Journal

Journal

Insights on chess strategy, game analysis, and the evolution of Big Chess.

Our Authors

Marat Fatalov

Marat Fatalov

Co-inventor of Big Chess

High School Student, Co-inventor of Big Chess, Second Category chess player.

Rinat Fatalov

Rinat Fatalov

Co-inventor of Big Chess

University Student, Co-inventor of Big Chess, First Category chess player.

Vilen Fatalov

Vilen Fatalov

Creator of Big Chess

Ukrainian entrepreneur and chess enthusiast with over 40 years of chess experience and a Candidate Master of Sport title. Creator of Big Chess.

New Chess Thinking
BigChess10×10CloneNew Era

New Chess Thinking

March 15, 2026

New Chess Thinking: How BigChess Rewrites the Rules with a 10×10 Board, Long Pawn Moves, and the Clone The game is still chess. The thinking is completely different. The Quiet Crisis at the Top of...

Vilen Fatalov
By Vilen Fatalov
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The Clone's Tactical Arsenal: A Complete Guide to BigChess's Most Powerful Piece
BigChessCloneTacticsPower

The Clone's Tactical Arsenal: A Complete Guide to BigChess's Most Powerful Piece

February 19, 2026

The Clone's Tactical Arsenal: A Complete Guide to BigChess's Most Powerful Piece Fifteen centuries of chess produced four fundamental piece types. BigChess adds a fifth — and it changes everything...

Rinat Fatalov
By Rinat Fatalov
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What Would Capablanca, Fischer, and Kasparov Think of BigChess?
BigChessLegendsFischerKasparov

What Would Capablanca, Fischer, and Kasparov Think of BigChess?

January 27, 2026

What Would Capablanca, Fischer, and Kasparov Think of BigChess? Published at bigchessgame.com — by the BigChess editorial team Speculation is one of chess's great pleasures. We argue endlessly about...

Vilen Fatalov
By Vilen Fatalov
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Chess in the Classroom: How Strategy Games Build Smarter Thinkers
BigChessEducationKidsLearning

Chess in the Classroom: How Strategy Games Build Smarter Thinkers

January 3, 2026

Chess in the Classroom: How Strategy Games Build Smarter Thinkers Published on bigchessgame.com — Chess Culture & Education In 2011, the government of Armenia made a decision that astonished...

Marat Fatalov
By Marat Fatalov
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Spatial Thinking and the 10×10 Board: Why More Space Creates Better Chess
BigChess10×10SpatialCognition

Spatial Thinking and the 10×10 Board: Why More Space Creates Better Chess

December 11, 2025

Spatial Thinking and the 10×10 Board: Why More Space Creates Better Chess Published at bigchessgame.com — by the BigChess editorial team There is a question at the heart of every chess move that...

Marat Fatalov
By Marat Fatalov
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The Online Chess Revolution: How the Internet Transformed the Game — and Made BigChess Possible
BigChessOnlineDigitalCommunity

The Online Chess Revolution: How the Internet Transformed the Game — and Made BigChess Possible

November 17, 2025

The Online Chess Revolution: How the Internet Transformed the Game — and Made BigChess Possible Published at bigchessgame.com — by the BigChess editorial team In 1990, if you wanted to play a game of...

Vilen Fatalov
By Vilen Fatalov
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Four Centuries of Compound Pieces: The Long History of the Archbishop in Chess
BigChessArchbishopHistoryPieces

Four Centuries of Compound Pieces: The Long History of the Archbishop in Chess

October 25, 2025

Four Centuries of Compound Pieces: The Long History of the Archbishop in Chess Published at bigchessgame.com — by the BigChess editorial team Every now and then, across the long history of chess...

Vilen Fatalov
By Vilen Fatalov
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The Story of Chess
BigChessHistoryOriginsEvolution

The Story of Chess

October 1, 2025

From Ancient India to a 10×10 Board: The Story of Chess and the Rise of BigChess A game born in war, refined by scholars, reinvented by rebels, and now expanded by a piece unlike anything seen before...

Vilen Fatalov
By Vilen Fatalov
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The Psychology of Chess: How BigChess Trains a Sharper, More Creative Mind
BigChessPsychologyMindFocus

The Psychology of Chess: How BigChess Trains a Sharper, More Creative Mind

September 8, 2025

The Psychology of Chess: How BigChess Trains a Sharper, More Creative Mind Chess has long been celebrated as a game that builds the mind. Neuroscience is now explaining precisely why — and BigChess...

Marat Fatalov
By Marat Fatalov
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Why BigChess Changes the Game
BigChess10×10CloneInnovation

Why BigChess Changes the Game

August 15, 2025

Why BigChess Changes the Game: The Case for a 10×10 Board and the Clone Piece Chess has been played for over 1,500 years. It has survived empires, survived wars, survived the internet, survived...

Vilen Fatalov
By Vilen Fatalov
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Endgame Mastery in BigChess: When the Clone Rules the Board
BigChessEndgameCloneMastery

Endgame Mastery in BigChess: When the Clone Rules the Board

July 22, 2025

Endgame Mastery in BigChess: When the Clone Rules the Board Published on bigchessgame.com — Strategy & Analysis There is a moment in every serious chess game when the noise settles. The opening...

Rinat Fatalov
By Rinat Fatalov
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Chess Puzzles: The Secret Training Method of Champions, Reimagined for BigChess
BigChessPuzzlesTrainingTactics

Chess Puzzles: The Secret Training Method of Champions, Reimagined for BigChess

June 29, 2025

Chess Puzzles: The Secret Training Method of Champions, Reimagined for BigChess Published on bigchessgame.com — Training & Improvement Every serious chess player knows the ritual. Before the...

Marat Fatalov
By Marat Fatalov
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Opening Theory in BigChess: Building Your Framework for the 10×10 Board
BigChess10×10OpeningsTheory

Opening Theory in BigChess: Building Your Framework for the 10×10 Board

June 5, 2025

Opening Theory in BigChess: Building Your Framework for the 10×10 Board Classical chess opening theory took centuries to develop and ultimately became a burden on creative play. BigChess starts fresh...

Rinat Fatalov
By Rinat Fatalov
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The Art of Pawn Structure: Classical Principles Reimagined for BigChess's Triple Step
BigChessPawnsStructureTheory

The Art of Pawn Structure: Classical Principles Reimagined for BigChess's Triple Step

May 13, 2025

The Art of Pawn Structure: Classical Principles Reimagined for BigChess's Triple Step Published on bigchessgame.com — Strategy & Theory François-André Danican Philidor, the greatest chess player...

Marat Fatalov
By Marat Fatalov
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Pattern Recognition in Chess: What Masters See That Others Don't — and How BigChess Expands the Vocabulary
BigChessPatternsMasteryCognition

Pattern Recognition in Chess: What Masters See That Others Don't — and How BigChess Expands the Vocabulary

April 19, 2025

Pattern Recognition in Chess: What Masters See That Others Don't — and How BigChess Expands the Vocabulary Published at bigchessgame.com — by the BigChess editorial team The grandmaster studies the...

Rinat Fatalov
By Rinat Fatalov
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Women in Chess: A Century of Breaking Barriers — and Why BigChess Offers a Fresh Start
BigChessWomenCultureEquality

Women in Chess: A Century of Breaking Barriers — and Why BigChess Offers a Fresh Start

March 27, 2025

Women in Chess: A Century of Breaking Barriers — and Why BigChess Offers a Fresh Start Published on bigchessgame.com — Chess Culture & Society In 1927, a 21-year-old Czech-British woman named...

Marat Fatalov
By Marat Fatalov
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Artificial Intelligence and Chess: From Deep Blue to BigChess Engines
BigChessAIDeep BlueTechnology

Artificial Intelligence and Chess: From Deep Blue to BigChess Engines

March 3, 2025

Artificial Intelligence and Chess: From Deep Blue to BigChess Engines The story of chess AI is a story of machine intelligence learning to surpass human mastery — and then confronting the humbling...

Marat Fatalov
By Marat Fatalov
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The ELO Rating System: Chess's Mathematical Mirror — and How BigChess Uses It
BigChessELORatingMath

The ELO Rating System: Chess's Mathematical Mirror — and How BigChess Uses It

February 8, 2025

The ELO Rating System: Chess's Mathematical Mirror — and How BigChess Uses It Arpad Elo invented a formula to measure chess skill. It became one of the most influential rating systems in the world —...

Rinat Fatalov
By Rinat Fatalov
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Chess Variants
BigChessVariantsStrategyHistory

Chess Variants

January 15, 2025

Chess Variants: A World of Strategic Possibilities — and the Rise of BigChess From ancient battlefields to modern screens, chess has never stopped evolving. Here is a journey through the most...

Vilen Fatalov
By Vilen Fatalov
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