5+ 3.b4 d4+ 4.b3 d3+ 5.c2 d4!! 6.c8 c4+ 7.xc4 stalemate. While the study looks like an endgame and the manoeuvrehas theoretical value, it is primarily artistic, more so after a solver, Reverend Saavedra, found a cook (a way for the other side to prevent the intended outcome) that was better than the solution: 6.c8!! a4 (what else?) 7.b3! wins. So the study was printed again with Saavedras name added and the caption Black to move, White wins.

Later, the pawn from c7 was movedto c6, so White was to move and win. The complete story was discovered by John Selman and can for example be found on Tim Krabbs Chess Curiosities website, which sadly receives few updates nowadays. Like many good artistic studies, we also experience a battle of the wits here, but only very rarely (as was the case here) is the solver the one finding such a witty idea that he becomethe co-author of the study.

Click or tap an entry in the list to switch positions

You probably know that you can move pieces on our replay boards to analyse and even start an engine to help you. You can maximize the replayer, auto-play, flip the board and even change the piece style in the bar below the board.

At the bottom of the notation window on the right there are buttons for editing (delete, promote, cut lines, unannotate, undo, redo) save, play out the position against Fritz and even embed the ChessBase game vieweron your website or blog. Hovering the mouse over any button will show you its function.

Endgame Turbo 5 USB flash drive

Perfect endgame analysis and a huge increase in engine performance: Get it with the new Endgame Turbo 5! This brings the full 6-piece Syzygy endgame tablebases on a pendrive. Just plug it in a USB socket and you are set!

World Federation for Chess Composition (www.wfcc.ch)

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The boards that mean the world - Chessbase News

The best board games can help keep you and your family sane. If you're stuck inside for long periods of time, there's a good chance that you've already played your fill of video games, binged your fill of TV and movies, and read your fill of trashy paperbacks. What's left to do? Well, if you don't live alone, you could consider a board game.

Thanks to specialty retailers and online live-plays, board games have had something of a resurgence over the past few years. There are lots of new options, particularly for strategically minded players, but some of the old classics have held up remarkably well over the years. Whether you're looking to gather your whole family together in front of something other than the TV, or learn a little more about a significant other without sounding like a job interviewer, here are the best board games you can play right now.

(Also, here's a tip for folks who are stuck at home by themselves right now: Many of these games have digital versions with online play, and they're almost always cheaper than buying a physical game. Simply convince a few friends to each buy a copy, and you can play board games together, regardless of distance.)

Most board game fans have probably sat down and played a hardcore, tactical space game at some point, where the rulebook is thicker than an actual rocketship blueprint, and one false move means you may as well have not played. Space Base is not one of those games. You and up to four other players each take command of a fleet of spaceships, outfitting them with various engine parts that can help you explore the stars and establish colonies as you go. The rules are surprisingly intuitive, and while matches can last a few hours, a satisfying mix of luck and strategy keeps them unpredictable until the end. Marshall Honorof

All aboard this railway-themed board game thats suitable for the whole family! There are many versions of Ticket to Ride, but the original remains a favorite among diehard players. The players (two to five) collect different colored train cards to build on railway routes in North America. They get points by completing Destination Cards, and by building the longest continuous routes. The gameplay gets dramatic as players complete to fulfill routes, all while the train cards start running out. And the best thing about Ticket to Ride is that if you get a little bored of the North American scenery, you can ride the rails in Europe or the Nordic Countries. Kelly Woo

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If youve ever fantasized about the thrill of exploring a haunted house with your friends, but were put off by the likelihood of death and the lack of available haunted houses to snoop, Betrayal at House on the Hill is the board game for you. In this creepy affair, up to six players explore a decrepit mansion teeming with secrets, starting in the foyer and uncovering new areas of the house by drawing room cards at random. At this point in the game, theres no conflict, until one player triggers the haunt a game-changing event that pits one of the squad against the rest. There are 50 different haunt scenarios that can unfold, so chances are good that the experience will be different each time you play. In my first Betrayal game, I ended up being a producer for a morbid reality TV show, in which I had to use the house to kill my former friends; in the second, my friend drew the haunt, and became a malevolent tree. You never know how the haunts gonna go down. Adam Ismail

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Dungeons & Dragons isn't really a board game, so we couldn't justify including it in this list. But if you long for the setting and aesthetics of D&D without the extensive multi-week commitment, Lords of Waterdeep is a great halfway point. In this competitive city-building game, you and up to four friends each control a Lord (or Lady) of the fantastical city of Waterdeep. In order to exert their influence over the city, the Lords collect resources, contract adventurers and employ Intrigue cards, which can change social dynamics and, consequently, the flow of the game. It's complex and mysterious, and since every Lord has different victory conditions, it's anyone's game. Marshall Honorof

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If you've ever watched a romantic comedy movie and thought, "I'd handle that situation a lot better," Fog of Love lets you put your theory to the test. This two-player game casts the players as a guy and a girl (or two guys, or two girls; any setup works) who fall for each other after a meet-cute worthy of a Jennifer Aniston flick. Each player collects cards and positions them on a board to determine his or her personality traits, as well as the incidents that advance the overall story. Will you find true love, or will your courtship end in hilarious disaster? Play this one with a romantic partner, and you'll learn all sorts of things about one another. Marshall Honorof

This highly addictive strategy game turns you and up to three other players into hard-nosed settlers, competing to conquer an island. To do so, you have to collect resource cards (brick, lumber, stone, straw and sheep) that allow you to build roads, villages and cities. But acquiring those resources isnt easy. Its a mix of luck-based dice rolls and trading with the other players, who also need those same cards (plus, theres a resource-stealing robber in the game). Points are earned by building settlements and by achieving certain benchmarks, like building the longest road or the biggest army. There are endless permutations to the game, so you can apply different strategies every time you play. And for the truly obsessed, Catan has several expansions such as Seafarers, or Knights and Cities that put new spins on the game. Kelly Woo

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Youre probably thinking that the last thing you want to do is play through a pandemic while youre living through one. But the game Pandemic is truly one of the best cooperative games on the market. Plus, it will give you the immense satisfaction of working with others to defeat a worldwide scourge. Two to four players become members of the CDCs disease-fighting team. Each player has a role: One might be a researcher; one might be a medic. The key is to use your specialized skills in conjunction as you combat outbreaks in various cities around the world. Its perfect if some people in your household are a bit too (ahem) competitive, since you must work together to eradicate the disease and win. Kelly Woo

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Z-Man Games Pandemic Strategy...

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Sort of "Taboo meets the Cold War," Codenames is one of the most compulsively playable board games I've ever experienced. You and up to seven other players divide into two teams, then arrange 25 cards with random words printed on them into a square pattern. Certain words hide "spies" from each time, while others hide only innocent bystanders. It's up to one player on each team, the Spymaster, to coax his or her teammates into saying certain words by association. But a Spymaster can only say a single word per round and if his players guess wrong, they could wind up scoring points for the other team. Codenames is easy to learn, and no two games are ever alike. Marshall Honorof

Theres more to Scrabble than having a tremendous vocabulary. Among all the best board games, Scrabbles roots in strategy make it almost as timeless as chess. Scrabble doesnt just challenge players to make words from a random assortment of letter tiles it poses logical problems when you take spatial planning and point accumulation into account. This requires thinking several moves ahead, and navigating the board in your favor. Getting to a triple word score square before an opponent does can decide who wins the game. And if youre more right-brained, its amusing to stretch the limits of the dictionary with creative letter combinations. You might even learn some new words along the way. Kate Kozuch

Deducing how Mr. Body (whose surname predicted his own fate) died is a time-honored tradition among those looking to test the sleuthing skills of those around them. Make sure you take good notes as your fellow color-coded game players never trust Col. Mustard explore in the house and guess at the murderer's identity. Maybe it's a simpler version of other deduction games, but Clue's simple rules make it easy for any and all guests to understand. Plus, you get to accuse your friends and family of murder, which is always fun. After a few rounds, turn on the film of the same name, to see Tim Curry's hilarious performance as the butler Wadsworth, and enjoy Martin Mull and Christopher Lloyd's turns as Col. Mustard and Prof. Plum, respectively. Henry T. Casey

The actual fortified French city gives this tile-laying game its name. Two to five players build the landscape around the city. During your turn, you draw and place a tile, then put a meeple on it that becomes a knight, farmer, monk or thief. The roles score differently depending on the tile, which can be a road, field, monastery or city. Every time a landscape feature is completed, the meeples earn you points. As you attempt to finish roads or cities, other players will compete against you. Building the map requires good strategic thinking. And as a bonus, it is a pleasure to watch the landscape come together. Carcassonne also has several expansions, like Inns & Cathedrals, which add new tiles and features to the game. Kelly Woo

Not many games can keep things fresh for 160 years, but the makers of The Game of Life have made constant tweaks and revisions to the board game Milton Bradley himself whipped up in 1860. The current version of Life features a lot more audience participation than I remember from the edition I played in the 1970s the games Action cards have you telling jokes, beating out rhythms and breaking out dance moves. But the same concept of risk and reward is there as you wind your way from school days to retirement. Its a great game to play with the entire family, especially if you find yourselves all under one roof at this time. Philip Michaels

Cross Pictionary with a game of Telephone, and you have a pretty good sense of what playing Telestrations is like. You and a group of friends and family the more, the merrier, though you probably dont want to have more than eight each have a sketchbook, and you pick cards to see what each of you draws. When youre done, you hand that sketchbook to the person next to you, who then writes down their guess on the next page, before handing off the book again to another person. That person then draws whatever that guess is, as your sketchbook makes its way around the circle back to you. If the subsequent drawings and guesses bear any similarities to your original sketch, you travel in more artistic circles than I do. The fun with Telestrations comes from seeing how one simple drawing can get misinterpreted and reimagined in just a little bit of time. Philip Michaels

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The best board games for kids and adults - Tom's Guide

With the Toronto Raptors celebrating their 25th anniversary, and with the NBA season on indefinite hiatus, what better time to contemplate the franchises Mount Rushmore the four most important and iconic Raptors of all time.

Having witnessed all 25 seasons, from the very first opening tip on November 3, 1995 until now, Ive seen it all. The good, the bad, and the ugly (and the really ugly). Were talking two and a half decades, countless players, a handful of All-Stars and only four slots. However, this isnt as difficult a task as one might think.

The Raptors arent yet the Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics two storied franchises with truckloads of Hall of Famers. The Raptors are still relatively young in comparison. The team is old enough to drink legally, but there are still a lot of life experiences to be had. Consider last seasons NBA championship a graduation of sorts.

Id say the first three players are quite obvious and should surprise no one. So much so that you can begin chiselling away right now. Its that fourth spot thatll prove to be contentious.

But before we dive head first into this, Id like to lay out my selection criteria. For me to consider a player, hed have to satisfy the following:

So here are my picks for the Mount Rushmore of the Raptors. Go ahead and disagree. I dare you.

Its impossible to sum up Kyle Lowry and what he means to the Raptors in just a few paragraphs. A certain four letter acronym does do the trick though: G.O.A.T.

Yes, Kawhi Leonard is the best player to ever don a Raptors jersey. But Lowry is by far the greatest and most valuable a designation I feel he earned long before he lifted the Larry OBrien trophy. And just as no one can move him out of the post, no one is likely to move him from this mantel in Toronto.

Lowry is the little engine that could. A difference maker. The bulldog from North Philly. When he arrived in 2012 via trade, nobody couldve predicted that hed be the heartbeat and driving force for the Raptors for so many years. Especially since he was all but traded to the New York Knicks.

The quashed trade (thanks to owner James Dolan) ended up being the turning point for this once lowly franchise as Lowry helped usher in the We The North era of Raptors basketball the most success the franchise has ever seen. So far, this era has produced a franchise-high 59-win season, a franchise-best 15-game winning streak, seven straight playoff berths, and the raising of the 2019 championship banner.

In his eight seasons as a Raptor, Lowry has made six All-Star teams and one All-NBA team. Hes also the franchise leader in 3-point field goals, assists, steals and win shares. But none of this even begins to scratch the Kyle Lowry surface. To truly understand why hes so valuable, you have to look past the box score and watch him play every day.

Beyond his breakneck drives and killer pull-up 3s, theres Lowrys ultra-competitive nature and innate desire to win. He may not have the skills or athleticism of a Kobe Bryant, but he does have the mamba mentality. Whether his teams up or down by 30, Lowry is going full tilt. His hard-nosed determination was on full display during the championship run, playing the majority of the games with a busted thumb.

Theres his pesky defense and timely charge-taking, fearlessly sacrificing his body and absorbing the full brunt of professional NBA players, whether theyre six or seven feet tall. Lowry even took three charges in this years All-Star Game!

Theres his selflessness. Hes had to adapt his game three times in the last three seasons for the good of the team. First in 2017-18 when DeMar DeRozan became more of a playmaker, thus taking the ball out of his hands. Then in 2018-19, he sacrificed some of his offense to become a facilitator for Leonard and Siakam. Finally, this season he morphed back into pre-2017-18 Lowry, being equal parts scorer and facilitator.

Theres his leadership both off and on the court. The team followed Lowrys hustle and energy throughout the championship run. Whenever Lowry got off to a hot start, everyone followed suit. Case in point, him scoring the Raptors first 11 points of championship-clinching Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Theres his super court vision, his computer brain analyzing the floor and executing the offense simultaneously. Lowry is always trying to push the pace, looking up the floor for potential outlets or demanding the ball from the refs to speed up the inbounds. He tries to gain an advantage any way he can. While everyone else is playing checkers, hes playing 3D chess.

The play that most exemplifies Kyle Lowry is what led to Leonards dunk on Giannis in Game 6 of the Eastern Finals. First, Lowry steals the ball from Khris Middleton to start the play. Then after dishing the ball to Leonard, he subtly nudges Giannis away so he cant fully contest Leonards dunk. You have to watch the replay a few times to catch it.

Lowry is a winner who makes winning plays and always manages to find ways to help his team even when his shots not falling. Hell no doubt be the first Raptor to get his jersey retired in Toronto.

Ive never been a DeMar DeRozan fan not as a player, at least. I could tell early on what kind of player he would be. That hed never be the guy who could lead a team to a championship, despite all the work he put in to become the Man in Toronto.

And I was right.

For whatever reason, DeRozan has always been lacking in the ability to take over games at the highest level. Despite his bag of one-on-one tricks, he can be game-planned around, making his attacks predictable. On top of that, hes long been a huge liability on defense. And worst of all, in the biggest moments for the Raptors, hes often been nowhere to be found. Sadly, our final memory of DeRozan in a Raptors jersey is him getting himself kicked out of Game 4 of the 2018 semifinals vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But this is not entirely his fault. When Chris Bosh left for Miami, DeRozan was thrust into a role he wasnt ready for. He was handed the keys to the franchise before he learned how to drive. He did everything he could to fill that role. Not even I can dispute that DeRozan is one of the all-time great Raptors. Hes more than deserving of one of the four spots.

At nine seasons, DeRozan holds the mark as the longest tenured Raptor. In that time, he made four All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams. Hes also the franchise leader in points, games, minutes, two-point field goals and free throws. And he was a huge part of the franchises We The North resurgence.

Even though I didnt like him as a player, Ive always admired him as a human being. His willingness to improve his game every year, his character, and his loyalty to Toronto all mean something to Raptors fans. DeRozan stayed when others left. He was proud to be a Raptor and to represent Toronto. Theres something to be said about that.

Finally, his willingness to speak openly about his mental health struggles has no doubt helped many others who are dealing with similar issues. It truly speaks volumes about the type of person he is.

Vince Carter was the Raptors first superstar.

People who say that Carter put the Raptors on the map arent exaggerating one bit. And it didnt even take winning a single playoff game. All it took was one magical February night in Oakland in 2000 when he became the centre of the basketball world. Long before the dunk contest, Carter was making highlight reels with his ferocious and insanely-athletic in-game dunks. But on this night, he put on a display with an array of dunks no one had ever seen or even dreamed about before.

If Carters dunk contest put the Raptors on the map, the epic battle with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 Eastern Semifinals pushed the team further into the NBA consciousness. He went toe-to-toe with MVP Allen Iverson all series long, trading blows, highlights and game-highs. But, as we all know, Carter and the Raptors came up one basket short.

In his 22-year career, hes played for eight different organizations. But the Raptors were his first team and the one he spent the most time with. When you think back on Carters career, I believe hell be most remembered performing mid-air magic tricks in a purple #15 Raptors jersey.

Not only did Carter put the Raptors on the map, he more than likely kept them there. While the Vancouver Grizzlies toiled and eventually lost their franchise, the Raptors succeeded and persevered largely because they tied their team to the right guy. Flashy, confident, clutch, jump-out-of-the-gym athletic a young, up-and-coming franchise couldnt have asked for a better superstar.

Of course, Carters time with the Raptors ended on a sour note. While there was blame on both sides, there was no excuse for what Carter did. He basically quit on the team. No one could really fault him for wanting out, but to pretty much stop trying while still in uniform is not a good look.

Time, though, has healed all wounds to the point where fans actually want him back on the team. That wont happen, nor should it. But I can see him signing a one day contract, la Roy Halladay with the Blue Jays, to retire where he started as a Toronto Raptor.

This will probably be a surprise pick for a lot of Raptors fans. And to that I would say, you probably never saw him play. Many would consider Alvin Williams a role player, but he was much more than that.

Its true. Williams never made an All-Star or All-NBA team. Nor did he ever finish a season averaging more than 14 points per game. But like Lowry, his value and greatness go way beyond his daily stat lines.

He was the precursor to Lowry in so many ways. Williams was the original heartbeat of the Raptors. He was often out-skilled by his opponents, but he was never once out-hustled. A killer on the court, he possessed that same Philly, hard-nosed, never-take-a-possession-off determination.

He was a facilitator first, scorer second always making sure his teammates got theirs before he got his. So much so that he holds the number four spot in franchise assists.

And much like Lowry, Williams constantly gave up his body on both ends of the floor. But despite all the bumps, bruises, soreness and strains, nothing could stop him from playing. From 2000-03, he was the teams iron man, playing in 242 of a possible 246 regular season games. Williams put his body through such hell for the team, especially his knees, and played through so many injuries that he eventually could no longer stay healthy.

Williams also had a big hand in the Raptors first real success. Along with Carter and Antonio Davis, he helped the team to its first ever playoff berth in the 1999-00 season, which began the first of three straight playoff appearances.

Williams also hit whats still one of the biggest shots in Raptors history, icing Game 5 of the 2001 first round series vs. the Knicks and clinching the franchises first ever playoff series victory.

When I think of Chris Bosh, I think of him as a member of the Miami Heat. Yes, Bosh was drafted by the Raptors. And yes, he was the face of the franchise for the majority of his seven seasons. But it felt like his time as a Raptor was more of a jumping off point for his career. His real success and prominence came as a member of the Heat with whom he won back-to-back championships.

I wasnt a huge Bosh fan. He was a good player and was plenty skilled. But I thought his offensive numbers and five All-Star appearances were largely the product of someone having to score on a bad team. And even though he was billed as the Raptors number one guy, I never bought it. I always thought hed make a good second or third guy on a championship team, which is why his third-fiddle role on the Heat was tailor-made for him.

But just like DeRozan, Bosh was given the number one role before he was ready. After Carter was traded in Boshs second season as a Raptor, the go-to guy spot suddenly became vacant. And so it was handed to Bosh by default.

Overall, the Chris Bosh era was largely forgettable. In his seven seasons, the Raptors were mediocre and sometimes less than that, only reaching the postseason twice and losing both times in the first round. They never broke 50 wins and averaged just 36.

Bosh wasnt the dominant, put-the-team-on-his-back player Raptors fans wanted him to be. But at the same time, he shouldnt shoulder all the blame. Through horrible drafting and roster construction, he had little to no help around him. Plus theres the Head coach Sam Mitchell factor too.

Despite everything, Bosh still played a big part in the history of this franchise and should at least be considered for a spot on the Raptors Mount Rushmore. For me, he falls just short.

There is no one quite like Kawhi Leonard.

An absolute killer on the court, Leonard only cares about one thing: winning. All the other stuff is just noise noise he doesnt listen to or even acknowledge. While players like James Harden cry over regular season MVPs, he continues to quietly go about his business, collecting rings and Finals MVPs.

Kawhi brought a business-like attitude to the Raptors, a much-needed steady and calming presence that wrapped around the entire team like a zen blanket. Hes the rare player who actually elevates his already high-level game in the playoffs, when the pressure is at its peak. Kawhi is unflappable and always under control. Its just the way hes wired.

When I woke up on that historical July morning to discover that DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl had been traded for Danny Green and Leonard, Ive never been more elated as a Raptors fan. Why? For one, because hes perhaps the second best two-way player in the world after Kevin Durant. Two, because I was already a huge Leonard fan, having followed his career from his rookie season, so I knew exactly what he was capable of. And three, because for the first time, the Raptors had a legitimate shot at reaching the Finals.

As I said, while Lowry is the G.O.A.T. Raptor, Kawhi Leonard is the absolute best player the franchise has ever seen and maybe will ever see.

Still, having spent only a single season as a Raptor, amounting to just 84 games including the playoffs, Leonard does not meet my criteria for Raptors Mount Rushmore. But since the one season he did play was so overwhelmingly the greatest season in franchise history, culminating in the Larry OB, I still had to consider him. It would be insane not to.

The 2019 NBA Championship and Kawhis impossible four-bounce shot to seal the second round series vs. the 76ers will live in Raptors and NBA history forever. But for me, his likeness wont be carved into the side of Raptors Mount Rushmore.

Caldern is not the most skilled Raptor of all time. Nor was he the most athletic. But try as they might (and they did try), no one could permanently dethrone Caldern from his starting point guard spot. Not T.J. Ford. Not Jerryd Bayless. And for a while, not even Lowry. Every single time Caldern was relegated to backup duties, he played his way back.

Jose is the franchise leader in free throw percentage and was the leader in assists until Lowry passed him earlier this year. Hes also top 10 in several meaningful categories, including games played, minutes, points, field goals, 3-point field goals and steals.

Caldern is one of the longest tenured Raptors, spanning 7.5 seasons. Only DeRozan, Lowry and Morris Peterson have played more games. He was a team player if there ever was one. He sacrificed playing time and his offensive game to serve the team time and time again. And you never once heard a peep out of him. Caldern put his head down and let his game do the talking.

Finally, Caldern was Mr. Consistency. You always knew what you were getting from him a boat load of assists, 90 percent plus from the charity stripe, and 100 percent effort.

He has the ring. He has the MIP. He has the All-Star starter appearance. But he doesnt have the longevity. Not yet, anyway.

Pascal Siakams unprecedented improvement and meteoric rise last season helped the Raptors win their first ever championship. Then somehow, he managed to improve his game dramatically yet again. In addition to his All-Star team nod this season, hes accumulated career numbers across the board, including scoring almost 24 points per game, and was on pace to be named to his first All-NBA team.

Siakams Raptors legacy is still in its infancy. But its growing rapidly. I could easily see him knocking Williams off of the mountain in the next few years.

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Thinking about the Toronto Raptors Mount Rushmore of Players - RaptorsHQ