At the last World Rapid and Blitz Championship in New York, Magnus Carlsen was reprimanded for violating the FIDE dress code by wearing jeans. This led to a dispute that attracted a lot of media attention. Carlsen is now making the best of it by auctioning off the jeans on Ebay for charity. You can […]
Monthly Archives: February 2025
The third round of the Monaco Women’s Grand Prix saw all four co-leaders hold their positions at the top of the standings after drawing their games. Batkhuyag Munguntuul and Humpy Koneru split the point in the only direct clash between frontrunners, while Sara Khadem and Kateryna Lagno secured safe draws with the black pieces. Meanwhile, […]
ChessBase 18 offers a lot of new and powerful functions. On his blog Chess Book Reviews Carl Portman had a close look at the program and was impressed: “I have no hesitation in recommending it to any chess player. We live in a world that can often be depressing and negative – so chess players […]
Chess is an international game, and players of different cultures and backgrounds may be following diverse norms. Something that is highly valued in one culture might be viewed differently in another. So here is a question: does chess need a dress code? Magnus Carlsen was fined during the 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship […]
Four players share the lead with 1½/2 points after the second round of the Monaco Women’s Grand Prix. Sara Khadem secured the only decisive result of the day, capitalising on a blunder to defeat Harika Dronavalli. Meanwhile, Aleksandra Goryachkina and Tan Zhongyi both missed opportunities to join the leaders, with Goryachkina failing to convert her […]
One of the streamers covering the Freestyle Chess Tournament in Weissenhaus was Alexandra Botez. In a brief interview with Arne Kähler, she shared her excitement and exhaustion from the event, upcoming plans in Los Angeles, and a talk at MIT’s Sports Analytics Conference. She reflected on her streaming career, team-building, and passion for competition, while […]
In their new episode of their “Two Knights Talk”, Johannes Fischer and Arne Kähler talk, among other things, about the luxury at the Weissenhaus luxury resort and about the attraction of playing chess in such an environment. They consider how things are going and could go with Freestyle Chess and wonder why one should be […]
Magnus Carlsen, Arjun Erigaisi, Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza Firouzja reached the semifinals of the winners’ bracket in the knockout phase of the Chessable Masters. Firouzja managed to defeat Fabiano Caruana in a contested match that went to tiebreaks. | Photo: Grand Chess Tour / Lennart Ootes
The third stage of the Women’s Grand Prix 2024/25 began in Monte Carlo, with three players securing victories in the opening round. Humpy Koneru and Kateryna Lagno (pictured) showcased strong endgame technique to defeat their compatriots, while Batkhuyag Munguntuul achieved a notable win over former women’s world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. Series leader Bibisara Assaubayeva settled […]
The 2025 Champions Chess Tour kicks off with the Chessable Masters, featuring a faster 10+0 time control. With only two online events to earn CCT points, the stakes are higher than ever. The knockout stage takes place from Tuesday to Friday, as sixteen players, including Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, battle in a double-elimination bracket. […]