The Chess Festival Groningen proudly presents Benno de Jongh as our daily columnist. De Jongh is a journalist and decent chess player, even though he has never reached a rating of 2000 - and probably never will. Despite that fact he is one of the world's leading experts on the Elephant Gambit and working on a book on the subject, (working title: The Elephant Gambit, A Rare Black Beast with a Proboscis on the Board, publication expected in 2032).

De Jongh will write columns on several chess-related topics, such as Alpha Zero, children in chess, eating behind the board, and Maurice Ashley. His columns will be straightforward, easy-to-read, sometimes sharp-edged, but will always end on a positive note. It's good to point out that De Jongh’s opinions on several chess- and non chess related items do not in any way reflect the policy of the organisation of the festival. The columns will be published daily at around 3 pm Central Groningen Time (CGT).