5/14/2025 – In the fourth world championship match between Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov, played in Seville in 1987, the score was 12–11 in Karpov’s favor, putting Kasparov in a must-win situation to retain his title. This game was the subject of our previous article. We invited our readers to analyze with us, to solve a historical riddle. Here are the results.

5/14/2025 – The city of Barlinek ("Berlinchen") and the LASKER Chess Club in Barlinek invite all chess enthusiasts to the birthplace of Emanuel Lasker, Barlinek. For the sixth time, a rapid chess festival will be held in memory of Emanuel Lasker. Date: August 23, 2025. Here's the invitation...

5/14/2025 – Zhu Jiner's fifth consecutive win against Nana Dzagnidze propelled her to co-leadership alongside Anna Muzychuk, both with five points, as the Women's Grand Prix in Austria enters its final two rounds. Tan Zhongyi is just half a point behind after defeating Lela Javakhishvili, while Alexandra Kosteniuk secured her second straight win by beating Vaishali Rameshbabu. Mariya Muzychuk claimed her first victory, capitalising on Olga Badelka's mistakes in a chaotic encounter. | Photo: Przemysław Nikiel

5/14/2025 – Following round six of the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest, Alireza Firouzja joined the group of co-leaders with a win over world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in a complex struggle from an Italian Opening. With three rounds remaining, Firouzja, Fabiano Caruana, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave share the lead with 3½ points, while Wesley So, Levon Aronian and Bogdan-Daniel Deac are just half a point behind. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

5/14/2025 – In this episode of Svitlana’s Smart Moves, Svitlana Demchenko introduces the Hedgehog pawn structure, a strategic setup common in the Sicilian Defense, featuring black pawns on a6, b6, d6, and e6. She emphasizes the educational value of understanding pawn structures for overall middle-game improvement, using a Kasparov–Kramnik game as a case study. Svitlana explains typical plans for both sides: white often uses space advantage and looks for a queenside breakthrough with moves like b4 and c5, while black prepares central or queenside pawn breaks like d5 or b5, and, much to Arne's delight, may even launch a kingside attack with …g5. But it might be better to stick to the queenside pawn advancing!

5/13/2025 – In the Endgame Magic Show #297, Karsten Müller continues to analyse endgames from the Women's World Championship match between Ju Wenjun and Tan Zhongyi. Defending champion Ju Wenjun won the match 6.5-2.5 and impressed with her endgame skills. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

5/11/2025 – Round four of the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest saw Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Levon Aronian securing crucial wins to shake up the standings. Vachier-Lagrave's victory over world champion Gukesh Dommaraju propelled him into a three-way tie for the lead alongside Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, both of whom drew their games. Meanwhile, Aronian claimed his first win of the tournament by outplaying Jan-Krzysztof Duda, while Alireza Firouzja missed a major opportunity against Wesley So. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

5/10/2025 – The Baku Open, the inaugural event of the newly launched "Chess Tour Azerbaijan", concluded on 6 May at the Baku Crystal Hall. Serbian GM Aleksandar Indjic emerged as the clear winner in the Group A section, finishing unbeaten with a score of 7/9. Georgian GM Baadur Jobava and Turkish GM Vahap Sanal shared second place, just half a point behind. Nearly 700 players from 16 countries competed across three sections, with prize funds totalling $55,000. | Photos: Azerbaijan Chess Federation

5/10/2025 – In the diagram position, White has everything he needs for a successful attack on the kingside. The ultimate goal is to win the queen - please get to work!

5/10/2025 – The third round of the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest delivered two decisive results as Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu claimed crucial victories and now share the lead with 2/3 points. Caruana defeated Alireza Firouzja in a 73-move struggle after the Frenchman's aggressive opening backfired, while Praggnanandhaa outplayed Nodirbek Abdusattorov in a strategic battle that highlighted his positional understanding. Meanwhile, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave missed a big chance to convert a promising position against Levon Aronian. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

5/9/2025 – Chess enthusiasts are in for a treat as Croatian GM Ivan Šarić is set to deliver a live lecture at the Kasparov Chess Foundation Academy on Sunday. This special event offers a unique opportunity to learn from one of Croatia’s top chess players and a former European Champion.

5/9/2025 – Chess fans are in for a treat: On 1 June the Italian town Pietrasanta will host a chess match between Faustino Oro, the world’s youngest chess master, and former world champion Vishy Anand. The event, supported by the famous singer Andrea Bocelli, is part of a broader program that includes the Chess Roads exhibition from June 2 to 15, featuring 40 rare and original chess sets from Asia and Europe.