The round-one pairings for the 2025 FIDE World Cup in Goa, India have been unveiled, setting the stage for an intense start to chess’ most prestigious knockout event. From 30 October to 27 November, 206 players will compete for a $2 million prize fund and three coveted Candidates spots. With wildcards including Abhimanyu Mishra, Andy […]
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The European Team Championships began in Batumi with a number of early surprises. Denmark upset top seeds Germany in the open section thanks to Mads Andersen’s win over Dmitrij Kollars, while Georgia edged Hungary and Switzerland held Spain to a draw. In the women’s event, Georgia and Poland started strongly, though Ukraine were held by […]
The rule limits the rating gap used when evaluating game results. From October 1st FIDE dropped the 400 point rule for players rated above 2650. This makes it harder for top players to gain points by playing against much weaker opponents (called “farming”), and easier to lose points when not beating them. Leading chess statistician […]
From October 5 to October 14, the European Team Chess Championships are taking place in Batumi, Georgia. In the Open section, Germany — runner-up in 2023 in Budva — is the top seed, followed by the Netherlands, Hungary (with Rapport and Leko), and Azerbaijan (featuring Mamedyarov and Radjabov as team captain). In the women’s section, […]
When is it useful to invest a lot of time in thinking about a position, and when is it not? This is a question that players ask themselves time and time again. Our reviewer is familiar with this topic from his own experience. Hannes Langrock is an editor at a fiction publishing house and an […]
Arlington welcomes the unprecedented event “Checkmate: USA v. India”, an evening of chess presented as a live arena spectacle. Esports Stadium Arlington sees Hikaru Nakamura take on world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Fabiano Caruana face Arjun Erigaisi, and further clashes featuring women stars, prodigies and leading chess streamers. | Follow the action live starting at 2.00 […]
Fabiano Caruana won the 2025 Grand Chess Tour Finals in São Paulo after defeating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a tense match that was decided in the blitz phase. After losing the opening rapid game, Caruana responded with three straight wins in blitz to secure the title, holding a draw in a dramatic final game to clinch […]
Matthias Bluebaum is the man of the hour in international chess. With his second place at the Grand Swiss in Samarkand, the grandmaster from Lemgo has achieved something that no German has managed in around 35 years: to be a World Championship candidate. Following the European Team Championship, where Bluebaum will represent Germany, he will […]
Over the past year, the Kasparov Chess Academy has provided training to over 500 students from across the globe, making it a unique educational platform in the world of chess. The Academy proudly celebrates its second year of activity, marking remarkable achievements and setting ambitious goals for the future – the third season of the […]
The second classical games of the championship match and the third-place playoff both ended drawn in São Paulo, keeping both duels level at six points each. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave pressed Fabiano Caruana in a Sicilian that led to a rook endgame, but Caruana defended accurately. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, meanwhile, tested Levon Aronian in a queenless position, though […]