US college chess: UTRGV ends Webster's reign

4/20/2018 – The 2018 edition of Final Four of Collegiate Chess was held from March 30th to April 1st at the Marshall Chess Club in New York City. This edition was also touted as the strongest Final Four in history, as out of a total of 22 players, there were 18 grandmasters! The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) team (pictured) was the surprising winner, taking their first collegiate chess title. | Pictured: Vladimir Belous, Andrey Stukopin, Kamil Dragun, Bartlomiej Macieja (coach) Dr. Douglas Stoves (manager), Hovhannes Gabuzyan, Carlos Antonio Alejano Hevia | Photo: Paul Truong

U.S. Championship LIVE

4/19/2018 – Top class U.S. Championship chess returns to Saint Louis Chess & Scholastic Center for the tenth time from April 18th to 30th. Can Fabiano Caruana continue his victory run? Can Wesley So defend his 2017 title? Will a well-rested Hikaru Nakamura come out strong? (Full details) Live games and commentary from Yasser Seirawan, Jennifer Shahade and Maurice Ashley starting at 20:00 CEST (13:00 CDT, local St. Louis time).

U.S. Championship: So and Akobian start with wins

4/19/2018 – Kicking off the US Championships at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, defending US Champion Wesley So and Varuzhan Akobian started with victories — both coming with the black pieces. Awonder Liang took half a point off Fabiano Caruana. In the Women's championship, there were two decisions in round one. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

European Women's Championship LIVE

4/19/2018 – The 19th European Single Women's Championship is being played in Vysoke Tatry, Slovakia from April 8th to 19th. More than 140 players take part, including top seed, former Women's World Champion Mariya Muzychuk. Live games from 15:00 CEST (9:00 AM EDT) | Photo: europechess.org

Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2018 LIVE

4/19/2018 – World Champion Magnus Carlsen heads the 5th Shamkir Chess tournament in memory of Vugar Gashimov, being played in Azerbaijan from April 19th to 28th. Live games and commentary from 13:00 CEST (7:00 AM EDT)

EWICC: Paehtz takes her shot

4/19/2018 – Elisabeth Paehtz was able to win her game against Laura Unuk in the ninth round of the European Women's Championship and thus took on the leader, Valentina Gunina in round ten. But the Russian star drew without much difficulty to maintain her full point edge going into the last round. Photos: Oleksandr Martynkov / Official site

Player search in ChessBase 14

4/19/2018 – Do you know how to use the "Find Player" function in ChessBase 14 to prepare for your next opponent? it takes only a few clicks and the opening repertoire of your opponent is revealed, strengths and weaknesses included. But maybe you also want to take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of other players? | Drawing: ChessBase

The Power Play Show: Attack with Caruana!

4/18/2018 – Wednesday at 8pm UK time Daniel King will go on air on playchess.com. You can watch the episode live for free. This episodes about Caruana's attacking games. All the usual puzzles, games and instruction will be on offer. Puzzle and the live video...

2018 U.S. Championship begins

4/18/2018 – Today the U.S. Championships start in Saint Louis, Missouri. The open and the women's championships will once again be held in parallel. The first prize in the Open Tournament is $50,000, with $25,000 for the winner of the U.S. Women's Championship. Wesley So is the defending champ, but both U.S. number one Fabiano Caruana and former U.S. Champion Hikaru Nakamura are also playing. All the key details... | Photos: CCSCSL

NEW! Lawrence Trent: The Amazing Albin Counter-Gambit

4/18/2018 – The Albin Counter-Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5!?) has been a favourite of Grandmasters and amateur players alike since it was popularised by Adolf Albin in the 1890s. This hyper-aggressive system, which immediately sets out to destabilise White’s position, had a renaissance in the mid-2000s when none other than GM Alexander Morozevich revitalised the opening with a number of fresh ideas and excellent results. Lawrence Trent is an International Master who has represented England as a player and as a coach and has been a 3-time winner of the Porto San Giorgio International tournament, finishing ahead of many Grandmasters.

Who was Rudolf Charousek?

4/18/2018 – Today in 1900, Rudolf Charousek, the Czech-Hungarian master, died at the age of 26. Charousek learnt to play chess when he was 16 but in the course of his short career managed to beat a number of strong players — among them World Champion Emanuel Lasker. The writer Gustav Meyrink immortalised Charousek in his novel "The Golem", one of the classics of fantastic literature.

Hou Yifan in Der Spiegel

4/18/2018 – The 24-year old former Women's World Champion, in an interview with Spiegel Online's Christian Gödecke, explains her current plans for the future, as she shifts her focus in the wake of her impending Rhodes Scholar status at Oxford University and says, "I would prefer not to distinguish between men and women players". | Photo: Macauley Peterson

Johan van Hulst, 1911-2018

4/17/2018 – Prof. Johann van Hulst, a teacher, parliamentarian, active chess player until his last days passed away last month in Amsterdam at the age of 107. For his humanitarian actions, saving over 600 Jewish children during World War II, he received the Yad Vashem distinction "Righteous Among the Nations" from the State of Israel in 1972. | Pictured: On January 28, 2011, Van Hulst celebrated his centenary in Wijk aan Zee | Photo: Alina l'Ami