4/25/2026 – Zachary’s journey is a remarkable rise from a small content creator to the face behind the YouTube channel thechessnerd, now with over 227,000 subscribers, and a presenter for FIDE, hosting press conferences at the 2026 Candidates Tournament. He began in 2019 at just 18 years old, uploading chess videos, and saw explosive growth during the pandemic as his content reached a global audience. Alongside this, his playing strength climbed from 1680 Elo in 2016 to over 2100 within a decade. So how did he make the leap from creator to official FIDE presenter, and how did his chess level improve? In this interview with Arne Kaehler, he shares the full story.

4/25/2026 – Magnus Carlsen reached the Grand Final of the Chess.com Open after two closely contested 3–2 victories over Denis Lazavik and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Despite falling short, Duda secured qualification for the Esports World Cup by reaching the Winners Final. In the Losers Bracket, Sina Movahed and Nodirbek Abdusattorov advanced with two wins each, while six players were eliminated as the field narrowed further ahead of the final two days of action. | Photo: ChessBase / Nils Rohde

4/25/2026 – The two-part FritzTrainer series "King’s Indian – A Complete Repertoire for Black" by Grandmaster Felix Blohberger is devoted to one of the most dynamic and at the same time complex openings in modern chess: the King’s Indian Defence. Lukas Köpl examines the series with regard to its structure, content, didactic quality and practical relevance.

4/25/2026 – SC Viernheim extended their lead in the 2025/26 Chess Bundesliga with a narrow win over Sfr. Wolfhagen in round thirteen, while OSG Baden-Baden were held to a draw by Heimbach-Weis-Neuwied. The results leave Viernheim four match points clear of Baden-Baden with two rounds remaining. A draw in Saturday's direct encounter with Baden-Baden would be sufficient for the leaders to secure the title. | Pictured: 14-year-old Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (Viernheim) | Photo: ChessBase / Nils Rohde

4/24/2026 – This weekend KCF Academy subscribers will have the opportunity to meet the extraordinary Peter Svidler during a regular live Sunday session. Don't miss this unique opportunity to enhance your chess understanding with insights from a true chess legend and get an expert's take on the just-concluded 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. Add to Your Calendar: Sunday, April 26, 2026, 17:00 CET.

4/24/2026 – Four players remain unbeaten after the opening day of the Chess.com Open Playoffs, with Magnus Carlsen, Denis Lazavik, Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Nihal Sarin progressing through the Winners Bracket. Several close matches and multiple Armageddon deciders marked the early rounds, while eight players dropped into the Losers Bracket and four were eliminated, including new World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov. | Photo: ChessBase / Nils Rohde

4/24/2026 – In the diagram position Black has very active pieces, but only 31.Kg1?? makes his decisive combination possible. Can you spot the disadvantage of this king's move?

4/24/2026 – At the halfway stage of the World Senior Team Championship in Durrës, the standings have begun to take clearer shape. In the 50+ section, USA 1 and Italy moved into the lead after key round-five victories, while France 1 emerged as sole leaders in the 65+ category. With closely contested matches and limited separation across both sections, the tournament remains open ahead of the decisive final rounds following the rest day. | Photo: Georgia Grapsa

4/23/2026 – Javokhir Sindarov had an incredible performance at the Candidates Tournament. He won the event and finished 1½ points ahead of second-placed Anish Giri. While many people have contributed towards Javokhir's success, one man takes the lion's share. His name is Roman Vidonyak, and he is Sindarov's coach. The journey of Roman and Javokhir began in January 2025 and in the last sixteen months they have achieved something truly special. What are Roman's methods of training? We tried to understand from the man himself. | Photo: Amruta Mokal

4/23/2026 – The 2025/26 Chess Bundesliga season concludes with three rounds in Berlin from 24 to 26 April. SC Viernheim lead the standings by three match points over OSG Baden-Baden, with Schachfreunde Wolfhagen still within reach in third place (a win grants two MPs). The final weekend features direct encounters between all three teams, while teams at the bottom of the table will fight hard to avoid relegation. | Photo: Berlin.de

4/23/2026 – Ding Liren is back. After losing the World Championship title in December 2024, Ding Liren took a long break from classical chess tournaments and only participated in online or rapid events. At the Chinese Team Championships, he has now returned to classical chess - successfully. | Photos: Sports Bureau of Heilongjiang Province

4/22/2026 – Fabiano Caruana reflects on his showing at the Candidates Tournament while explaining why he believes Javokhir Sindarov produced one of the strongest performances in the event's history. Caruana discusses Sindarov's opening preparation, his own missed chances, Hikaru Nakamura's costly opening preparation mistake and the likely balance of the forthcoming world title match against Gukesh Dommaraju. | Photo: ChessBase / Nils Rohde