5/17/2026 – You want to analyse a position without having to enter all the moves first? No problem: with ChessBase´26, the position is quickly displayed on the board and you can analyse it with or without an engine, or import other game positions using FEN code. Learn how to use the “Position Setup” menu to start immediately at the point that interests you, and find out what FEN is all about...

5/17/2026 – The London System is no longer a fringe opening on the margins of chess theory, but has developed into a serious and widely tested weapon — an assessment recently confirmed by Magnus Carlsen in an interview. Against this backdrop, Mihail Marin presents an approach that confronts London players with concrete problems at an early stage and demands a high degree of flexibility — a requirement that can prove particularly uncomfortable for unprepared adherents of the system. In his review, Lukas Köpl takes a closer look at this antidote for Black.

5/17/2026 – Despite being a pawn up, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu was unable to defeat Vincent Keymer in round three of the Super Chess Classic in Bucharest. Wesley So v. Fabiano Caruana and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave v. Javokhir Sindarov also ended drawn. Anish Giri defeated Alireza Firouzja, who, under time pressure, failed to find the way to a saving draw. Jorden van Foreest scored a remarkable win with black against Bogdan-Daniel Deac. After round three, five players share the lead: Giri, Keymer, Praggnanandhaa, Vachier-Lagrave and Van Foreest. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

5/16/2026 – As the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) enters its 11th edition, it has become a cornerstone of the professional chess world. With a $2 million prize fund and a reach spanning four continents, the tour is often described as a "well-oiled machine". In an exclusive look at the tour's history, CEO and Executive Director Michael Khodarkovsky shares the philosophy that has sustained this elite circuit for over a decade. | Photo: Grand Chess Tour

5/16/2026 – Strategy, repertoire work and modern trends: five current ChessBase products provide fresh inspiration for training and tournament practice. From Ivan Sokolov’s structural middlegame understanding to Isaac Garner’s practical repertoire ideas, as well as compact solutions against the London System and data-driven Powerbooks, the result is a versatile selection for modern chess training — well-founded, practice-oriented and tailored to different playing styles. | All photos: ChessBase

5/16/2026 – KCF Academy is thrilled to announce the upcoming live lecture featuring IGM Elisabeth Paehtz, one of the most accomplished female chess players from Germany, with a distinguished career marked by numerous titles and significant contributions to the game. The online masterclass will take place on May 17, 2026, at 17:00 CET. This exclusive event offers KCF participants a unique opportunity to learn from one of the sharpest strategic minds in women's chess.

5/16/2026 – Vincent Keymer, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave became the first co-leaders of the Super Chess Classic Romania after winning in round two. Keymer punished Bogdan-Daniel Deac's kingside weakening, Vachier-Lagrave outplayed Alireza Firouzja in a Najdorf Sicilian, and Praggnanandhaa ended Javokhir Sindarov's 53-game unbeaten streak in classical chess. Fabiano Caruana v. Anish Giri and Jorden van Foreest v. Wesley So were drawn. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

5/15/2026 – I have a look at the game Caruana-Firouzja from Superbet Rapid and Blitz in Warsaw. White chose quite an aggressive line against the Sicilian Kan by sacrificing a pawn for a dangerous initiative. Due to its lack in development and weakened dark-squares, Black is having a hard time neutralizing White's attacking aspiration. Caruana eventually transformed his attack into a winning endgame with an extra exchange but failed to convert his naterial plus. In this episode, I'll give you an update on the current theoretical state of this variation and share some illustrative examples.

5/15/2026 – Last week we saw how Magnus Carlsen lost against Jorden van Foreest, which put him at 2 out of 4 at that point. But then he managed to win his remaining three games, and 5 out of 7 was just enough to share first place with Erigaisi. Eventually, Carlsen won the blitz tiebreak with 2-1, so he did it again. Our Game of the Week is the historical last round encounter between Magnus Carlsen and Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, the 14-year-old that may very well be his successor one day. Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

5/15/2026 – In 1983, 21 years after Wolfgang Uhlmann's victory over Mikhail Botvinnik at the 1962 Chess Olympiad in Varna, a German player once again managed to defeat a reigning world champion. In the first round of the International Mephisto Chess Tournament in Hanover, Wolfram Hartmann, then a 27-year-old law student from Bamberg, achieved one of the most astonishing underdog victories in German chess history against Anatoly Karpov (pictured). | Photo: V. Savostianov, Novosti Press (via Douglas Griffin)

5/15/2026 – In the diagram position Black can't yet strike, but after 34...Rh7! 35.Rh1 the time has come. The motto is forward - have fun!

5/15/2026 – All five games ended drawn in the first round of the Super Chess Classic Romania, though several players had chances to grab full points. Alireza Firouzja missed the clearest opportunity against defending champion Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (pictured), while Fabiano Caruana failed to make the most of an extra pawn against Jorden van Foreest. Wesley So v. Vincent Keymer was a double-edged, remarkable battle. | Photo: Lennart Ootes