Ton Fasel gave me this link for "chess covers".
One album cover should be added:

Two weeks my life was totally dedicated to the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, most of the time selling books for New in Chess. You can see proof here after approximately 18 seconds...

The most beautiful chess tournament, the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, will be held from 13 January until 29 January.

On most days I will be at the tournament selling books for New in Chess.

Happy New Year!
Best wishes for 2012!

Here's my (late) Xmas present for the loyal followers of www.scacchis.nl. This picture was made today in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin and it represents the oldest chess painting as far as I know. The painter is Lucas van Leyden and he created this painting around 1510.

Recently another chess documentary on Bobby Fischer has come out. Liz Garbus directed this documentary called Bobby Fischer against the world.
You can order this dvd at New in Chess (a.o.).

Pawns is the title of the worst chess movie ever. Even Bobby Fischer Live is a class movie compared to this shit. Hardcore chess collectors can buy the dvd at Amazon.
A trailer can be found on Youtube: http://youtu.be/Xhh4h5tl3FA
 

Have a look at Foto's/Pictures for pictures of the recent meeting of Dutch chess collectors at Veenendaal.

I have just finished reading City of thieves by David Benioff. This book deals with the horrors in Leningrad during the German siege in the 2nd World War. A young Russian buy tries to survive and, strangely enough, chess plays a role in this novel. However, it does not qualify as a chess novel, it is more a novel with a chess motive.
 

On the Chessbase website you can find the ultimate manual for chess writers, written by Edward Winter. I was able to resist the temptation to copy and paste the whole article here, but only just...
If you'ld like to read the article click this link http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7574

Three weeks vacation supplied sufficient time to read some books. One of them is a real chess novel and is added to the list. It concerns the original and funny novel The Yiddish policemen's union by Michael Chabon.

You probably already know this animation movie, but even then it is nice to have a look at it again: Geri

Karl is a german cultural chess magazine and celebrates its 10th anniversary. The theme of the latest edition 2/2011 is the Chess Classic chess tournament that is being held for the last time. Maybe this is not the most suitable subject to celebrate 10 years of this unique magazine... But let us hope that Harry Schaack, the publisher and editor of Karl, will publish many more editions!

This German village has a long tradition of chess. In the section Foto's/Pics you can find a small impression of this nice village. A special recommendation for Gasthaus zum Schachspiel where we had a good drink and a good meal at very modest prices.

Yuri Averbakh has put his memoirs in writing. The book is called Centre-Stage and behind the Scenes. No games, no diagrams, just histories. Averbakh (1922) has been in the centre of Russian chess history for a long time so he can tell elaborately about it. Published by and available at New in Chess.

Last Friday Renée and I were guests at the Schachmuseum Löberitz. We thank the president of SG 1871 Löberitz, Mr. Konrad Reiss, for the very friendly and entertaining guided tour through the museum. Highlight was the most recent acquisition of the museum: an original Gustavus Selenus - Das Schach- oder Königsspiel dated 1616. For pictures have a look at Foto's/Pics.