Monthly Archives: February 2026

The 14-year-old who beat a 2800 player – The Underdog

Robert Ris presents 14-year-old prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, who impressed at Tata Steel Masters and scored 7/13 against elite opposition. In a sharp English Opening battle against Arjun Erigaisi, Erdogmus demonstrates deep preparation, fearless play, and precise calculation, including dynamic piece activity and strong strategic decisions. The game eventually transforms into a complex endgame where […]

The road to Weissenhaus: Earlier Chess960, a.k.a. Freestyle Chess, World Championships

From its early beginnings in Kanjiza and the Chess Classic in Mainz to the officially recognised FIDE championships of 2019 and 2022, the World Chess960 title has followed an uneven but traceable path. Published ahead of the upcoming Freestyle Chess World Championship in Weissenhaus, this overview revisits the main editions of the event, outlining formats, […]

Freestyle Chess World Championship: The fun begins on Friday

The FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026 will take place from 13 to 15 February at the Schloss Weissenhaus resort in Germany, marking the first jointly organised world title event in this format under an agreement between FIDE and a private organiser. Eight players, including Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, have qualified through the 2025 […]

Remembering Jonathan Hawkins (1983-2025): Adult improver, two-time British champion

Jonathan Hawkins followed an uncommon route to the top of English chess. From a club player rated around 1800 in his late teens, he became a grandmaster, two-time British champion and author of “Amateur to IM”, a book widely read among players seeking insight into long-term improvement. He later devoted much of his time to […]

Brandon Jacobson finishes clear first at Antel Cup in Montevideo

Montevideo hosted the 9th Ciudad de Montevideo Open, the Antel Cup, as part of its annual chess festival, attracting 79 players and 27 titled participants. Second seed Brandon Jacobson (pictured, right) claimed clear first place with 7½/9, remaining undefeated throughout the nine rounds. A key round-six win over top seed Johan-Sebastian Christiansen (pictured, left) proved […]

Review: ChessBase´26 – The beginning of a new era

With ChessBase ’26, ChessBase presents a new version of its long-standing database software, which is less about minor improvements and more about a strategic further development of the entire system. For decades, ChessBase has been the benchmark for professional chess databases, opening preparation, opponent analysis, and game management at the highest level. In this review, […]