6/22/2017 – It seemed as if Russia and China would run away with the top honours in both the open and women section of the World Teams 2017. But that does not seem to be the case. In the open section Russia is the sole leader with 9.0/10, but has yet to play against many strong teams. In the women's section Russia has been joined by Ukraine at the top. However, the surprise of this tournament is definitely the Turkish Open team, which has not only not lost a match, but the players have not even lost a single game!

6/22/2017 – The Paris tournament of the Grand Chess Tour, running from June 21-25 started with exciting chess from the players, and many dramatic reversals. Both Magnus Carlsen and Wesley So took off with 2.5/3, but it was really Carlsen's show as he displayed excellent form on the first day. With many games and snippets, here is the illustrated report by GM Alex Yermolinsky.

6/21/2017 – We celebrated his longevity just two weeks ago. It is with regret that we now share the passing away of Zoltan Sarosy, who died at the very ripe age of 110, making him not only the oldest man in Canada, but easily the oldest chess master ever. Born in Hungary in 1906, and learning chess at the age of ten, the lifelong aficionado effectively played it for 100 years, still playing in his 100s, which helped him maintain an astonishingly healthy brain until the very end.

6/21/2017 – Day four saw a few astonishing results in the Open section that none could foresee. The Turkish team, which came as one of the lowest rated in the field, faced Poland, hitherto resting on a perfect 3/3. The Turks had done excellent, drawing two top teams, but in round four, they defeated Poland in a big upset. Still, the biggest surprise had to be India’s crushing 3.5-0.5 win over the USA with some inspired chess. Here is the illustrated report with GM analysis.

6/20/2017 – "I had the pleasure of first meeting Nihal in Stockholm at the end of last year," writes John-Paul Wallace. "He looked even younger than his tender age of 12, but it was immediately clear that he was a powerful chess player. A few days after this event I conducted a Skype interview with Nihal. As I think you will see, he is a very humble young man and undoubtedly he has a fantastic future ahead of him. I wish him all the best!" Interview in the June issue of CHESS Magazine.

6/20/2017 – Tonight at 5pm UK time Lawrence Trent goes on air on Playchess.com. In his show Lawrence Trent will be dealing with the latest trends, games and combinations from the elite chess tournaments. This week is all about Norway Chess. And one example from the American Continental Championship...

6/20/2017 – Today (June 20) is World Refugee Day, and we have a heart-warming story to support it. For over a year the city of Mosul, a major city in northern Iraq, has been under siege by the Iraqi army, which is trying to dislodge the militant forces of ISIS. The civil population is suffering unimaginable horrors, with 100,000 currently trapped in the final assault of the Old City. To help refugees overcome trauma and grief the British NGO AMAR arranged a three-day chess encounter with two Azerbaijani grandmasters in Dohuk, less than 75 kilometres from Mosul. AMAR now has plans to promote chess across the country.

6/20/2017 – If you are in trouble it often helps to look for hidden tactical possibilities. E.g. for a perpetual. Particularly so in the endgame.

6/20/2017 – The third round saw the end to China’s invincibility in the Open section, after the top seeds were held to a draw by a battling team USA. The only team to still be unblemished is Poland, which beat Egypt 3-1. In the women’s section the Russian team was also held to a draw by Azerbaijan, while Ukraine beat India to share the lead. Illustrated report with analysis by GM Tiger Hillarp-Persson.

6/20/2017 – While a strong start is always desirable, it is how you finish that matters in a tournament. Ask Georgian GM Baadur Jobava who started with 2 losses, but finished second after seven straight wins, or Russian talent Vladimir Fedoseev who stumbled midway but came in third. Still, it was the class act by Maxim Matlakov, who was steady as she goes all the way, and ended a deserved 2017 European Individual Champion. Final report with GM analyses.

6/20/2017 – The Alekhine Memorial 2017 is one of the most colourful tournaments in Russia. The most attractive facet of this tournament is the variety: there is a Chess 960 tournament, Rapids, Blitz, and also a Sail of Hope tournament. And all this is apart from the main event, a classical tournament for Masters and FIDE Rated players (below 2200). Read this illustrated report after seven rounds.

6/19/2017 – You do play 1.e4 but you do not really know what to play against 1...e5? Because you do not want to enter Spanish territory which your opponent might know inside out, or you fear a trip to the Berlin Wall? Why not try the Four Knights? An old opening that is deceptively quiet but can be very dangerous. Simon Williams shows you why.