The rule limits the rating gap used when evaluating game results. From October 1st FIDE dropped the 400 point rule for players rated above 2650. This makes it harder for top players to gain points by playing against much weaker opponents (called “farming”), and easier to lose points when not beating them. Leading chess statistician […]
Monthly Archives: October 2025
From October 5 to October 14, the European Team Chess Championships are taking place in Batumi, Georgia. In the Open section, Germany — runner-up in 2023 in Budva — is the top seed, followed by the Netherlands, Hungary (with Rapport and Leko), and Azerbaijan (featuring Mamedyarov and Radjabov as team captain). In the women’s section, […]
When is it useful to invest a lot of time in thinking about a position, and when is it not? This is a question that players ask themselves time and time again. Our reviewer is familiar with this topic from his own experience. Hannes Langrock is an editor at a fiction publishing house and an […]
Arlington welcomes the unprecedented event “Checkmate: USA v. India”, an evening of chess presented as a live arena spectacle. Esports Stadium Arlington sees Hikaru Nakamura take on world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Fabiano Caruana face Arjun Erigaisi, and further clashes featuring women stars, prodigies and leading chess streamers. | Follow the action live starting at 2.00 […]
Fabiano Caruana won the 2025 Grand Chess Tour Finals in São Paulo after defeating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a tense match that was decided in the blitz phase. After losing the opening rapid game, Caruana responded with three straight wins in blitz to secure the title, holding a draw in a dramatic final game to clinch […]
Matthias Bluebaum is the man of the hour in international chess. With his second place at the Grand Swiss in Samarkand, the grandmaster from Lemgo has achieved something that no German has managed in around 35 years: to be a World Championship candidate. Following the European Team Championship, where Bluebaum will represent Germany, he will […]
Over the past year, the Kasparov Chess Academy has provided training to over 500 students from across the globe, making it a unique educational platform in the world of chess. The Academy proudly celebrates its second year of activity, marking remarkable achievements and setting ambitious goals for the future – the third season of the […]
The second classical games of the championship match and the third-place playoff both ended drawn in São Paulo, keeping both duels level at six points each. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave pressed Fabiano Caruana in a Sicilian that led to a rook endgame, but Caruana defended accurately. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, meanwhile, tested Levon Aronian in a queenless position, though […]
On 4 October, Arlington becomes the setting for “Checkmate: USA v. India”, an evening of chess presented as a live arena spectacle. Esports Stadium Arlington will see Hikaru Nakamura take on world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Fabiano Caruana face Arjun Erigaisi, and further clashes featuring women stars, prodigies and leading chess streamers. With fast-paced games, unusual […]
Grandmasters Wang Hao and Hou Yifan triumphed in the Open and Women’s sections of the chess competition at the 15th National Games of China, held in Shenzhen from 23 to 28 September. Featuring leading players such as Ding Liren, Wei Yi, Yu Yangyi, Ju Wenjun, Lei Tingjie and Zhu Jiner, the event saw Jiangsu win […]