12/29/2023 – 36 analyses from the Grand Swiss 2023: the champions Vaishali and Vidit comment on their best games as well as Abdusattorov, Deac, Erigaisi, Giri, L'Ami, Mendonca, A. and M. Muzychuk, Praggnanandhaa, Saric and others - Strategy special by Mihail Marin: Richard Rapport between originality and classicism - Creeping poison: Patrick Zelbel sheds light on the current 1. e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 Bg4 4.d4!? in the Caro-Kann Two Knights Game - "Fundamental Endgame Knowledge" part #7: Karsten Mueller shows how to play pawn endgames with pawns on both wings – Surprise in the Scottish Four Knights Game: Rustam Kasimdzhanov analyses the increasingly popular 5...Nxe4!? (Video) and much more.

12/29/2023 – Today we provide you with a master-level lesson. Leonid Ivanovich Kubbel, born in 1891 in St. Petersburg, Russia, was one of the greatest composers in chess history. One of the greatest composers of our time was GM Pal Benkö, born in 1928, died in 2019. The latter shows us how he improved on one of the most famous studies of all time, composed by the former.

12/28/2023 – Yet another stunning performance, yet another title! Magnus Carlsen scored 10/13 points throughout three days of play to grab his fifth World Rapid Championship title in Samarkand. The Norwegian obtained two wins in a row at the start of day 3 and managed to win the tournament outright with draws in the final two rounds. In the women’s tournament, Anastasia Bodnaruk beat Humpy Koneru in a blitz playoff to claim the title. | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes

12/28/2023 – Kasparov Chess Foundation Academy is proud to announce stellar events in January 2024, that promise to elevate your chess game to unprecedented heights. Brace yourselves for insightful and strategic wisdom from two of the world's top chess players: Grandmaster Ramesh RB and Grandmaster Alexander Motylev.

12/28/2023 – Problemists love to construct problems in shapes that symbolize something auspicious. The great composer (and World Championship candidate) Pal Benkö sent us a problem shaped like a candle. Today we bring you two problems shaped like Christmas trees. They are not too hard, which we cannot say about the third problem, which taxes the brain.

12/28/2023 – Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Fedoseev and Yu Yangyi are sharing the lead in the open section of the World Rapid Championship after nine rounds. Carlsen and Fedoseev could have gone into the third and final day of action a half point ahead of Yu had them converted superior endgame positions in round 9. In the women’s tournament, Anastasia Bodnaruk climbed to sole first place after scoring 3½/4 points on Wednesday. | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes

12/27/2023 – Should there ever be an underrated underdog, it would be Shreyas Royal. In the London Chess Classics, the 14-year-old IM, had to face nine Grandmasters! With his ELO rating of 2404, he had a rating 200-350 lower than all other players. Still, he ended up with 4/9 points, finishing ahead of players like Moussard, Vitiugov, and McShane. Robert Ris shows us the game the young Brit played against Jules Moussard!

12/27/2023 – Alireza Firouzja has not given up. After failing to surpass Wesley So in the ratings list in a series of matches in Chartres, the youngster withdrew from the World Rapid and Blitz Championship and registered to participate in an open tournament in Rouen, France. The tournament is a 7-round Swiss Open, with Gata Kamsky (rated 2634) and Li Min Peng (2562) the second and third seeds, respectively. In the meantime, FIDE published a reviewed tournament registration procedure. | Photo: Europe Echecs

12/27/2023 – Let's say you find an interesting mating motif. Now you want to use it as the final position of a chess problem you will compose. The moves leading to it must be imaginative, clever and not very easy to find. But they must also be unique. There mustn't be alternative sets of move that lead to the final (or any) mate. For amateur composers, here's an example of a fellow amateur making a valid problem out of the position displayed.

12/26/2023 – Five players ended day 1 of the World Rapid Championship sharing first place with 4½/5 points. Magnus Carlsen, who assessed his play on the first day as “so-so”, heads the leading pack, which also includes Yu Yangyi, Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi and Ivan Cheparinov. In the women’s section, Zhu Jiner and Nurgyul Salimova are sharing first place with perfect 4/4 scores. | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes

12/26/2023 – From December 13 to 23, the Kazakhstan Chess Championship took place in Astana. After 13 rounds of play in the open, five players were tied for first place. Following a rapid tiebreak, 15-year-old Aldiyar Ansat emerged victorious. Menawhile, Ksenia Balabaeva obtained outright victory in the 10-player single round-robin. Balabaeva obtained a remarkable 7½/9 score. | Photos: Kazakhstan Chess Federation

12/26/2023 – In the diagram position it is White to move and win. White is a pawn up and has dangerous passed pawns, but the black pieces are active while the white bishop is rather clumsy. Do you see a way for White to let the bishop join the action and win the game?