7/11/2024 – The first three rounds of rapid action at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Tournament in Croatia saw Maxime Vachier-Lagrave scoring two wins and one draw to become the early sole leader in Zagreb. MVL defeated Levon Aronian and Ivan Saric in the first two rounds before holding a draw in a pawn-down endgame against Wesley So. Tied for second place at a 1-point distance (wins are worth 2 points in the rapid) are So and Fabiano Caruana. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

7/11/2024 – This is a comprehensive course that arms the club or tournament player with fresh ideas which can be used in their own practice. The nine volumes, individually bought, would normally cost you €299.10. But as a special Summer Special this week, we offer you the package for just €199.90. Don't miss the opportunity to let the Dutch-Bosnian grandmaster and world-class chess trainer help you enhance your overall chess understanding.

7/10/2024 – For a chess player, chess pieces are like special tools in a toolbox. We need to know how best to use them, just as a craftsman knows his tools. We shouldn’t use a screwdriver to hammer in a nail; and we shouldn’t write off the king as a vulnerable creature in need of constant care and protection. Because in this video course, kings will play a different role: a role of strong and active pieces.

7/10/2024 – Rustam Kasimdzhanov, the 2004 FIDE World Champion, enjoys the status of a national hero in his native Uzbekistan. As a player and coach he is an idol for young chess players. For the second time, a rapid chess tournament with top grandmasters was organised in his name in Tashkent. The master himself took part and had to give way to the youngsters - but only just.

7/10/2024 – Shenzhen Pengchengkulan won the preliminary round of the Chinese Team Championship in Fuling on Monday. The top eight teams qualify for the quarter-finals. The last four teams will compete in a relegation play-off. | Photo: Sina Sport

7/10/2024 – The 57th edition of Biel Chess Festival begins this Saturday and will once again attract chess enthusiasts from all over the world to the watchmaking metropolis. There will now be two invitational tournaments for the elite: the GMT-Masters and the GMT-Challengers, which will each be contested by six players. The field of participants will be led by the world number 8, Praggnanandhaa from India. There is also a whole range of tournaments on the programme for amateurs, including a new one-week tournament in the morning and the physicians' tournament. Registrations for the open tournaments are still possible at short notice.

7/7/2024 – The new ChessBase Magazine #220 again provides plenty of ideas for your repertoire with ten opening articles, from the Reti Opening to the Jobava London System and the King's Indian! In his search for a weapon against the Semi-Slav (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6), our author Yago Santiago came across the move 5.Qc2!? with which Matthias Bluebaum, among others, has achieved impressive results! The article in CBM #220 consists of an introductory text and nine extensively annotated games (with an outright 9:0 in favour of White!), including no less than five games by the German grandmaster. This week we invite you to take a look at the article with all our author's analyses as a free reading sample - directly via your web browser in ChessBase Books format.

7/6/2024 – In his new Fast & Furious episode, Robert Ris takes a look at the game Firouzja-So, which featured the sharp Sämisch Variation (4.a3) against the Nimzo-Indian. In a relatively well-known position, it seemed like Wesley So got surprised by a spectacular pawn sacrifice (8.c5!?) and quickly lost control. In this episode we'll deal with the theoretical implications of this almost new concept. | Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

7/6/2024 – In the diagram position Black played 24...Nd7 to simplify things - but from what I know about you, you will find a way to put a spanner in the works with White!

7/6/2024 – An exciting final day of action at the Superbet Chess Classic saw Fabiano Caruana first losing his round-9 classical game against Anish Giri and then convincingly prevailing in a 4-way rapid playoff. Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Alireza Firouzja finished the classical section tied for first with Caruana after Firouzja failed to make the most of a considerable advantage in his game against Pragg. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

7/5/2024 – Hangzhou lead the Chinese Team Championships with 13 points after eight rounds of eleven in Fulin. Shenzhen and Jiangshu are one point behind. A number of top Chinese players are supporting their teams in Fulin, including Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun (pictured), who has scored 6.5/8 for Shanghai so far. | Photos: Sina Sport

7/5/2024 – The first leg of the 2024-2025 edition of the Women’s Grand Prix is set to start in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, from August 14 to 25. Ten players will participate in the inaugural tournament, including former women’s world champions Alexandra Kosteniuk and Mariya Muzychuk.