1/2/2019 – "There is always a chess tournament somewhere in the world", they say, and even over the Christmas holiday one could indulge in the 64-squares at the Chess Festival in Groningen, Netherlands. The participants of the annual nine-round open play on December 24th and 26th and wrap up before New Year's Eve. This year, victory went to Estonian Grandmaster Ottomar Ladva (left) in front of the young Dutch IM Liam Vrolijk — both players with 7 points. | Photo: Harry Gielen

1/1/2019 – FIDE's January ratings are out and saw a few big moves in the top 100 rapid and blitz lists thanks to the recently completed World Rapid and Blitz Championships. Carlsen's blitz dominance was on display and he solidified the top rating spot, now at 2954. Daniil Dubov gained notoriety (and rating) for his impressive run in the World Rapid Championship. Among the women, Ju Wenjun took her third world title of the year, but Kateryna Lagno, who lost the World Championship final in a blitz tiebreaker against Ju, managed to win the Blitz Championship well ahead of her rival. | Pictured: Women's World Blitz Champion, Kateryna Lagno | Photo: Lennart Ootes

1/1/2019 – Tuesdays at 18:00 CEST (5:00 pm UK time, Noon EDT) Lawrence Trent brings you the latest trends, games and combinations from elite chess tournaments. This week looks at some of his own games from 2018. Free to watch on-demand for a limited time with a ChessBase Basic Account. You can register a free 90-day account to watch.

1/1/2019 – It was Dr Tarrasch who formulated this famous principle and though there are, of course, exceptions and positions in which the rook is better placed on the side of the pawn, in rook endings this is still a very good rule of thumb.

1/1/2019 – The traditional Rilton Cup in Stockholm is currently in its 48th edition. The nine-round tournament started on December 27th and runs through January 5th. The New Year is celebrated in Stockholm and New Year's Day is the lone free day. The event routinely attracts a strong field of GMs — at least those not interested in Rapid or Blitz championships, and it even has its own mobile app for iOS and Android! | Photo: Lars OA Hedlund

12/31/2018 – Webster University’s “A” team won the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championships (Pan-Am). Qualifying for the Final Four of College Chess are Webster University, The University of Texas at Dallas, Harvard University, and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. | Pictured: Webster University team with Susan Polgar and Paul Truong. | Photo: David Llada

12/31/2018 – Nothing could stop Magnus Carlsen on Sunday, as he obtained six more wins to get first place at the World Blitz Championship after finishing with an undefeated 17/21 score. Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Hikaru Nakamura completed the podium. Meanwhile, in the women's section, day-one leader Kateryna Lagno also stayed on top throughout the day and was awarded the gold medal in the end. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh finished second — like in the Rapid — and Lei Tingjie took home the bronze. | Photos: Maria Emelianova / Lennart Ootes / Official site

12/31/2018 – It is another entertaining type of chess problems. The point of retro is you must consider the moves that led up to the given position. They are often quite difficult to guess – you have to think out of the box. We are not going to slay our doubtlessly inexperienced readers with complex retrograde analysis, but instead show you a number of fairly simple examples, some of which will still have you frowning in puzzlement. One thing for sure: they are all very entertaining.

12/30/2018 – Valentin Kirillov and Misha Tal are childhood pals. Destiny takes them on separate paths and then brings them together. The former world champion now has a devoted friend serving as his official second. What does it mean to live and work with a wayward genius? Read on to see a memorable portrait drawn by a friend who loved Misha and paid the price. (Based on an episode in “Team Tal” by Valentin Kirillov, Elk and Ruby. 2017) | Photo: Gahetna.nl

12/30/2018 – The 2018 World Blitz Championship took place December 29th and 30th in St. Petersburg Russia, with live commentary by GMs Peter Leko and Evgeny Miroshnichenko. Magnus Carlsen defended his 2017 Blitz title. Kateryna Lagno won the Women's tournament. The winners of the Rapid Championship were the 25th seed GM Daniil Dubov in the Open and Ju Wenjun among the women, adding the Rapid World Champion's title to her list of accolades. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

12/30/2018 – If your nickname is 'Risk' or your middle name is 'Complication', then I've got an opening for you! The King's Gambit is swashbuckling but also full of positional ideas. Many top players have used — and continue to use — the King's Gambit, proving that this weapon from the long-forgotten past is still alive and scything victims! Grandmaster Simon Williams outlines novelties and ideas which can be added to the repertoire of the attacking player. Reviewer DAVIDE NASTASIO has compiled a number of illustrative games from which to draw inspiration, improving any player's attacking chess. | Photo: Carl Portman / britishchesschampionships.co.uk

12/29/2018 – Seven wins and four draws left Magnus Carlsen as the co-leader after day one of the World Blitz Championships in Saint Petersburg. The Norwegian is sharing first place with blitz specialist Vladislav Artemiev, who recovered from an early loss to complete the twelve rounds on Saturday with an astounding 9½ score. Two strong performances were also seen in the women's section, where Kateryna Lagno and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh are sharing the lead on 7½/9. | Photos: Maria Emelianova / Lennart Ootes / Official site

12/29/2018 – The final "Study of the Month" examines the legacy of American composer Alain C. White. Our study guide and expert SIEGFRIED HORNECKER explains how White "was far ahead of his time — half a century or more". In fact, Hornecker is already looking ahead to 2022 when many of White's works are slated to enter the public domain, much to the benefit of chess study fans (and future Study of the Month columns) everywhere.

12/29/2018 – The end of the year saw Israel organising its national championships in Maalot Tarshiha. In the open section, 54-year-old Alon Greenfeld won his second national title after having received the trophy for the first time back in 1984. He tied on 6½ points with Evgeny Postny, but was declared winner on tie-breaks. Amongst the women, rating favourite Yuliya Shvayger (pictured with Moshe Slav, chairman of the Israel Chess Federation) finished on top after edging Marsel Efroimski on Sonneborn-Berger score. | Photos: Dr. Mark Livshitz

12/29/2018 – No tie-breaks were needed to decide the winners of the 2018 World Rapid Championships in Saint Petersburg. In the open section, Daniil Dubov arrived in the last round alone at the top of the standings and kept his position after all the top games finished drawn. Meanwhile, Ju Wenjun continued her great run and practically secured first place with a round to spare — will the Chinese manage to win the 'triple crown' of world championships this year? | Photos: Maria Emelianova / Lennart Ootes / Official site

12/28/2018 – The Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championships, the crown jewel of college chess in the USA, is historically played in the days between the Christmas and New Year's holidays, December 27th to 30th. ALEXEY ROOT checks in on the early action. The top-rated team is Webster "A" with GMs Illia Nyzhnyk (2730), Lazaro Bruzon Batista (2757), Yuniesky Quesada Perez (2723) and Jorge Cori | Photos: Alexey Root

12/28/2018 – The 2018 World Rapid Championship were played over three days in St. Petersburg Russia, with live commentary by GMs Peter Leko and Evgeny Miroshnichenko. In the Open sections, the reigning champions Viswanathan Anand (Rapid) and Magnus Carlsen (Blitz) were back in action. In the women's rapid tournament, Anna Muzychuk is the top seed followed by World Champion Ju Wenjun. The winner of the open section was the 25th seed GM Daniil Dubov, while among the women, Ju Wenjun added the Rapid World Champion title to her list of accolades. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

12/28/2018 – Despite his huge material plus, in the diagram position White is the one who must seek salvation with only moves. Things start with 33.Qxe8+ Qxe8 34.Qd2 Qe5 — the rest will be up to you. Ready?