2/25/2026 – Netflix has announced "Untold: Chess Mates", a new documentary examining the controversy surrounding Hans Niemann's victory over Magnus Carlsen at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup. The film revisits Carlsen's withdrawal, the subsequent allegations of cheating and the intense public reaction that followed. It also places the dispute within the broader context of modern chess, including the growth of online play and the challenges it has created for trust and governance at the elite level. | Photo: Netflix

2/24/2026 – The Saint Louis Masters will take place from 25 February to 1 March as a nine-round Swiss invitational, bringing together a competitive international field. The event features a $100,000 prize fund and classical time controls, with 69 players taking part. World number three Fabiano Caruana is set to participate, ahead of a demanding schedule in March, which includes the American Cup and the Candidates Tournament. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

2/24/2026 – IM Nico Zwirs presents the Reversed Sicilian as a dynamic and practical weapon for White, especially suited to players who already use the Sicilian with Black and want to build on their existing understanding. Instead of a rigid, move-by-move repertoire, the course offers a flexible framework that helps you choose structures matching your style while learning how to deviate into less familiar setups when needed. Covering major Sicilian systems such as the Closed Sicilian, Najdorf, and Dragon, it explains how the extra tempo for White reshapes typical plans, strengthens attacking chances, and creates new strategic opportunities.

2/24/2026 – Dutch chess legend Jan Timman passed away earlier this week at the age of 74. In this week's show I'd like to pay tribute to his amazing chess career and share my personal experiences with Jan. I have a look at his spectacular victory in Hilversum, 1985 against the Garry Kasparov. It was Kasparov's first loss as a World Champion, and although it was perhaps not Jan's best game one could see the creative and adventurous attitude which were characteristic for him and brought him so many successes.

2/24/2026 – Racing rook's pawns: Should Black run or should he try to stop White's pawn majority?: Black to move and win.

2/24/2026 – The 2026 Romanian Chess Championships were held in Timișoara from 14 to 22 February, concluding after nine rounds of classical play across the Open, Women's and Amateurs sections. In the open event, Bogdan Deac claimed his second national title with a clear first-place finish. The women's championship was won by Corina Peptan (pictured), who secured her record-extending thirteenth national crown. | Photo: Romanian Chess Federation

2/20/2026 – In this episode, Svitlana explores how to fight back after a blunder, using dramatic comeback examples from players like Magnus Carlsen and classic games from the 19th century to show that even the best can recover from lost material. The key lessons are to avoid self-pity, keep pieces on the board, create complications, pose constant problems, and play actively as if you’re not worse—because pressure often causes the opponent to falter. Ultimately, she demonstrates that chess games are rarely over after a single mistake, and with the right mindset and resourcefulness, even a lost position can turn into a win or at least a save.

2/20/2026 – Who is your favourite chess player – we asked you recently. Whose games do you enjoy the most? We got a lot of feedback, and will show you the choices that human chess players make – and compare them with what a chess AI chooses, after it has played through and evaluated millions of games.

2/20/2026 – FIDE and Freestyle Chess have agreed that the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championships will again be staged in Weissenhaus, Germany in 2027. The agreement confirms the continuation of the championship at the Baltic Sea venue following the inaugural edition in 2026. | Photo: FIDE

2/20/2026 – The German Bundesliga always provides us with a beautiful collection of top level games. This weekend a very instructive game was played between top grandmaster Anton Korobov and the experienced grandmaster and trainer Felix Levin. A Petrov Defence turned into French Exchange variation and while the queens were quickly exchanged in this symmetrical structure, the game instructively shows that there is always still enough to play for. Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

2/20/2026 – To pave the way for his queen to h4, Black will have to come up with something special in the diagram position – luckily you happen to be sitting at the mouse!

2/20/2026 – Are the Candidates and World Championship time controls stuck in the past? Players are still facing brutal time scrambles that hurt the quality of chess we love to watch. Why does the increment start at move 41 for some, but from move one in others? Is tradition really helping, or just stressing players unnecessarily? Ravi Abhyankar dives into why FIDE’s current system feels arbitrary and offers a smarter, simpler solution. If you are interested in how time controls shape elite chess, this article offers a thoughtful perspective. | Photo: Wikipedia