If a game could have been legally drawn dozens of moves earlier, why was it played on? Why were obvious draw claims never made, even when repetitions were plainly visible? Why did both players repeatedly adjourn a position whose theoretical outcome was already beyond doubt? Was it artificially extended to get it recognition by Guinness? […]
Jose Martinez won the opening stage of the 2026 Romania Grand Prix in Bucharest after drawing (with black) an Armageddon decider against Aydin Suleymanli. The rapid tournament, held at the Palace of Parliament on 9-10 May, attracted 581 players from 27 countries. Five players tied for first place on 8½/10, with Martinez and Suleymanli advancing […]
The first stage of the inaugural FIDE World University Team Championship has concluded, with 32 teams advancing from two online Swiss qualifiers to the knockout phase. Saint Louis University topped the Americas and Africa qualifier, while Ural State Mining University led the Europe and Asia event. The qualified teams will now compete online for eight […]
A little over a hundred years ago, the Dresden Chess Club celebrated its 50th anniversary with a major international tournament. It was not the favoured Alexander Alekhine, who became World Champion a year later, but Aron Nimzowitsch who emerged as the winner of the tournament.
About a month ago, the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament concluded in the picturesque village of Pegia, near Paphos, Cyprus. Yevgeny Levanzov had the privilege of spending an extended time at the event and delivering three lectures there. In the following review, he covers the tournament both from a professional chess perspective and by describing the […]
Frederik Svane won the Sardinia World Chess Festival outright with 7½/9 points, defeating Karthikeyan Murali in the final round after both had entered the day tied for first place. The event in Orosei also saw 12-year-old Faustino Oro secure his third grandmaster norm, completing the title requirements and becoming the second-youngest grandmaster in chess history. […]
With a superb performance, a 15-year-old prodigy dominated the international Baku Open: Sina Movahed (pictured left in the title photo) won seven games and drew twice. The young Iranian GM thus won the strong tournament with 8/9, finishing a point and a half ahead of the rest of the field. The best tiebreak scores among […]
In this ChessBase training course, Ivan Sokolov explores the fascinating world of colour-reversed Benoni, Benko, and Blumenfeld structures, showing how Black’s active piece play and dynamic counterplay can fully compensate for White’s extra tempo. The course focuses heavily on understanding pawn structures, long-term middlegame plans, open files, and queenside pressure, giving players practical strategic guidance […]
Following Javokhir Sindarov’s victory at the Candidates Tournament, GM Jon Speelman examines the emergence of a new generation of World Championship contenders ahead of his expected title match against Gukesh Dommaraju. Particular attention is given to Sindarov’s defensive draw against Fabiano Caruana, a game presented as a key moment of the tournament and an illustration […]
2026 Super Chess Classic Romania brings elite classical chess to Bucharest, Romania, from May 12 to May 24. The tournament takes place at the National Bank of Romania Museum in the historic Lipscani district. The event is the first classical tournament of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour season. It features a 10-player round robin, with […]