Whites’ goal is to establish two pawns abreast at e4 & d4.
White
Black
1. e2 –e4
e7-e5
2. d2-d4
e5 X d4
3. Qd1 X d4…

Swashbuckling attempt to improve on the center game by sacrificing a Pawn or two.
White
Black
1. e2 –e4
e7-e5
2. d2-d4
e5 X d4
3. c2 – c3
d4 X c3
4. Bf1 – c4
c3 X b2
5. Bc1 X b2…

Good for White if you like open lines and easy development without spectacular sacrifices.
White
Black
1. e2 –e4
e7-e5
2. Bf1 – c4
Ng8 – f6
3. d2 – d3
c7 – c5!
4. f2 – f4
e5 X f4
5. Bc1 X f4
d7 – d5
6. e4 – d5
Nf6 X d5…

(Quiet Game) (Italian, Giuoco – game, piano – quiet.)
White
Black
1. e2 –e4
e7-e5
2. Ng1 – f3
Nb8 – c6
3. Bf1 – c4
Bf8 – c5
4. Nb1 – c3
Ng8 – f6
5. d2 – d3
d7 – d6…

For player who like open lines, bold attacks, and exciting piece play at the cost of a Pawn.
White
Black
1. e2 – e4
e7-e5
2. Ng1-f3
Nb8-f6
3. Bf1-c4
Bf8-c5
4. b2-b4....

Workhorse opening throughout 19th century and an excellent choice for players who like unbalanced, wide-open positions with dangerous attacking chances for both sides.
White
Black
1. e2 – e4
e7-e5
2. f2-f4
e5xf4
3. Ng1 – f3

A good choice if you want a closed game with slow steady pressure on Black’s position. It begins with both sides developing their Knights.
White
Black
1. e2 – e4
e7-e5
2. Ng1 – f3
Ng8 – c6
3. Nb1 – c3
Ng8 – f6
4. Bf1 – b5…

This is for players who want a slight off-beat approach to the double King Pawn opening.
White
Black
1. e2 – e4
e7-e5
2. Nb1-c3...

Spanish Cleric considered the strongest player in the 16th century. Opening starts with these moves:
White
Black
1. e2 – e4
e7 – e5
2. Ng1 – f3
Nb8 – c6
3. Bf1 – b5!
a7 – a8…
4. Bb5 – a4

Today’s players are looking for ways to seize the initiative quickly with Black pieces rather than passively defend against White’s attack.
Black responds to e2 – e4 with the audacious thrust d7 – d5.
White
Black
1. e2 – e4
d7 – d5
2. e4 X e5
Qd8 X d5

Alekhine’s defense is named for Alexander Alekhine, World Champion from 1927 – 1946. 
White
Black
1. e2 –e4
Ng8 – f6
Instead of moving a center Pawn, Black moves out a Knight, seemingly begging for White to harass it. The idea behind Alekhine’s defense is a clever one. Black wants White to advance his center Pawns, chasing the Knight around the board. Later on, Black hopes to counter attack the center of the flanks, causing it to collapse. After the center has collapsed, Black will occupy the center with his own Pawns and pieces gaining the upper hand.

 Is the favourite choice of defensive minded players who prefer a solid position to an open tactical one.
White
Black
1. e2 – e4
c7 – c6
2. d2 – d4

The most common question among chess players while starting out is, ‘How to Win At Chess?’
The answer is
Education – Read as many chess books as possible. I know most of the chess players are reluctant to agree that chess knowledge winds more games than talent alone, but this is a fact. A case in point being the recent emergence of the current world number one - GM Magnus Carlsen.

A solid and unpretentious defense. An excellent defense for players who want a game with a locked Pawn structure and a minimum of early tactics, combined with the possibility of strong counterattacking chances later in the game.
White
Black
1. e2 – e4
e7 – e6
2. d2 – d4
d7 – d5

The most popular opening for the past fifty years.
(The Sicilian Defense Demo)(hide chess board)
Standard play in the Sicilian Defence, White advances his d-Pawn, opening more space for his Queen and Queen Bishop.
(The Sicilian Defense Demo)(hide chess board)
A great book for players new to the Sicilian is, the one Co-authored by David N. L. Levy and Kevin O'Connel, titled - How to Play the Sicilian Defense. Levy and O'Connell do an excellent job of outlining strategies for White and Black in this wide-ranging opening including almost all the variations in this line. For those rated 1400-1800, this is a good introduction to the opening. Some other books in this opening are highlighted below:

The first chess game of 2001 was actually played in 1968. . . Thanks to Stanley Kubrick's movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The famous game between astronaut Frank Poole and the HAL 9000 computer has found its way into a number of databases of real games ( like the Chess Master series of chess programs).
Frank Poole playing the HAL 9000 computer
Kubrick was actually a near master strength chess player, who in his youth would take on all comers as he played chess for quarters in Washington Square Park. A stickler for details in his films, Kubrick's chess background influenced him to pick a beautiful mating attack from a past game that would seem so deep that only a computer with near-infinite calculating ability could find it. The game was by the German master Willi Schlage played in 1910. White: Roesch, Black: Schlage, Hamburg 1910.

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The match between Azerbaijan and the World, which will take place between May 7-9 this year for the President's Cup will be one of the major events in chess, not only for Azerbaijan, but also the Chess fraternity of the world. The World team will be represented by current world champion Viswanathan Anand (India), former world champion Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), Alexei Shirov (Spain) and Sergey Karjakin (Ukraine). The team from Azerbaijan includes, Chess Prodigy Teimur Radjabov, Vugar Hashimov, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Gadir Guseinov and Rauf Mamedov as a possible stand by.

The best actors and actresses of Hollywood receive an award each year, at the Oscars. The highest goal scorer at the football world cup, receives the Golden shoe. The best Cricket team receives the ICC Mace each year. In chess, the equivalent award is the Chess Oscar. This is an International award instituted in the year 1967 by Jorge Puig,and the winner was chosen by accredited journalists following the game from across the world. It is traditionally given to the Grandmaster , who, according to the chess aficionados, was the best and most entertaining player that year. The first winner was Bent Larsen in 1967 and the award ceremony was held in Madrid. In 1988 Puig died and the award was not given until 1995. They were reinstituted in the year 1995, by the popular Russian chess magazine - '64'.

Can you believe this guy? No wonder Topalov's reputation is going for a toss. With such a manager, you wouldn't expect to be liked in the real world!
Mr.Silvio Danailov, in an interview to Chessdom, had this to say...
The Chess Oscar award does not surprise me at all, after Elista 2006 is very difficult to imagine that Veselin will get any award from Russia. This is typical political decision, otherwise they will probably close the "64" magazine.

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The much awaited World Chess Championship between the current World Champion, GM Vishwanathan Anand and former world champion and World No.1 , GM Veselin Topalov, will be held next year.
To decide where it shall be held and how much the prize money shall be, FIDE ,today announced the bidding procedure.
1.The FIDE Presidential Board, during its meeting in Istanbul 7-8 March 2009, decided to open a bidding procedure for the FIDE World Championship Match 2010 (FWCM 2010) between the current World Champion GM V. Anand (India) and Challenger GM V. Topalov (Bulgaria).