8/21/2025 – After five rounds, the Rubinstein Memorial in Polanica-Zdrój has three leaders at the top of the table: Nodirbek Yakubboev, Radosław Wojtaszek, and reigning European Champion Matthias Blübaum (pictured). In round five, Blübaum scored a notable win with the black pieces against Michael Adams, who now finds himself at the bottom of the standings. The biggest surprise of the day, however, came from Jan Klimkowski: the Polish player defeated top seed Aravindh Chithambaram with Black, delivering the upset of the tournament so far. Round six will feature the direct clash between Wojtaszek and Blübaum. | Photo: SZS / Luka Rifelj (Archive)

8/21/2025 – Fabiano Caruana scored the only win on day three of the Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis, defeating Alireza Firouzja to join Levon Aronian and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa at the top of the standings on 2 points. The most eventful game of the round came from Maxime Vachier-Lagrave’s clash with Aronian, where the Frenchman obtained a winning position in a sharp French Defence but was unable to convert, eventually allowing his opponent to escape with a draw. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

8/21/2025 – Peter Leko, once the youngest grandmaster in the world and a former world championship contender, played a pivotal role as mentor to Germany's star Vincent Keymer. In an interview with The Indian Express, Leko reflects on Keymer's steady rise, the influence of the new generation of prodigies and his own career lessons. He offers candid insights into what it takes to succeed at the highest level and why growth matters more than results. | Pictured: Peter Leko, Vincent Keymer and Hans-Walter Schmitt (2018) | Photo: Hartmut Metz

8/20/2025 – The FIDE Grand Swiss returns this September with its fourth edition, bringing many of the world's strongest players to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for one of the most prestigious classical tournaments on the calendar. Alongside seasoned contenders, a new generation of prodigies will be in the spotlight, from established teenage stars to emerging talents aiming to set fresh records. The event promises a fascinating clash of youth and experience across both the Open and Women's sections.

8/20/2025 – Anish Giri is known for his extensive opening knowledge and thorough preparation. Together with Sagar Shah, in his "Supergrandmaster’s Guide to Openings", he provides insights into the ideas and characteristics of a wide range of openings. Inspiring and instructive. This week (18.-24. August) for only 59.90€ - instead of 89.90€!

8/20/2025 – Round two of the Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis produced two decisive games, as world champion Gukesh Dommaraju bounced back from his opening-day loss with a chaotic win against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, while Alireza Firouzja turned the tables in a 100-move struggle against Jan-Krzysztof Duda. The remaining three games were drawn, leaving Firouzja, Levon Aronian and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu sharing the lead on 1½ points. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

8/20/2025 – Things are heating up at the Rubinstein Memorial in Polanica-Zdrój: after the former sole leader Nodirbek Yakkuboev was held to a draw and Radosław Wojtaszek (pictured) scored a win, both players now share the lead with 3 points from 4 rounds. Germany’s European Champion Matthias Blübaum also won and, together with Aravindh Chithambaram, trails the leaders by just half a point in third place. Ukraine’s Igor Kovalenko and the Czech grandmaster David Navara, both with four draws, occupy the middle of the table. | Photo: Polish Chess Federation

8/20/2025 – The French Chess Championships are being held in Vichy from 15 to 24 August as part of a large chess festival featuring events for all levels, from national title matches to youth and amateur competitions. The Open and Women's Championships, organised as 16-player knockouts, have now reached the semifinals. In the Open, three veterans join 18-year-old Marc'Andria Maurizzi, while in the Women's, recent champions face ambitious challengers for a place in the final. | Photos: Nathalie Daubry / French Chess Federation

8/19/2025 – Vincent Keymer celebrated one of the greatest successes of his career at the Chennai Masters. He won the strong tournament by a two-point margin, achieved a performance rating of 2917 and gained more than 20 Elo points. For the first time in his career, he has entered the world’s top ten in the live rankings. After the tournament he sat down with Himank Ghosh of ChessBase India for an in-depth interview, speaking about the event, his career, his rivals, his collaboration with Peter Leko, life as a top player, his goals, and much more.

8/19/2025 – Karsten Müller and Arne Kähler use Fritz 20 to compare game analysis with the 4 Player Types standard model. Using a game by Elisabeth Pähtz against the ‘Bull,’ they explain the strategic mistakes of an Active player and how other player types (Reflectors, Theorists, Pragmatists) would have avoided them. In conclusion, they emphasize that Fritz 20 with its player type model offers a valuable training opportunity to specifically prepare for opponents with a certain style – even for Freestyle Chess events.

8/19/2025 – Grandmaster Jonathan Levitt has recently ventured into an unexpected field: songwriting. Inspired by a shared poetry routine with his wife, he has written lyrics dedicated to figures such as Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky and Garry Kasparov. With nine chess-themed songs now available, Levitt continues to explore new forms of creativity while maintaining his deep connection to the game. | Photo: Jonathan Levitt

8/19/2025 – Cutting the enemy king off is a typical and useful technique in rook endgames. How did White use this technique to win the diagram position?