The Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters is taking place on 16-22 July as an eight-player single round-robin with a classical time control. In its fourth edition, it brings together a field headed by world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Arjun Erigaisi and Alireza Firouzja. Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 11.30 CEST (5.30 […]
Monthly Archives: July 2026
The fourth Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters brings together an eight-player field headed by world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Arjun Erigaisi and Alireza Firouzja. The seven-round single round-robin also includes Hans Niemann, Nihal Sarin, Dmitry Andreikin and Pranesh M. Played from 16 to 22 July, the tournament features seven players rated above 2700. | Photo: […]
The first round of classical chess in the Masters and the Generations Challenge Triathlons at the Biel International Chess Festival was played on Tuesday. Each event produced two draws and one winner. Matthias Bluebaum (pictured) drew his game against Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, while Le Quang Liem defeated Jose Martinez. In the Generations Challenge, Alexandra Kosteniuk […]
“Even stronger. Even more beautiful. Even more direct.” That is the slogan ChessBase uses to promote the latest edition of its well-known Fritz series. But what does the new version actually offer? Who is Fritz 21 designed for? Lukas Köpl took a close look at the latest release to find out what really lies behind […]
Oleg Skvortsov, one of chess’s leading patrons, has passed away. Between 2012 and 2017, he organized a series of world-class chess events, matches, and tournaments in Zurich, while also supporting the game through a number of other projects. | Photo: Wladimir Barsky
Twenty years ago, on 14 July 2006, Aleksander Wojtkiewicz passed away. Born in Soviet Latvia in 1963, he was one of the country’s greatest chess talents and trained under Mikhail Tal. He later went into hiding to avoid military service, became involved in gambling and pimping, served a prison sentence, and after his release became […]
The FIDE Council has approved qualification paths for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2028 and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2028, following proposals developed by the Global Strategy Commission. The regulations introduce new qualification opportunities while maintaining a balanced pathway through FIDE’s premier competitions. Full information in this FIDE press release.
The FIDE Council has approved a series of significant changes to the format of the 2027 FIDE World Cup and the 2027 FIDE Women’s World Cup, following recommendations from the Global Strategy Commission. They aim to make the competitions more inclusive, improve the experience for players, reduce the overall duration of the events, and ensure […]
“Enjoy the best game. Ever.” This bold slogan is the motto of New in Chess Magazine, and in its six annual issues, it does much to justify that claim. The second issue of 2026 offers an appealing mix of tournament reports, training articles and insights into the world of chess. At its heart, however, are […]
Svitlana Demchenko introduces the Ukrainian Variation from the Old Indian Defense and explains why it can lead to surprisingly comfortable positions for Black, especially if White accepts an early queen trade. The featured Soviet-era game between Lev Polugaevsky and Rashid Nezhmetdinov becomes a spectacular attacking lesson, where Black keeps the white king trapped in the […]