12/23/2025 – FIDE World Cup 2025: Analyses by Adams, Bluebaum, Donchenko, Grandelius, Shankland, Wei Yi, Wojtaszek and many more – Marshal Attack: just develop: Robert Ris praises the modern 11…Bb7!? – “Giri’s Gems”: The world-class player looks back at eight games from top tournaments of 2025 – “Hello e-file!”: Oliver Reeh poses numerous training questions on 33 games and presents four interactive videos in his tactics column – Topalov-Anand 2005: Dorian Rogozenco looks back at a theoretically important, highly tactical Queen's Indian with the spectacular 14.Nxf7!! – a “Modern Classic” and much more!

12/23/2025 – Caruana's king: In queen endings the question is often, if the attacking king can hide: White to move and win.

12/23/2025 – Last week we saw 14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus beating MVL in a match and this week the big news is the second GM norm of 12-year-old Faustino Oro. His first round game against 14-year-old Ilan Schnaider was a very fascinating encounter in the Sicilian Najdorf and therefore our Game of the Week. This new generation of top players seems to have a different take on the game and it's very interesting to investigate how that differs from a more classical approach. | Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

12/23/2025 – The round-robin phase of the Global Chess League concluded with the finalists confirmed after a closely contested final day. Triveni Continental Kings finished well clear at the top, while Alpine SG Pipers claimed the second finals place on tiebreaks despite losing their last match. Narrow margins elsewhere shaped the final standings, with the Ganges Grandmasters and the PBG Alaskan Knights now set to contest the match for third place. | Pictured: Gukesh Dommaraju (Alaskan Knights) facing Fabiano Caruana (SG Pipers). | Photo: Official website

12/22/2025 – Fellow students, whether composers or solvers, have appreciated it for years, but it is far less known to the wider chess community: since 1991, there has been a giant database of chess. It is the result of the tireless work of Harold van der Heijden, a Dutch collector of endgames and studies, editor, chess organizer, and chess composer. Harold has just turned 65, and the well-known chess study composer has written an article celebrating the launch of the latest 100,000 game edition of the database.

12/22/2025 – As the World Rapid and Blitz Championships approach, Doha will host the leading figures of women's chess alongside the wider elite. From established world champions to Grand Prix winners and fast-time-control specialists, the women's field reflects both depth and continuity at the top of the game. This article outlines the key contenders arriving in Qatar, tracing recent results, rivalries and form, and setting the context for how women's chess has developed ahead of one of the season's flagship events. | All photos: FIDE

12/22/2025 – Twenty years after Topalov’s legendary knight sacrifice in San Luis, history echoed on the same stage. Ivan Cheparinov revisited the famous Najdorf line against Alexey Shirov — and after a 65-minute think on move 21, “Fire on the Board” struck back with a brilliant finish. | Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

12/22/2025 – The round-robin phase of the Global Chess League has been decided at the top, with Triveni Continental Kings finishing first and securing a place in the Final with one round to go. The remaining berth in the final match will be determined on Monday, with the Alpine SG Pipers now the frontrunners in this battle - two wins by women's world number one Hou Yifan helped them climb to second place in the standings. | Photo: ChessBase India

12/21/2025 – In the Czech Extraliga, multiple teams from the same club have recently been allowed to compete. However, this has done nothing to diminish the dominance of record champions Nový Bor. Michal Vávra of Moravská Slavia Brno, meanwhile, continues to provide the most eye-catching support beside the boards. | Pictured: Michal Vávra and chess ambassador Karolína Sirotňuková wearing the new Moravská Slavia cap | Photos: Vladimír Jágr

12/21/2025 – We take a unique behind-the-scenes look at how top chess masters organize their digital workspace. Grandmasters and trainers reveal their personal ChessBase 26 setups — from meticulously clean desktops to chaotic databases full of ideas. They show us their board designs, current projects, and discuss their favourite or most-used ChessBase functions, offering fascinating insights into how great minds prepare, study, and work with chess every day.

12/21/2025 – Day seven of the Global Chess League produced a clearer picture at the top of the table, with the leaders, Triveni Continental Kings, opening a commanding gap over the rest of the field. A heavy defeat for one of the main challengers, upGrad Mumba Masters, reshaped the standings, while several tightly contested matches kept the battle for second place wide open. | Pictured: Continental Kings' Marc'Andria Maurizzi | Photos: Official website

12/20/2025 – Vladimir Fedoseev was one of the first Russian chess players to speak out critically against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He switched to the Slovenian association and never wants to represent Russia again. The Russian Minister of Sport has now stripped him of his Russian honorary titles. | Photo: Lennart Ootes