The fifth round of the European Team Chess Championship in Batumi brought a major shift in both leaderboards. In the open section, Ukraine defeated the defending champions from Serbia to take the sole lead, while in the women’s tournament, Poland continued their remarkable run, becoming the only team still on a perfect score after overcoming […]
Monthly Archives: October 2025
One country is missing from the European Team Chess Championship in Batumi. Norway, home to the world’s best chess player, is not represented in either the open or women’s tournaments. The reason for this is purely financial. The Norwegian Chess Federation has very limited funds at its disposal. And there is a specific reason for […]
Defending champions Serbia took the sole lead in the open section of the European Team Chess Championship after defeating Greece in round four, their fourth consecutive 2½–1½ victory. Ukraine moved into clear second place by beating top seeds Germany, while seven teams now share third. In the women’s event, Poland and Germany remain perfect on […]
Two former world champions, Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov, face each other in “Clutch Chess: The Legends”, a 12-game chess960 exhibition match held from 8 to 10 October at the newly expanded Saint Louis Chess Club. The event features rapid and blitz games with increasing point values and prize stakes each day. | Follow the […]
Two former world champions, Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov, will face each other in “Clutch Chess: The Legends”, a 12-game Chess960 exhibition match held from 8 to 10 October at the newly expanded Saint Louis Chess Club. The event will feature rapid and blitz games with increasing point values and prize stakes each day, marking […]
You may have seen it before. In this very famous position, composed almost exactly a century ago, it is White to play and draw. Which do you think is the stupidest move White could make. Right, that is the solution – it is the only move that saves the game. Problem expert Werner Keym illustrates […]
In his latest column, GM Jon Speelman explores a key psychological theme in chess: the art of refusing the opponent’s narrative. Using examples from his own games, classic encounters such as Szabo–Reshevsky (Zürich 1953), and instructive cases from Karpov–Kasparov and Smyslov–Keres, Speelman reflects on when to accept or decline sacrifices and how independent thinking at […]
Team USA claimed a 5-0 victory over Team India in “Checkmate: USA v. India”, a new-format exhibition held at Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event combined top-level chess with a live sports-style presentation, featuring unconventional rules such as no resignations and active audience participation. Hikaru Nakamura sealed the clean sweep by defeating world champion […]
The round-one pairings for the 2025 FIDE World Cup in Goa, India have been unveiled, setting the stage for an intense start to chess’ most prestigious knockout event. From 30 October to 27 November, 206 players will compete for a $2 million prize fund and three coveted Candidates spots. With wildcards including Abhimanyu Mishra, Andy […]
The European Team Championships began in Batumi with a number of early surprises. Denmark upset top seeds Germany in the open section thanks to Mads Andersen’s win over Dmitrij Kollars, while Georgia edged Hungary and Switzerland held Spain to a draw. In the women’s event, Georgia and Poland started strongly, though Ukraine were held by […]