6/23/2025 – Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu joined Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the lead of the UzChess Cup after defeating Javokhir Sindarov in round four. Both co-leaders stand on 3/4 points with one round to go before the tournament's rest day. Arjun Erigaisi and Parham Maghsoodloo are half a point behind. Pragg's win came in a complex Semi-Slav, where queenside passers and accurate endgame play proved decisive in a game marked by time trouble and tactical subtleties. | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

6/22/2025 – Hans Niemann secured the tenth spot in the upcoming Las Vegas leg of the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam by winning a competitive online Play-In tournament. The event featured a 9-round Swiss followed by a 16-player knockout, with Niemann defeating Denis Lazavik in a tense Armageddon decider. With nine invitees already confirmed, including Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, the full line-up for the 16-player July event continues to take shape. | Photo: Frans Peeters

6/22/2025 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer, and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In episode 235 of his "Understanding before Moving" show, Herman presents his favourite endgame studies. | Photo: Pascal Simon

6/22/2025 – You can find the perfect games for your training in no time: using the shortcut CTRL+F, you can search your databases specifically for players, game phases, or strategic and tactical themes. These search results let you focus your training exactly where you or your students want to improve.

6/22/2025 – Nodirbek Abdusattorov leads the Masters section of the UzChess Cup after three rounds, having defeated Richard Rapport with the white pieces in the only decisive game of the day. The Uzbek grandmaster now stands on 2½ points, ahead of a trio of players on 2. The key encounter of the round featured a sharp Sicilian and a complex endgame, as Abdusattorov outplayed Rapport in a bishop-versus-knight ending marked by time pressure and strategic imbalances. | Photo: Uzbek Chess Federation

6/21/2025 – In the latest episode of the Power Play Show, GM Daniel King explores one of the most instructive themes in chess theory: opposite-coloured bishops in the middlegame. To do so, he goes over a couple of games from the Norway Chess super-tournament. | Watch Power Play on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account. All the usual puzzles, games and instruction will be on offer.

6/18/2025 – In the new episode of his Game of the Week show, Merijn van Delft analyzes a game between two Indian players: Vishy Anand’s brilliant win against Arjun Erigaisi at the World Rapid Team Championship in London. Erigaisi went for an aggressive attack, but Anand kept his cool and countered effectively. | Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

6/18/2025 – The Uzbek Chess Federation is organizing the UzChess Cup again. It is taking place in Tashkent from June 19 to 27, and is a major chess festival featuring three invitational tournaments - Masters, Challengers, and Futures — as well as an Open tournament. The Masters tournament is particularly strong. Four of the top five Uzbek players will compete against six international top players.

6/18/2025 – The Cairns Cup in Saint Louis remains exciting. With two rounds to go, Humpy Koneru, Carissa Yip, and Alice Lee are tied for the lead with 4.5 points out of 7. Trailing by just half a point are Harika Dronavalli and Alina Kashlinskaya. In round 7, Carissa Yip won a tactical skirmish against Humpy Koneru, while Alice Lee capitalized on Alina Kashlinskaya’s overly aggressive attacking play. The other three games ended in draws, but Harika Dronavalli (pictured), Nino Batsiashvili, and Nana Dzagnidze all missed promising opportunities. | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club

6/17/2025 – Master Your Technique Vol. 2 by Adrian Mikhalchishin takes you deeper into the technical foundations of practical chess, focusing on converting advantages and mastering key endgame and middlegame imbalances. Through structured lessons and model games, you'll learn crucial skills like precise endgame technique, double attacks, attacking on open files, and the principle of two weaknesses. This course is ideal for ambitious players who want to turn good positions into wins with confidence and clarity.

6/17/2025 – In some countries, strong chess players have risen to prominent political positions, and in others, politicians happen to be skilled at chess. But even high-ranking chess officials can find their way into political office. According to the World Chess Federation, Zandanshatar Gombojav, former president of the Mongolian Chess Federation, has now been appointed Prime Minister of Mongolia.

6/17/2025 – After the rest day following Round 5, fighting spirit returned to the Cairns Cup in Saint Louis: all five games in Round 6 ended decisively. The new tournament leader is Humpy Koneru, who won an interesting theoretical battle against Harika Dronavalli. She now leads with 4.5 points out of 6, half a point ahead of Alina Kashlinskaya, who defeated Mariya Muzychuk. | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club