5/25/2024 – The FIDE 100 Torch Relay, marking the centennial celebration of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), is set to light up Latin America. A nine-day event in Medellin, Colombia’s second-largest city, will bring together FIDE officials, players and chess fans from the continent. The central ceremony will take place on May 26, when the Torch Relay will make its journey through five public parks in Medellin.

5/25/2024 – If you want to improve your chess, you need a repertoire, but developing a repertoire on your own can be tedious. This is where recommendations from GMs can help. In a new ChessBase course, Dutch GM and FIDE Trainer Sipke Ernst has developed a repertoire for anyone who plays or intends to play 1.d4. Christian Hoethe went over the course and came to the conclusion that White can easily “make his/her opponent sweat” with this repertoire.

5/25/2024 – The seventh edition of the Salamanca Chess Festival is taking place on May 21-25 at the “Centro Internacional del Español” in the city’s prestigious university. The Masters Tournament, featuring four men and four women, is a single round-robin with a time control of 40 minutes plus 5-second increments. Follow the games live with computer-assisted analysis starting at 17.00 CEST (11.00 ET, 20.30 IST)

5/25/2024 – In the diagram position White could have won with the immediate 21.Bxh7+!, while the game continuation 21.f4 Ng4 22.Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.Qxf8 was nicely refuted by Black. Two queens in enemy territory - enjoy!

5/25/2024 – Kirill Alekseenko defeated Mariya Muzychuk on Friday to become the sole leader at the Salamanca Masters. With two rounds to go, Alekseenko, the defending champion, has a half-point lead over Eduardo Iturrizaga and Ruslan Ponomariov. In Saturday’s final rounds, Alekseenko will face Iturrizaga with the white pieces and will play black against Michael Adams. | Photos: Official website

5/24/2024 – In the 1971 Candidate Matches Bobby Fischer faced Mark Taimanov In Vancouver, Canada. The American defeated his opponent from the Soviet Union with a "dry" 6-0 score. But matters could have started differently. In the first game it was Taimanov who put on the pressure, and even had winning chances. He played 27.h3, which nobody considered a bad move – until Kasparov pointed out its defect in 2004. Today's riddle deals with the position before White's 27th move. Computers find it devilishly difficult to find the best continuation. Can you?

5/21/2024 – The seventh edition of the Salamanca Chess Festival takes place on May 21-25 at the “Centro Internacional del Español” in the city’s prestigious university. The Masters Tournament, including Michael Adams, Mariya Muzychuk and Ruslan Ponomariov, kicks off on Wednesday. The tournament, featuring four men and four women, is a single round-robin with a time control of 40 minutes plus 5-second increments.

5/21/2024 – Rook and knight can form a strong attacking duo. In the diagram position it is White to move and win. How can he put Black's king into trouble?

5/21/2024 – Round 7 of the Sharjah Masters saw former sole leader Aravindh Chithambaram losing his game with white against Iranian GM Bardiya Daneshvar, the 50th seed in the event. Daneshvar thus leapfrogged Aravindh in the standings, as he is now sharing the lead with Sam Shankland. Shankland defeated his compatriot Hans Niemann after the latter misplayed a king and pawn endgame. | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

5/20/2024 – In any sport, the win can be the result of a mistake, and a player's exploitation of it! The time has come to cut out the funny business, quit over-thinking, and go mate your opponent. There's no better way to claim a quick victory than an efficient, well-executed attack. But then you need to have a sharp tactical eye and a will to go all-in! In the Sharjah Masters two wild games drew the attention of the public. Analysis by Efstratios Grivas.

5/20/2024 – Magnus Carlsen scored 4½/6 points to claim outright victory in the inaugural edition of the Casablanca Chess Tournament. On the second day of action, Carlsen beat Bassem Amin and signed draws against Hikaru Nakamura and Vishy Anand. Nakamura finished in second place with 3½ points. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

5/20/2024 – In every issue of ChessBase Magazine, Robert Ris invites you to replay a recent top-class game with him “Move by Move”. In this interactive session with video feedback, you have the opportunity to find out the right moves yourself and enter them on the board. For CBM #219, Ris chose Nodirbek Abdusattorov's win against world champion Ju Wenjun from the Tata Steel Masters 2024. In the Italian Game with the rare 4...Be7 completely unknown territory was already entered after 5.0-0 0-0 6.Bb3 a5 7.c4. Use this week's CBM reading sample and take your game to the next level with the help of Robert Ris! Now also available for iPad, smartphone, Mac et