New York Times chess blog

Yes, there is one - and it goes by the name of 'Gambit'. A recent post, which brought the blog to my attention, has some interesting thoughts about the use of chess in film.

Wurm im Apfel

I hadn't read in Dublin for quite a long time, but finally got a chance to do so recently, at an event hosted by Wurm im Apfel. They have relatively regular readings in the Sycamore Club which is located in the Temple Bar area, above The Purty Kitchen. Apparently, they make a habit of recording their events, and so you can find my reading on their site.
Thanks to my hosts, Kit Fryatt and Dylan Harris.

Carsten Hansen

One of the better chess sites at the moment is Chesscafe.com A recent review of a couple of opening repertoire books by Carsten Hansen made me think about the way reviewing cultures vary. Hansen frankly slammed two books by Nikolai Kalinichenko. About the first book Hansen says:
"This book is incredibly bad. Too many lines are covered insufficiently and many important options are ignored outright. On top of this, we have an unacceptable amount of references to the other volume; either you cover all the relevant moves or you do not. It is ridiculous to constantly refer the reader elsewhere for information that should be included here. This is one of the worst opening books I have ever seen."
Although harsh, this kind of review is not unusual on chess sites. To review a poetry book in such terms is, of course, a different matter ...