1/28/2026 – The Grand Chess Tour will return in 2026 with a full season of classical, rapid and blitz events, a $2 million overall prize fund and the Finals staged in Saint Louis. Featuring a field of leading grandmasters, including world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and recent Tour winner Fabiano Caruana (pictured), the circuit continues its established format of elite tournaments across multiple time controls, with the top performers advancing to a knockout finale. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

1/28/2026 – Many users buy our latest software, but don't spend time learning the advanced features it offers. They use ChessBase´26 just like earlier versions. But the new program has hidden treasures that will enhance your chess preparation and understanding – and boost your rating in the process. GM Iniyan Pa has taken the time to explore the new features and give you an overview of what awaits you.

1/28/2026 – Round nine in Wijk aan Zee featured several influential results in both sections of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament. In the Masters, Matthias Bluebaum defeated world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, while Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, Jorden van Foreest and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu also scored important wins. Nodirbek Abdusattorov kept the lead with a draw against Javokhir Sindarov, who now shares second place with Erdogmus and Van Foreest. In the Challengers, Andy Woodward moved into sole first place. | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

1/27/2026 – The Brazil Chess Series - Floripa Open brought together 542 players from 19 federations for a 10-round Swiss tournament in Florianópolis from 17 to 25 January. A strong field featuring 19 GMs produced a tightly contested event, with four players tying for first place on 8½/10. The title was ultimately decided according to tiebreak criteria, with André Diamant, Aryan Tari and Luis Paulo Supi finishing on the podium. | Photo: Vivian Passig

1/27/2026 – In Wijk, the Masters and the Challengers take centre stage, but there are other tournaments as well. One of them is the Qualifiers, a round-robin event with ten mostly young and ambitious players, whose winner can hope for a place in the Challengers 2027. Fourteen-year-old IM Christian Gloeckler, regarded as one of Germany’s biggest talents, made a perfect start with 4 out of 4 – and played some tactically exciting games. | Photo: Nils Rohde

1/27/2026 – The knight hunt: In a pure endgame a rook usually is much stronger than a knight: Black to move and win.

1/26/2026 – The long-standing tournament in Wijk aan Zee offers a wealth of chess content, stories, images and interesting personalities. The following report takes a look behind the scenes, with background information and interviews. For example, you can meet the man behind the fantastic live experience on the Tata Steel Chess website, Menno Pals (pictured). | Photos: Nils Rhode / Interviews: André Schulz and Arne Kähler

1/26/2026 – Play in Wijk aan Zee continued with an important result in the Masters, where Anish Giri defeated leader Nodirbek Abdusattorov, though Abdusattorov remains in first place. Javokhir Sindarov stays close behind after drawing Vinceny Keymer. Meanwhile, world champion Gukesh Dommaraju scored a win with the black pieces over Vladimir Fedoseev to bounce back from a pair of painful losses. In the Challengers, Andy Woodward and Marc'Andria Maurizzi both won to remain co-leaders, with Aydin Suleymanli half a point back. | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

1/26/2026 – In my next Fast & Furious show I am having a closer look at the spectacular 27-move victory of Javokhir Sindarov with the Black pieces against Matthias Bluebaum. Against the Krasenkow Variation of the King's Indian (6.h3) the young Uzbek quickly left well-known territory just to avoid a theoretical battle. An excellent practical decision, as Bluebaum clearly didn't feel comfortable in the complicated middlegame and quickly lost track. In this installment I'll explain both sides their thematical plans and explain why one shouldn't automatically trust the engine's evaluation.

1/26/2026 – Recently we sent a friend of our company a copy of our latest database software, asking him what he thought of it. Instead of simply using it in the customary fashon, Iniyan Pa, a strong and very active grandmaster, spent weeks delving into every corner of the program, searching for all new featurs and enhancements: And he submitted an extensive training review, which we share with our readers.

1/25/2026 – Manuel Petrosyan and Anahit Mkrtchyan won the Armenian National Championships in Yerevan, earning national titles and places in future international team events. The parallel round-robin tournaments were closely fought, with the open section decided in the final round and the women's title emerging from a sustained duel at the top. The event reflected the depth and competitiveness of Armenia's domestic chess scene. | Photos: Armenian Chess Federation

1/25/2026 – The grenke Chess Festival returns to Karlsruhe at Easter 2026, bringing together thousands of players for one of the world's largest chess gatherings. Alongside the traditional classical Open, the festival will stage a Freestyle Chess Open that serves as a qualifier for the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. With leading grandmasters expected and substantial prizes at stake, the event combines large-scale participation with direct international sporting significance.