1/2/2026 – In the diagram position, the black bishop on b7 is biting granite. I'm sure you'll change that quickly - and keep a cool head afterward!

1/1/2026 – Chess has played a subtle but persistent role in English intellectual life, serving less as a pastime than as a lens through which writers and thinkers have examined reason, language, power and uncertainty. From Victorian debates on culture to literary modernism and twentieth-century philosophy, this article traces how chess has functioned in England as a symbolic structure, a narrative device and a reflective model of thought under rules. | Image (AI generated): Uvencio Blanco

1/1/2026 – This interview introduces Anastasia Corotcova as a member of the ChessBase team, sharing how she grew into chess through her grandmother, an international arbiter, before choosing an IT career while staying closely connected to chess. She talks about her work as an arbiter, a fun kids-tournament anecdote, and her experience creating a weekly TV chess show for children. The final part is a lighthearted rapid-fire Q&A that reveals her personality, interests, and everyday habits.

1/1/2026 – Did you enjoy our Christmas puzzles? They were computer-resistant, which meant you could not simply ask a chess engine to solve them for you. Today we bring you a first batch of solutions – and reveal for the first time the solution to the decades-old problem of a game starting 1.e4 and ending on move five with knight takes rook mate. The solutions to the remaining problems will appear shortly.

1/1/2026 – The National Scholastic Chess Foundation (NSCF) and Kasparov Chess Foundation (KCF) presented Mindsets: The New York Chess in Education Conference at Quorum in Rockefeller Center. It brought together educators, school administrators, and researchers from across the United States, and as far away as the UK, Latvia, and Sri Lanka. Through addresses, research presentations, and practitioner panels, the conference examined how chess can be used more intentionally in education—shifting the focus from “natural talent” toward growth, mastery, and purposeful play.

1/1/2026 – Dutch FM Zyon Kollen won his first World Diving Chess Championship title in Groningen, emerging on top at the largest edition of the event to date. Entering the final round with a perfect score, he secured the crown with a quick draw. The oversubscribed tournament brought together a diverse field across ages and experience, underlining the growing appeal of this hybrid discipline that blends classical chess with underwater endurance and breath control. | Photo: Oscar Bos / Etan Ilfeld

12/31/2025 – The Hastings International Chess Congress remains one of the most enduring fixtures in the chess calendar, combining deep historical roots with a competitive modern format. From its famous 1895 origins to the current 2025/26 edition in East Sussex, the Congress continues to attract an international field. With six rounds completed, a tight race has developed at the top, with German IM Marius Deur as sole leader and ten players standing merely a half point back. | Pictured: Mr Dominic Lawson, President of the English Chess Federation, makes the first move on Harry Bryant's board in the first round. | Photo: Hastings Chess Congress

12/31/2025 – This “Best of 2025” episode is a year-end tactics celebration where Svitlana reviews the coolest moments of the chess year by turning them into a guess-the-move challenge for viewers. The WIM works through several sharp positions from major events (including the Global Chess League, World Cup, Grand Swiss, and Prague Chess Festival), featuring wild sacrifices, mating nets, and one especially memorable queen-sac idea in a Petroff line. Happy new year!

12/31/2025 – Take a look at this relatively simple position. Can you figure out how White can win? And how many moves it will require to overcome Black's most resolute defence? You won't believe it. To relax we bring you the arguably easiest chess study ever composed, and other entertaining puzzles, many from the out-of-the-box legend Karl Fabel.

12/31/2025 – This month we looked at the amazing performances of the young super talents Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (14) and Faustino Oro (12). We also paid attention to the biggest rating jumps at 2700 level: Nodirbek Abdusattorov returned to the absolute top and Nihal Sarin firmly went over 2700. We'd like to finish the year with another popular player returning to the world elite: Jorden van Foreest did well in the Czech league, his game against Rodshtein was played in his trademark original style. | Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

12/31/2025 – The World Blitz Championships in Doha closed with repeat champions in both sections. In the Open event, Magnus Carlsen completed a strong comeback to win his ninth World Blitz title and his twentieth world title overall. The women's championship was claimed by Bibisara Assaubayeva, who added a third Women's World Blitz crown after advancing from a crowded Swiss stage and prevailing in the knockout matches. | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes

12/30/2025 – Vladimir Kramnik has filed a lawsuit against the World Chess Federation FIDE before a Swiss civil court. The former world champion announced on his X account that he personally dropped off the opening documents of the lawsuit in the mailbox of FIDE’s headquarters in Lausanne. It is assumed that Kramnik is going on the offensive against FIDE after the World Chess Federation had initiated proceedings against the former world champion. | Photo: Lennart Ootes