Despite the limitations and extremities of holding the first OTB tournament of the year and at a location that was dampened by an extended lockdown and political turmoil, Tata Steel organized a laudable event in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands, in the second half of January 2021.

In a dramatic coup d'état, Dutchman Jorden van Foreest won the prestigious Tata Steel Chess Tournament held at Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. The 21 year old GM became the first ever Dutch player to win the grand tournament in 36 years. Van Foreest overthrew his mighty opponent and compatriot GM Anish Giri in a miraculous playoff following an 8.5/13 finish for both.

Chess is known for its cognitive properties and as a booster for improving memory, strategic thinking and span of attention. It isn’t a surprise that the ancient game has been used in behavioural therapy for decades. The neurological and psychological impact of chess on human minds has been a topic of intense research and has led to innovative breakthroughs in cognitive skill development, artificial intelligence and behaviour modulation.

Come 2021 and a few pawns and rooks are being moved around a bit in online chess. Following a year of active online chess tournaments, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has introduced a new set of rules and regulations to steer official online competitions.

As the year winds up in silent mode, the world of chess can’t grumble much. It did taste a different wine online. Yes, the star players felt strangled and deprived of the pure excitement of a real face-off. But 2020 did eventually bring out the glory of online chess. And the platform witnessed quite a few gripping games.

Children across the world have accepted the new norm in education: online learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has hijacked our traditional, brick-and-mortar schooling into a new wave of e-learning. If there is a sector that’s among the worst affected, it is education. The outbreak has enormously affected the structure of schooling, including teaching, learning and evaluation methodologies.

Wilhelm Steinitz was the first official World Chess Champion in the world, reigning from 1886-1894. The grandmaster was instrumental in nurturing competitive chess during his time through his positional approach to chess.