1/25/2026 – Round seven of the Tata Steel Masters saw Nodirbek Abdusattorov extend his lead with a second straight win, defeating top seed Vincent Keymer in a sharp Semi-Slav. Javokhir Sindarov remains in sole second place, while Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus scored a second win in a row and Anish Giri grabbed his first victory of the event. In the Challengers, a quieter day allowed Marc'Andria Maurizzi to catch Andy Woodward in the lead. | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lenart Ootes

1/25/2026 – Calculation separates the wheat from the chaff in chess. At the same time, many club players devote too little of their training to the skills involved. In today’s flood of courses and databases, everyone can bring their openings to a solid level and make “sensible” moves. Yet most games are still decided in close combat. Hannes Langrock is an editor at a fiction publishing house and an International Master. He lives in Leipzig and plays for ESV Nickelhütte Aue. He reviews Surya Ganguly's course “Calculation Step by Step Vol. 1”. | Photos: ChessBase

1/24/2026 – The grenke Chess Festival will return to Karlsruhe over Easter 2026, bringing together thousands of players for parallel classical and Freestyle opens. For the first time, the Freestyle event will serve as a qualifier for the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship, adding direct sporting stakes to the established festival format. Leading figures including Magnus Carlsen and Vincent Keymer are set to feature in one of the largest open gatherings in world chess. | Photo: Stev Bonhage

1/24/2026 – The European Chess Union has announced the creation of the European Chess Super League, a new elite club competition scheduled to debut in 2027. Featuring eight leading clubs and a substantial prize fund, the event aims to bring top-level team chess into a dedicated continental format. Organisers also confirmed plans for a corresponding Women's Super League, underlining a broader effort to expand the profile of club chess in Europe.

1/24/2026 – Round six of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament featured a number of pivotal games in both sections. In the Masters, Nodirbek Abdusattorov defeated world champion Gukesh Dommaraju after a sudden one-move blunder, moving ahead of the field, while Vincent Keymer and Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus also collected important wins. The Challengers saw Andy Woodward claim a marathon victory over Carissa Yip to take clear first place. | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lenart Ootes

1/23/2026 – Judit Polgár is a name that still electrifies today. This goes back to her meteoric rise – and that of her sisters – in the 1980s and 1990s. She climbed as high as eighth place in the world rankings – note, the open rankings, not the women’s list – and even defeated Garry Kasparov. Without doubt, this career offers more than enough material for a TV series. The planners at Netflix thought the same, and so Queen of Chess will appear on the streaming platform in February. Not only chess fans are likely to be curious. | Image material: Netflix

1/21/2026 – After the shocking death of the American Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky at the age of 29, speculations and accusations were rampant on whether it had been suicide or other. The Chief Medical Examiner of the North Carolina Office released the toxicology report, stating it had found a number of drugs in his system that could lead to addiction or death. This article has been updated with a medical doctor's professional evaluation. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

1/20/2026 – Norway Chess will enter a new chapter in 2026 as the tournament moves from Stavanger to Oslo after thirteen editions. From 25 May to 5 June, both Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women will be staged at Deichman Bjørvika Public Library, bringing the event to the country's capital for the first time. Magnus Carlsen has already confirmed his participation, with further players to be announced. | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

1/20/2026 – On 20 January 1999, Garry Kasparov played what may have been the greatest chess game of all time in Wijk. With a series of sacrifices he drove the black king onto the back rank, where he finally delivered checkmate. In a free reader, Robert Ris presents Kasparov’s masterpiece and other brilliancies from Wijk aan Zee.

1/20/2026 – The year 2025 is a significant one for the chess community in Malaysia as the country finally achieved its long-drawn-out dream of having its first grandmaster. IM Yeoh Li Tian achieved his third and final GM norm to finally complete the dream outlined by the late Malaysian chess philanthropist, Dato’ Tan Chin Nam. The Malaysian Prime Minister called to congratulate the newly-minted GM right after his historic achievement.

1/20/2026 – Pawn waves and walls: King activity is often crucially important in an endgame: Black to move and draw.

1/20/2026 – Round three of the Tata Steel Chess tournament brought notable shifts in the standings. In the Masters, Matthias Bluebaum defeated Vincent Keymer in an all-German battle, while Jorden van Foreest overcame Anish Giri in the all-Dutch derby. Both Bluebaum and Van Foreest joined the leading group on 2/3. In the Challengers, Aydin Suleymanli moved into sole first place after beating Eline Roebers with the black pieces. | Photo: Nils Rohde