10/1/2025 – After the first weekend of the 2025/26 Chess Bundesliga, three clubs share the lead on maximum points. Promoted Schachfreunde Wolfhagen joined established contenders SC Viernheim and OSG Baden-Baden at the top, each securing two victories. Defending champions Düsseldorfer SK dropped ground after being held to a draw by Bayern München in round two, while Deizisau were twice held to 4–4. The season is set to resume in December. | Photo: Reinhard Ahrens / Hamburger SK

9/30/2025 – In the boxing ring, he learned what it means to pick yourself up again and again and draw new strength from setbacks. On 7 October, former world boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko will tell us about his life, the current situation in Ukraine and resilience in times of crisis. Vladimir is an old friend who visited ChessBase a number of times, together with his brother Vitaly. We look forward to seeing him again.

9/30/2025 – Hikaru Nakamura, currently ranked second in the world, gained nine Elo points in the FIDE world rankings over the last two months by scoring 11 points from 11 games in weaker tournaments; his strongest opponent had an Elo rating of 2250. Each win earned him 0.8 Elo points. However, following a rule change by FIDE, such Elo gains will no longer be possible from 1 October. Previously, when calculating Elo ratings for players with 2650+ points, a maximum difference of 400 points from the opponent's rating was assumed. For example, for a player with 2750 points, all opponents, regardless of their actual strength, were assumed to have a minimum rating of 2350. According to the new rule, the actual Elo rating difference now counts.

9/30/2025 – This is the main guideline in the endgame rook and knight against rook and knight. In the diagram position White has the initiative - how can he use it to win?

9/30/2025 – The second classical games of the Grand Chess Tour Finals in São Paulo ended quickly, with both semifinals producing draws in under two hours. Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana exchanged pieces early after Caruana's 2...g6, while Maxime Vachier-Lagrave failed to challenge Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in a short Caro-Kann encounter. With all four players now on six points, the focus shifts to rapid and blitz. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

9/29/2025 – Two weeks ago we saw how 14-year old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus from Turkey stole the show in the first part of the Grand Swiss. This week it is 11-year old Faustino Oro from Argentina who scored his first GM norm with two (!) rounds to go, while passing the 2500 mark in the progress. He now has five months to break the world record for youngest grandmaster ever. While most of his games were tough fights, our Game of the Week is Oro's flashy win from the fourth round against Diego Macias Pino. | Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

9/25/2025 – Chess players have an advantage when it comes to learning a language. If they start with the help of a chess magazine, they already have a rough idea of what it is about. Roger Lorenz learnt Italian in this way while on holiday - with the help of the magazine "Torre e Cavallo". Now he can (almost) fluently understand Italian game commentaries and invites others to join in.

9/25/2025 – From 17 to 25 September, the closed tournament "Legends and Prodigies" is being held in Madrid, featuring five GMs and five IMs in a generational clash. The event is a single round-robin with a classical time control. Among the participants are Peruvian GM Julio Granda, a legend of Latin American chess, alongside young talents Faustino Oro and Lu Miaoyi. The tournament will award a GM norm to players scoring 6/9 points. | Follow the games live starting at 16.00 CEST (10.00 ET, 19.30 IST)

9/25/2025 – In the latest episode of his Power Play Show, GM Daniel King looks at an important defensive technique that arose in the game Praggnanandhaa-Mishra from the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025. | Watch Power Play on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account. All the usual puzzles, games and instruction will be on offer.

9/25/2025 – Norway's GM Johan-Sebastian Christiansen emerged victorious at the inaugural Sahel Chess Festival, held in Monastir, Tunisia, from 1 to 9 September 2025. Scoring 8½/9 in the main Open, Christiansen also won the blitz event, highlighting the high level of play at a tournament that attracted 263 participants from 11 federations. The festival, hosted at the Amir Palace Hotel, showcased Tunisia's vibrant chess scene and signalled the start of a promising new tradition in the Sahel region. | All photos: Diana Mihajlova

9/24/2025 – As is well known, chess not only offers the opportunity to play games, but also opens up further possibilities for intellectual engagement. These include composing and solving chess problems. The World Federation for Chess Composition has now published the FIDE Album 2019–2021, featuring the finest compositions and studies from this period.

9/24/2025 – Educators and enthusiasts will gather at London's Mindsports Centre on 11–12 October for a weekend dedicated to exploring chess as a tool for learning and development. Supported by FIDE and the International Olympic Committee, the event features interactive masterclasses, practical teaching resources and opportunities to connect with peers. With only 60 places available, this initiative highlights chess' role in fostering critical thinking, creativity and confidence in the classroom. No prior experience required.