4/23/2023 – Arjun Erigaisi won the rapid section of the Satty Zhuldyz tournament in Astana with a 9½/11 score. The youngster kicked off the day with a win over Vladimir Kramnik. He then he drew Levon Aronian, before finishing the rapid event with a victory over Kateryna Lagno. Aronian finished the rapid in second place with 8/11, while Alexander Grischuk was third with 7/11. The tournament is not over, as the final standings will be decided based on the cumulative score of the rapid and blitz events. | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

4/22/2023 – Ding Liren crossed the 2700-rating barrier back in 2012, and was soon regarded as one of the potential challengers for the world title. A week from now, the soft-spoken grandmaster from Wenzhou might become the new world chess champion. Thus, this is a good time to reminisce on his most spectacular victory. In November 2017, at the Chinese League, Ding played a stunning tactical combination and crowned it with a brilliant king hunt. Robert Ris examines the game in a 23-minute video. | Photo: Amruta Mokal

4/22/2023 – In the diagram position Black must decide what to do with the attacked knight d5: 16...Nf4! is okay, the game move, however, was 16...Nb4??. The refutation - entirely up to you!

4/22/2023 – A free day at the Astana World Championship – a good time to take another look at the last three games. Once again we have deep, instructive analyses for you to study, kindly provided to us by grandmaster Efstratios Grivas, trainer and FIDE international organizer. Our replay app makes it very easy to follow the annotations. You can even start an engine to work out the most subtle questions you might have. | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

4/21/2023 – In his new Power Play Show, GM Daniel King examines the London System, inspired by Ding Liren’s masterful strategic win in game 6 of the World Championship match in Astana. | 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.

4/21/2023 – Going for a mainstream system in elite-GM practice, Ding Liren managed to hold a draw with the black pieces in game 9 of the World Championship match. Ian Nepomniachtchi did get an edge, but could not break through Ding’s defences. The Russian GM thus kept his 1-point lead, as five games remain to be played in Astana. | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

4/19/2023 – impersonating a woman! At the Kenya Open, something unique happened when a man was caught playing in the women’s section. Registered as an unrated player, he was wearing a hijab (head and shoulder covering) typical of a Muslim woman, with a niqaab (face covering).

4/18/2023 – A dramatic seventh game saw Ian Nepomniachtchi taking the lead for a third time at the World Championship match in Astana. Ding Liren shocked Nepo and the audience by playing the French Defence, which led to a double-edged position. While Ding managed to solve his problems and gain the initiative, he also got in deep time trouble. With only seconds on his clock and no increment, he blundered the game away. | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

4/18/2023 – Nearly 300 chess enthusiasts visited the island of Menorca last week to take part in the 2nd International Chess Festival, including several grandmasters. After nine rounds ten players with 7.0/9 each shared the lead in the strong open tournament. But the young Indian Gukesh had the best tiebreak and was declared tournament winner.

4/18/2023 – A women's match between a Kazakh selection and a world selection began yesterday in Kazakhstan. The match will be played over two days of rapid chess and one day of blitz. On the first day, the World Team (photo), led by Hou Yifan, took a clear lead. | Photos: David Llada /FIDE

4/18/2023 – In the diagram position Black is two pawns down and in trouble. But Black has an active king and an active rook - enough to save the game. What should Black do to hold the draw?

4/18/2023 – Anyone who seriously deals with openings cannot avoid the opening encyclopaedia. Whether beginner or grandmaster. The Opening Encyclopaedia is by far the most comprehensive chess theory work: over 1,396 (!) theory articles offer a huge fund of ideas and high-quality analyses! In the 2023 edition, 66 new major articles and 384 new or updated opening overviews have been added. In addition: 70 top-class videos with 29 hours of playing time! For beginners, there is a tutorial for each opening area in which the most important ideas and goals are presented. The icing on the cake: Grandmaster Dorian Rogozenco presents the current opening trends in world-class chess. Secure the decisive advantage for yourself with this unique opening library!