4/18/2024 – The Sharp Arkhangelsk variation, utilized by chess masters like Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, emerges from a series of strategic moves beginning with 1.e4 e5. This rich variation offers multiple playstyles, making it a challenging preparation for opponents, with model games highlighting its diverse strategies and concepts for players of all levels.

4/14/2024 – In his new Fast & Furious episode, Robert Ris analyses a couple of games from the Candidates Tournament, specifically the two encounters in which Ian Nepomniachtchi played his beloved Petroff Defence with 6...Bd6. | Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

4/13/2024 – The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) opened “Clash for the Crown: Celebrating Chess Champions”, an all-new exhibition on April 11, 2024. The exhibition explores the histories of the World Chess Championship and Women’s World Chess Championship through a display of artifacts from the collection of the WCHOF, FIDE and loans from world chess champions including World’s No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and private lenders.

4/9/2024 – Four rounds have been played in the Candidates Tournament and Ian Nepomniachtchi is in the lead with 3.0 out of 4. But, as we often hear, nothing is decided yet because, after all, 14 rounds are played in Toronto, which is still a long way to go. But the numbers tell a different story: in the six Candidates Tournaments from London 2013 to Madrid 2022, the player leading after four rounds has always won. | Photo: Ian Nepomniachtchi at the Madrid 2022 Candidates Tournament, which he won comfortably. | Photo: Stev Bonhage (FIDE)

4/7/2024 – As the much-anticipated Candidates Tournament is taking place in Toronto, it’s not too difficult to separate the players into those with a decent chance of winning and becoming Ding’s challenger and those who will hope to have a decent result and gain invaluable experience for the future. After three rounds of play, the overall impression is that these guys are going to beat each other to a pulp and that the level of opening preparation is terrifying! | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/7/2024 – The Grand Chess Tour, a leading global circuit of international chess tournaments featuring the world’s best players, announced the players selected to compete across the 2024 season. Wildcards this year will include world number one Magnus Carlsen, world champion Ding Liren and 5-time U.S. champion Hikaru Nakamura. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

4/6/2024 – In his new Fast & Furious episode, Robert Ris looks at a game featuring the Double Fianchetto System. In the spirit of the King’s Indian Defence, Magnus Carlsen seizes the initiative on the kingside with black to win an instructive game. | Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

4/5/2024 – Igors Rausis, born on 7 April 1961, gained notoriety primarily as a cheater. In July 2019, he was caught using a mobile phone in the toilet at an open in Strasbourg, and in December 2019, FIDE banned him for six years and stripped him of his grandmaster title. Rausis then changed his name to Isa Kasimi. Rausis, who suffered from cancer for a long time, died on 28 March 2024. In an obituary, Roger Lorenz recalls the sympathetic side of the grandmaster. | Photo: Novy Bor Chess Club

4/5/2024 – The much anticipated Candidates Tournament kicked off in Toronto, Canada. The open section featured four draws on the first day of action. In the all-American confrontation between Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura (who are also the top two seeds in the event), Caruana got to put pressure on his compatriot with the white pieces. A fighting draw was also seen in the battle of youngsters between Alireza Firouzja and Praggnanandhaa R. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/3/2024 – Following the success of the inaugural World Rapid Team Championship held in Düsseldorf in August 2023, FIDE decided to organize a second edition, which will also include a World Blitz Team competition. The tournament will be held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, between August 1 and 6, and is expected to bring together a number of top world professionals and chess enthusiasts. Magnus Carlsen has already confirmed that he will be playing for the defending champions, WR Team.

4/2/2024 – We asked you this question before. Now two highly qualified experts, both multiple World Champions, weigh in. And you have one more chance to tell us what you think. In the meantime, Sagar Shah of ChessBase India has arrived in Toronto and will be filing daily reports from there – with video impressions and interviews, in his inimitable style. It is going to be exciting, believe you us!

4/1/2024 – Magnus Carlsen defeated Richard Rapport 1½-½ on Monday to win the seventh edition of the Grenke Chess Classic. This was Carlsen’s sixth consecutive tournament victory. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave grabbed third place after beating Vincent Keymer in blitz playoffs, while Ding Liren beat Daniel Fridman 1½-½ to claim fifth place. | Photo: Angelika Valkova

4/1/2024 – FIDE published an updated world ranking list on 1 April. The climber of the month is undoubtedly Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who won the Masters at the Chess Festival in Prague and is now fourth in the world rankings after having gained 15 rating points. Also, joining the top ten is Arjun Erigaisi in ninth place, who earned 8 rating points in March, in Shenzhen and in the Bundesliga.

4/1/2024 – The GRENKE Chess Classic is taking place from March 26 to April 1 in Karlsruhe, Germany. The tournament is a 6-player double round-robin with a time control of 45 minutes for the game plus 10-second increments per move. World champion Ding Liren and world number one Magnus Carlsen are joined by Vincent Keymer, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Richard Rapport and Daniel Fridman. | Follow the action live with expert commentary starting at 15.00 CET (10.00 ET, 19.30 IST)

4/1/2024 – Magnus Carlsen was the top scorer in the 10-round all-play-all section of the Grenke Chess Classic. Carlsen is set to face second-placed Richard Rapport in Monday’s 2-game final match. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave will face Vincent Keymer in the match for third place, while Ding Liren will play against Daniel Fridman in the match for fifth place. | Photo: Angelika Valkova

3/31/2024 – A tradition that began in 2012 continues, as the major FIDE events, including the upcoming Candidates Tournament 2024 and the 2024 Championship Match, will exclusively use the iconic sets manufactured by World Chess. The partnership between FIDE and World Chess extends through 2025, ensuring these remarkable sets remain integral to the chess world’s most elite competitions.

3/31/2024 – Magnus Carlsen continues to be the sole leader at the Grenke Chess Classic in Karlsruhe. Second-placed Richard Rapport closed the gap between him and the leader to a half point after collecting back-to-back victories on Saturday. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave stands in sole third place a full point behind Rapport, and is set to face the Romanian representative in the penultimate round. | Photo: Angelika Valkova

3/30/2024 – In his first-ever confrontation against Magnus Carlsen, Faustino Oro from Argentina, aged 10, defeated the former world champion in a 1-minute game. After becoming the youngest player to ever earn an IM norm in 2023, the ‘Messi of chess’ moved from Argentina to Spain, where he intends to continue making progress in chess. | Robert Ris analysed Oro’s memorable victory.

3/29/2024 – In his new Fast & Furious episode, Robert Ris shows how Levon Aronian surprised Wesley So in a classical line of the Nimzo-Indian. Aronian’s 5...c5!? worked out perfectly as he went on to win the game. | Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

3/29/2024 – Magnus Carlsen scored back-to-back wins on Thursday to take the lead at the Grenke Chess Classic in Karlsruhe. Carlsen defeated Vincent Keymer and former leader Richard Rapport to go into the rest day a full point ahead of Rapport, Ding Liren and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. The remaining four rounds of the double round-robin will be played during the weekend, with the final playoff set to take place on Monday. | Photo: Angelika Valkova

3/28/2024 – In his new Game of the Week show, Merijn van Delft takes a look at a fine game played by Fabiano Caruana against Grigoriy Oparin at the American Cup. In about a week Caruana will play in the 2024 Candidates Tournament in Toronto and he is one of the favourites to win this tournament. Especially if he shows the form he showed against Oparin. | Merijn’s show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

3/27/2024 – Two rounds featuring turnarounds and missed chances left Richard Rapport atop the standings of the Grenke Chess Classic with a 1-point lead over Magnus Carlsen, Ding Liren and Vincent Keymer. Rapport drew Keymer and beat Daniel Fridman in rounds 3 and 4, while both Carlsen and Keymer obtained big advantages which they were unable to convert into full points. The marquee matchup of the day saw Ding holding a draw with black against Carlsen. | Photo: Angelika Valkova

3/27/2024 – The first two rounds of the Grenke Chess Classic were played on Tuesday at the Congress Centre in Karlsruhe. Richard Rapport emerged as the sole leader after beating Magnus Carlsen and drawing Ding Liren. Carlsen bounced back from his loss in round 1 by beating the tournament’s underdog, Daniel Fridman. | Photos: Grenke Chess

3/26/2024 – The FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024 is set to take place in Toronto, Canada, on April 3-23. This event marks a historic occasion as it is the first time the Candidates and the Women’s Candidates are organized together under one roof and on the same dates. The opening ceremony will take place on the evening of April 3, while both tournaments will be set in motion on April 4 at 14.30 local time.