“Many players use ChessBase, it is the most popular chess software by far, writes GM Iniyan Pa. “Yet, not many people are fully aware of all of its features, and fail to utilise most of them. In this guide I have tried to show the features that I think are vital and important so that […]
Category Archives: News
The chess world has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. From a game on the fringes of public interest, it has become part of the media mainstream. This year will see several major events and developments that promise to have a profound impact on the future of chess. Milan Dinić, editor of The British […]
The Löwenthal Variation of the Sicilian Defence is often treated with caution in theoretical discussions. Yet detailed investigation by Nico Zwirs suggests the line holds more practical value than its reputation implies. By combining enterprising attacking setups with more measured, positionally sound alternatives, the repertoire aims to offer Black flexible, workable positions while steering play […]
FIDE traces the history of the Candidates Tournament, the event that determines who earns the right to challenge for the world chess title. Established in 1950 to replace earlier informal arrangements, the Candidates has evolved through different formats and eras, reflecting changes in the championship cycle. From Budapest to recent editions in major cities, the […]
Keep Friday free! You all remember “The Queen’s Gambit,” the Netflix series telling the story of the (fictional) chess prodigy Beth Harmon. It quickly became the platform’s most-watched miniseries. Now Netflix is doing it again, but this time it’s about the (real-life) strongest female chess player ever: Judit Polgar. Keep Friday free to watch it. […]
The 2026 Israel Open Chess Championship, held in Acre from 19 to 27 January, brought together 103 players from across the country for a nine-round Swiss tournament. Nineteen-year-old GM Yahli Sokolovsky (pictured, right) emerged as the clear winner with 7½/9 and a 2694 performance rating, claiming his first national title. IM Yeshaayahu Tzidkiya and GM […]
In this analytical column, GM Jon Speelman explores how winning lines can hide behind unexpected variations, even when a position appears manageable. Drawing on a missed opportunity from his own 4NCL game and a sharp encounter from Wijk aan Zee between Matthias Bluebaum and prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (pictured), he examines overlooked tactics, defensive ingenuity […]
MegaBase 2026 is Chess History in action. Regularly updated every month, the Main Database currently offers 11.8 million games, many of them annotated. Here our columnist offers a review with focus on chess in the 21st Century.
The results of this year’s Tata Steel tournament could not yet be taken into account in the FIDE rating list of 1 February. There was, however, some movement in the women’s world ranking. With her results in the Chinese League, Hou Yifan has fallen below 2600 for the first time since 2013, but remains number […]
The Muscat Nights International Chess Championship brought together a strong international field in Oman’s capital for nine rounds of classical play alongside a mid-event blitz tournament. In Open A, a six-way tie for first place left the title to be decided on tiebreaks, with Leon Luke Mendonca finishing ahead of fellow co-leaders after an unbeaten […]