1/6/2024 – Some topics in chess strategy are more fashionable than others. This can happen for various reasons. For example, some topics may be easy to explain and understand. This is the case with the "good and bad bishop" theory. Or it might happen that some strategic phenomenon becomes a favourite topic of a famous chess writer. This happened, for example, with Nimzowitsch and the art of blocking passed pawns. In the following article we will look at a very striking example of this phenomenon. | Photo: Tigran Petrosian 1973, Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Algemeen Nederlandsch Fotobureau (Anefo)

1/6/2024 – You might see how White could have won outright in the diagram position in the blink of an eye. Black's path to a draw a few moves later, on the other hand, might be a real challenge. Either way - have fun!

1/5/2024 – This week GM Daniel King presents archetypal attacks from the World Rapid Championship. A test of judgment and calculation. | Power Play is on air most Fridays. Watch it on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account. All the usual puzzles, games and instruction will be on offer.

1/5/2024 – Magnus Carlsen is missing from this year's Tata Steel Chess, but World Champion Ding Liren has returned from his sabbatical. Otherwise, the Masters and Challengers are once again very colourful, with superstars, women and young talented players. The tournament starts in a week's time. | Photo: Tata Steel Chess

1/5/2024 – The Masters tournament in Hastings remains exciting: after 8 of 9 rounds, 3 players are leading with 6.5/8 each: Abijheet Gupta, Brandon Jacobson and Zhang Pengxiang. Half a point behind are Deep Sengupta, Eldar Gasanov and Shreyas Royal with 6.0/8. The top pairings for round nine will be Jacobson against Gupta and Zhang against Sengupta. The round starts at 15.15 CET with live commentary from Richard Pert and Matthew Sadler.

1/5/2024 – How did you fare with the three fun-to-solve puzzles we provided on December 30? They were fairly subtle, one quite amuzing. We got them from Gauri Shankar is a FIDE Master with eight IM norms. He lives in Chicago and produces entertaining video shorts explaining problems and studies. You can watch them for the solutions to our Christmas selection.

1/4/2024 – As expected, Magnus Carlsen has now announced on his X account that he won't be playing in the Candidates Tournament in Toronto in April, even though he qualified by winning the World Cup 2023 and by being the world's number one on the rating list. GM Nijat Abasov from Azerbaijan, who lost to Carlsen in the semifinals of the World Cup, will get Carlsen's place in the Candidates. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

1/4/2024 – FIDE has launched a new top tournament for young chess players, the "World Cup for Youngsters". 48 children each in the U8, U10 and U12 age groups will play a preliminary round and then in a knockout system. The tournament takes place in June/July in Batumi, Georgia. | Photo: Uwe Brodrecht (FIDE)

1/4/2024 – In his new Game of the Week show, Merin van Delft takes a close look at the game that helped Alireza Firouzja to qualify for the Candidates 2024 in the very last minute: Firouzja's fine win against Gata Kamsky in the Rouen Open 2023, which Firouzja won with 7.0/7. | Merijn’s show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

1/4/2024 – With new money and new sponsors pouring in, and never before seen numbers of spectators following the games, the tendency is towards faster time controls. Classical games are played with reduced times, rapid and blitz tournamenst are gaining popularity. That provides more action and excitement for chess fans. But is it really the way to go? Rune Vik-Hansen, Norwegian philosopher, argues in favour of long games.

1/3/2024 – Early in 2023, the Qualifications Commission (QC) initiated a review of the FIDE rating regulations, inviting federations, officials and the public to contribute their thoughts and suggestions. The review was prompted by feedback from professional players and FIDE officials, highlighting a rating deflation resulting from prior changes in the rating system.

1/3/2024 – With the publication of FIDE's January rating list, the participants in the Candidates Tournaments in April have been practically finalised. Alireza Firouzja and Humyp Koneru qualify thanks to their ratings while Magnus Carlsen is formally qualified, but has already stated that he does not wish to play.