At the next Candidates Tournament, in spring 2026 in Cyprus, eight players will compete to determine the challenger to world champion Gukesh Dommaraju. Five of the players are in the current world top ten, while three are far from it. Several top players who one might have expected to see in the Candidates failed to […]
Monthly Archives: November 2025
Round four of the London Chess Classic saw Nodirbek Abdusattorov keep his sole lead with a third straight win, this time over Michael Adams in their first classical encounter ever. Alireza Firouzja also scored, outplaying Pavel Eljanov in a lengthy rook endgame, while Luke McShane defeated Gawain Maroroa Jones after a promising position for Black […]
The European Blitz and Rapid Chess Championships are being held in Pristina, Kosovo, from 28 to 30 November. The Rapid Championship concluded on Friday and Saturday; the Blitz Championship follows on Sunday, with thirteen rounds of blitz chess (3+2) on the schedule. Vasyl Ivanchuk, Baadur Jobava, Jorden Van Foreest, Rasmus Svane and Christian Bauer are […]
The European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships are taking place in Pristina, Kosovo on 28-30 November. The rapid tournament consists of 11 rounds, while the blitz section consists of 13 rounds, both played as Swiss opens. More than 350 players from 38 different countries have registered to participate. | Follow the action live with expert […]
Robert Ris showcases José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara’s stunning World Cup win with Black against Super GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, starting from a sharp opposite-castling Philidor-type position in which White unleashes a powerful kingside attack, including an exchange sacrifice on d5 and the pawn storm with h5–h6, while Black searches for counterplay on the queenside. Ris explains […]
An imaginary interview with José Raúl Capablanca offers a reflective journey through the Cuban world champion’s life, ideas and legacy. Presented in Capablanca’s own voice, the conversation explores his childhood, style, intellectual interests and views on intuition, simplicity and the nature of chess. The piece revisits the milestones that shaped him and highlights his enduring […]
Three decisive games in round two of the London Chess Classic saw Alireza Firouzja, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Nikolas Theodorou move into the shared lead. Abdusattorov’s extensive preparation, Firouzja’s tactical win over Luke McShane and Theodorou’s controlled performance against defending champion Gawain Maroroa Jones offered contrasting paths to victory at Arsenal Football Club’s stadium. | Photo: […]
Today, Svitlana teaches us about the Immortal Game by Carl Schlechter. If a game is called an “immortal game”, you can expect some sensational tactics. Another thing what makes this game exceptional is the opening choice of 1.b4. According to the new ChessBase opening report, the Sokolsky Opening, also known as the Orangutan and the […]
DeepMind Technologies has revolutionized AI research and, in its still relatively short history, produced many valuable results and breakthroughs. With its Go and chess programs AlphaGo and AlphaZero, DeepMind caused quite a stir in the gaming world, but of course the aim is about far more than winning games. A compelling film on this was […]
From 26 November to 7 December, the XTX Markets London Chess Classic showcase the game with a packed programme of tournaments and side events. The centrepiece of the festival is the Elite Tournament, featuring ten top players. The opening round produced five draws and no decisive games, but offered several interesting theoretical contests. | Photo: […]