3/6/2020 – This non-everyday opening position saw 12...Nc6 13.Nxc8+ Ke6. Now White has only one continuation to give him an advantage. Can you follow in Shirov's footsteps!?

3/6/2020 – The year 2020 has begun well for youngster D. Gukesh. He won the Hillerød Chess Club open in Denmark, and went on to fly through the Cannes Open as well. In a field that had over ten grandmasters, Gukesh scored 7½/9 with a rating performance of 2667. While Gukesh's performance and live rating of 2565 is impressive, what is even more jaw-dropping is the fact that the youngster says he has never used an engine for his preparation! In this article, Gukesh sends us an annotated game from the Cannes Open which, like always, he has analysed all by himself. A detailed report on Gukesh's victory along with an interview with the winner.

3/5/2020 – In less than two weeks the Candidates Tournament 2020 will begin in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Eight of the world's best players fight for the right to challenge Magnus Carlsen in December and in his Candidates Preview on YouTube Daniel King takes a close look at all eight candidates. In his most recent episode he wonders how Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi, who is unpredictable but knows how to put pressure on his opponents, might fare in Yekaterinburg. | Photo: Niki Riga / World Chess

3/5/2020 – Harika Dronavalli, Alina Kashlinskaya and Anna Muzychuk joined Aleksandra Goryachkina and Nana Dzagnidze in the lead of the Women's Grand Prix in Lausanne. Harika defeated world champion Ju Wenjun, Kashlinskaya inflicted Alexandra Kosteniuk's second consecutive loss and Anna Muzychuk got the better of Marie Sebag. Three more rounds will be played before the one rest day of the event. | Photo: David Llada

3/4/2020 – Geza Maroczy was one of the world's best players at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and at times even the best. A planned world championship fight with Lasker did not materialize in 1906. But two of Maroczy students became world champions. Maroczy was always underestimated in his role, and gennerally he had little luck in his long life. March 3rd was his 150th birthday. | Photo: Cuba News

3/4/2020 – Returning once more to the Batavia tournament in Amsterdam, IM Merijn van Delft looks at a game from the winner Dimitri Reinderman. | The live show is free to watch, and available on-demand for ChessBase Premium account holders (but FREE for a limited time!). Merijn is live this week starting at 19:00 UTC (20:00 CET / 4 PM EST).

3/4/2020 – “'I need a surprise weapon against the Sicilian, the most popular Black opening,' I schemed one day." So begins guest reviewer NATHANIAL FERNANDES in his look at the irreverent IM Lawrence Trent's FritzTrainer on 2.b3!? in the Sicilian. Find out what drew this 1.e4 devotee — an A-level club player — to this particular opening sideline.

3/4/2020 – Aleksandra Goryachkina and Nana Dzagnidze were the first players to score full points at the third leg of the Women's Grand Prix in Lausanne. Goryachkina got the better of Alexandra Kosteniuk while Dzagnidze defeated Zhansaya Abdumalik. Out of all the drawn games, the one that was closest to end decisively was Pia Cramling v Anna Muzychuk — Cramling successfully defended an opposite-coloured bishop endgame two pawns down until move 68. | Photo: David Llada

3/3/2020 – Back from Amsterdam, IM Lawrence Trent reviews the tournament and presents another personal highlight. | Puzzle time: In the diagram, it's White to move! Is 51.Ke3 safe? | Lawrence is live his week from 17:00 UTC (18:00 CET, 12 Noon EST) and free for a limited time, or forever on-demand with a ChessBase Basic Account. You can always register a free 90-day account to watch.

3/3/2020 – The 80th Noteboom tournament took place in Leiden last weekend. In addition to the Open, a four-way battle was carried out by the "old masters". Nikolic won ahead of Hübner, Karpov and Timman. Casper Schoppen won the Open. | Photos: Harry Gielen

3/3/2020 – The Candidates Tournament 2020 will begin on March 17th and surely is one of the highlights of the chess year 2020. Until April 3rd, eight of the best players in the world will fight for the right to challenge Magnus Carlsen for the world title. To get into the mood for the tournament which will take place in Yekaterinburg, the fourth-largest city in Russia, Daniel King introduces all eight participants in his Power Play Show on YouTube. So far King has made portraits of four candidates, four more will follow, each with an introduction to the player and typical and beautiful games.

3/3/2020 – Mating attacks also occur in the endgame. Here's an example with king and queen cooperating well.