5/26/2020 – What to do during the corona crisis? The German magazine "Schach" came up with an interesting idea: a "Corona Composition Tournament". Only compositions qualify in which the pieces keep "social distance" and do not touch each other. Sounds easy? Maybe, but keep in mind that the board has only 64 squares. Try your skills as a composer and win ChessBase vouchers.

5/26/2020 – "All rook endings are drawn," is a well-known witticism that is obviously wrong but indicates that it is often difficult to win rook endings that seem to be winning. However, it is also difficult to defend rook endings - unless you know what you are doing.

5/26/2020 – Former World Champion Dr. Emanuel Lasker had won the tournament in New York with one round to spare, and current World Champion José Raúl Capablanca was certain to finish second. But the final round of the top-tournament was still fiercely fought and four of the five games ended with a decision - and in all four games it was White who won.| Photo: The Statue of Liberty in New York (Source: Library of Congress)

5/26/2020 – The Silkway Cup is an online Blitz Tournament to celebrate Azerbaijan's Republic Day and Independence Day in Georgia. Top players such as Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Ivan Cheparinov, Rauf Mamedov, Baadur Jobava and many others start in this event that takes place on May 26. The first round starts at 13:00 CEST (Central European Summer Time).

5/26/2020 – Speed chess king Hikaru Nakamura bulldozed his way into the semi-finals — the world's top blitz player made short work of Levon Aronian as he crushed the Armenian 3:1 in their Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge mini-match and 2:0 overall. Nakamura, already ahead in the tie after winning on Saturday, raced into the lead with a first game win in today's second best-of-three rubber. | Photos: Lennart Ootes / FIDE

5/25/2020 – In this Simon Says we will look at some recent games. The focus is on another stunning idea by Daniil Dubov! | Watch for free and on-demand (for a limited time, or forever with a ChessBase Premium account). (Normally 16:00 UTC (18:00 CEST / 12 Noon EST).

5/25/2020 – Today, the last round of the New York 1924 will be played. Dr. Emanuel Lasker leads with 15.0/19 and is certain to win the tournament because he is 1½ ahead of Capablanca who is certain to finish second. However, as each player receives extra money for a win a peaceful last round is unlikely. All rounds begin at 15:00 UK (16:00 CEST, 09:00 EST). | The photo shows the eleven participants. Seated (from left to right): F. Yates, J.R. Capablanca, D. Janowsky, Edward Lasker, Emanuel Lasker. Standing (from left to right): F. Marshall, S. Tartakower, G. Maroczy, A. Alekhine, R. Reti, E. Bogoljubow

5/25/2020 – The 1962 Chess Olympiad took place in in Varna, Bulgaria. In round ten the 19-year-old American grandmaster Bobby Fischer faced World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik – with the black pieces. At adjournment Fischer had a clear advantage, but he had simplified too quickly and fell into a "Botvinnik trap." The game was a draw, and experts have puzzled over it ever since: could Black have won? Now we know the answer, thanks to our very diligent readers. Two of them won a prize.

5/25/2020 – With one round to spare former World Champion Dr. Emanuel Lasker (pictured) won the New York Tournament 1924. In the 21st and penultimate round, the 55-year-old Lasker won against Dr. Savielly Tartakower with fine defensive play. With 15 points from 19 games (+12, =6, -1) Lasker is now 1½ points ahead of World Champion José Raúl Capablanca, who, after a nice endgame victory against Richard Reti, is now on 13½/19 and certain to finish second.

5/25/2020 – The second pair of mini-matches in the quarter-finals of the Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge finished much more quickly than Saturday's encounters. Magnus Carlsen and Daniil Dubov needed only three games to defeat Wesley So and Sergey Karjakin respectively. Dubov in fact won all three games, while Carlsen survived a scare in the second game and saw his opponent agreeing to a quick draw in the third. | Photos: Lennart Ootes / V. Saravanan

5/24/2020 – Back in the 1980s some program authors tried to avoid the problems of the horizon effect by following suspicious lines a few half moves deeper. It became ever more difficult to use the horizon trap on them. The authors were not always forthcoming about their progress, so Frederic Friedel devised a number of test positions to find out more and to find how individual programs worked.

5/24/2020 – Former World Champion Dr. Emanuel Lasker and reigning World Champion José Raúl Capablanca lead at the New York Tournament 1924. However, in round 20 they both were lucky not to lose. But while Lasker managed to win a bad position against Geza Maroczy, Capablanca "only" drew a bad position against Frederick Yates which allowed Lasker to extend his lead. With two rounds to go Lasker is now almost certain to win the tournament: he leads with 14.0/18 and is 1½ points ahead of Capablanca who is sole second with 12½/18. | Photo: Emanuel Lasker