The Palace Journal
Sizes, weather-resistant materials, care and budget: everything you need to choose a giant outdoor chess set or garden chess table suited to your space.
Which chess set, chess board or backgammon should you give at Christmas 2026? Our guide combines player profile and budget, from entry-level to marble and precious wood pieces.
Draughts is played on a board where each piece moves diagonally on the dark squares, suitable from age 6. Capturing is compulsory whenever possible, and a piece reaching the last row becomes a king, the most powerful piece in the game. This page details all the rules, from simple moves to what the king can […]
Garry Kasparov, born in 1963 in Baku to a family of Armenian and Jewish heritage, reigned over world chess for 15 years and still holds the historic Elo rating record with 2851 points reached in 1999. His 1997 match against the Deep Blue computer marked a turning point in the history of artificial intelligence. Kasparov […]
A move in chess refers to any legal movement of a piece on the board: from ordinary moves to special moves such as castling, en passant or promotion. This page brings together the complete list of moves, their algebraic notation, the special moves you need to know and the most famous checkmates to help you […]
Chess is the oldest strategy game still played in the world today. Born in India more than 1,500 years ago, it travelled through the Persian and Arab empires before conquering medieval Europe. Here is the fascinating story of a game that has shaped humanity’s strategic thinking. The origins: from India to Persia (6th – 7th […]
Entering a chess tournament is a major step for any player wishing to progress and gauge their level. Whether it’s a local open, a rapid tournament or a blitz championship, official competition offers a unique experience that online play cannot replace. Here is everything you need to know to get started. The prerequisites for playing […]
Blitz is a chess format in which each player has between 3 and 5 minutes for the entire game, compared with 90 minutes or more at classical time controls. Playing blitz well means knowing your openings by heart, spotting tactical patterns quickly and managing the clock without panicking. This format can be played just as […]
Chess openings are the most rewarding phase to work on for fast progress: playing the first 10 to 15 moves well gives a lasting advantage, for White as well as Black. This guide presents the best chess openings according to level, style of play and the colour chosen, with key moves and pitfalls to avoid. […]
