1/18/2026 – ChessBase 26 is certainly the highlight among the November releases, but the other databases also offer a wealth of study material. There are many new options to explore, as well as in Harald Schneider-Zinner’s checkmate course, which combines a book with an online course. Finally, there are also new installments of Karsten Müller’s Endgame Academy and Ivan Sokolov’s middlegame strategy series. | All photos: ChessBase

1/18/2026 – Round one of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee began after an unusual delay provoked by protests outside the playing hall. In the Masters, decisive games followed uncharacteristic early blunders, with Hans Niemann, Vincent Keymer and Arjun Erigaisi all scoring with the white pieces. Later in the day, world champion Gukesh Dommaraju failed to make the most of a clear advantage, as Javokhir Sindarov narrowly escaped with a draw. | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

1/17/2026 – Svitlana introduces the “Fake Sveshnikov,” an unconventional Sicilian where Black mimics familiar Sveshnikov structures but deliberately deviates with early …e5 and …Ne7 to sidestep typical pins and seize dynamic counterplay. The episode walks through White’s main setups (Bg5, Be3, Bd3, c3, c4), showing recurring Black ideas like sacrificing a pawn, rapid development, dark-square pressure, and timely breaks with …f5 or …Nd4. The lesson emphasizes pattern recognition over memorization, illustrating how surprising plans and imbalances can lead to strong practical chances—even revealing that Sveshnikov himself once played this “fake” version.

1/17/2026 – Today, on 17 January 2026, Maia Chiburdanidze celebrates her 65th birthday. For a long time, she was the best female chess player in the world, a world champion and a multiple gold medallist at Chess Olympiads. Like no other, Maia Chiburdanidze represents the golden era of Georgian women's chess, though she initially competed under the Soviet flag.

1/17/2026 – Karsten shows 5 endgame highlights from the last year. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

1/17/2026 – Gukesh, the World Chess Champion, endured a difficult 2025. Still, he produced a convincing win against Magnus Carlsen and finished tied for first at Tata Steel Chess, ultimately losing the blitz tiebreak to Praggnanandhaa. At the World Blitz Championship in Doha, he suffered a stunning upset against underdog Sergey Sklokin (2407), where an extraordinary endgame collapse saw Gukesh lose multiple pawns in succession.

1/16/2026 – The Saint Louis Chess Club has unveiled its 2026 tournament calendar, outlining a full season of elite events in the United States and abroad. Anchored by an expanded 30,000-square-foot home campus, the schedule includes established fixtures such as the American Cup, Sinquefield Cup and U.S. Championships, alongside international stops on the Grand Chess Tour. | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club

1/16/2026 – The Argentine Olympic Committee has launched "Olympic Beach", a nationwide summer programme that brings organised sport and Olympic values to Argentina's coastal and riverside locations ahead of the Santa Fe 2026 South American Games. Running throughout January across eight venues, the initiative combines free sporting activities, youth engagement, environmental actions and federation-led events, including the integration of chess into the programme's public beach setting. | Photo: Argentine Chess Federation

1/16/2026 – For nearly a century, Bled has held a special place in the history chess. In 1931, Bled hosted one of the most famous international tournaments of its time, won by World Champion Alexander Alekhine. In the decades that followed, Bled’s chess tournaments welcomed numerous greats of the game, including the legendary Bobby Fischer and Mikhail Tal, who in 1961, together with a lineup of masters, created a true chess spectacle. Now, Bled revives its rich chess tradition - with the Bled Chess Festival which is for players rated below 2300 and will take place from 9th to 16th March. | Photo: Bled Chess Festival

1/16/2026 – Black's checkmate threat in the diagram position is easily eliminated... or is it? Caution - not a one-mover!

1/16/2026 – The knockout stage of the online Play-In for the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship decided the last place in the February championship. Nodirbek Abdusattorov progressed through the semifinals and went on to face Pranav Venkatesh in the final. The four qualifiers competed in two-game matches with a 15+3 time control. Amin Tabatabaei prevailed in the Armageddon tiebreak against Grigoriy Oparin to grab third place. | Photo: Amruta Mokal / Freestyle Chess Grand Slam

1/15/2026 – Beers by the Bay Chess & Social has announced the launch of a women's-only beginner chess class in San Diego, created in collaboration with Let's Go Girls – San Diego. Aimed at adult beginners, the monthly class offers a relaxed, social introduction to chess in an in-person setting. Held at a local venue in Pacific Beach, the initiative seeks to address the underrepresentation of women in community chess by providing an accessible and welcoming environment. | Photo: chessandsocial.com