The Hastings International Chess Congress remains one of the most enduring fixtures in the chess calendar, combining deep historical roots with a competitive modern format. From its famous 1895 origins to the current 2025/26 edition in East Sussex, the Congress continues to attract an international field. With six rounds completed, a tight race has developed […]
Monthly Archives: December 2025
This “Best of 2025” episode is a year-end tactics celebration where Svitlana reviews the coolest moments of the chess year by turning them into a guess-the-move challenge for viewers. The WIM works through several sharp positions from major events (including the Global Chess League, World Cup, Grand Swiss, and Prague Chess Festival), featuring wild sacrifices, […]
Take a look at this relatively simple position. Can you figure out how White can win? And how many moves it will require to overcome Black’s most resolute defence? You won’t believe it. To relax we bring you the arguably easiest chess study ever composed, and other entertaining puzzles, many from the out-of-the-box legend Karl […]
The World Blitz Championships in Doha closed with repeat champions in both sections. In the Open event, Magnus Carlsen completed a strong comeback to win his ninth World Blitz title and his twentieth world title overall. The women’s championship was claimed by Bibisara Assaubayeva, who added a third Women’s World Blitz crown after advancing from […]
In August 2019 I spent a week in France, at the training camp I had organized (together with ChessBase India) for young Indian super talents. Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik did the chess training, while I pestered the kids with logic puzzles. Most did not involve chess, but some did. Here are a couple for […]
The World Blitz Championship got under way in Doha with 13 rounds played in the open section and 10 in the women’s event. Fabiano Caruana, Arjun Erigaisi and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (pictured) share the lead in the Open tournament, while 19-year-old Eline Roebers heads the women’s standings after the first day. With several rounds still remaining […]
This video is a valuable chess lesson by IM Mkrtchian. Watch Lilit walk through a full “real tournament” prep routine in ChessBase 26. Find out how she scouts an opponent in the Mega Database, predict their openings, and steer the game into a line she specifically prepared. The payoff: a sharp Rossolimo move-order trap explained […]
Some years ago, Alan McGowan published a remarkably comprehensive biography of the German chess writer Kurt Richter (born 24 February 1900, died 29 December 1969). But then McGowan encountered the fate of every biographer: he found new information. While it does not change the overall picture, it does lead to corrections in the details. A […]
In rotary problems the board is rotated by 180° for a second position with a different solution. It is usually pawns that make a different when you turn the board around. Or the king/queen positions, or castling is involved. Can one devise problems where these factors do not play a role? Yes one can, as […]
The concluding day in Doha saw the World Rapid Championship take final shape after thirteen rounds in the open and eleven in the women’s event. Magnus Carlsen won his sixth world rapid title, finishing a full point ahead of four players. Vladislav Artemiev and Arjun Erigaisi completed the podium on tiebreak scores. In the women’s […]