9/20/2016 – We can't get enough of the 42nd Chess Olympiad that finished last Tuesday in Baku. It was one of the most exciting events of the year, and saw some extraordinary chess and results. Huffington Post columnist GM Lubomir Kavalek tells us how the US Americans bested 170 teams to win Gold and gives the three rules required to achieve this. His game analysis is as always profound and entertaining. Perfect for an early autumn Sunday.

9/20/2016 – Under the motto "Chess is Art" the Russian Chess Federation and the Timchenko Foundation organise important tournaments and matches in museums. In 2012 the World Championship match between Vishy Anand and Boris Gelfand was played in the Tretyakov Gallery and on Saturday the strong 10th Tal Memorial (Elo-average 2760) begins with a blitz tournament in the recently opened Museum of Russian Impressionism in Moscow.

9/20/2016 – The city of Saint Louis plays a substantial role in the chess boom in the US. The city hosts prestigious tournaments such as the Sinquefield Cup or the US Chess Championships, the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis supports talents and helps to make the game more popular, and The World Chess Hall of Fame highlights the many fascinating cultural aspects of chess. Recently, the Hall of Fame announced three new exhibitions designed "to celebrate five years in Saint Louis".

9/20/2016 – Today the ChessBase playchess.com server celebrates its 15th birthday. On 20th September 2001 the server went public and only minutes later the first chess fans wanted to play. Today, thousands of chess fans from all over the world play and train on the server, watch the many audio- and video-files, and follow top tournaments live. ChessBase and playchess made online chess incredibly comfortable! To celebrate, ChessBase has presents for its readers, customers and friends.

9/20/2016 – Every week ChessBase magazine author and renowned endgame expert Karsten Müller presents a remarkable or particularly instructive endgame in his blog. A click on the diagram opens a larger board. Test your endgame skills, improve and have fun!

9/19/2016 – In Germany's first league, the "Bundesliga", 16 teams with eight players each play a 15-round round-robin team tournament. Now, the readers of "schachbundesliga.de", the internet portal of the "Bundesliga", voted for the best game of last season. However, voters did not have to go through all games of the season, 15 made it to the shortlist. The most votes received Jan-Krzysztof Duda's win against Grzegorz Gajewski, a fine example of the power of pawns.

9/19/2016 – Stephen Moss is a successful English journalist, and he is a passionate chessplayer. On 22 September 2016 his book "The Rookie: An Odyssey through Chess (and Life)" will apear. Last week, in "The long read" column of the English "Guardian" Moss published a long article in which he takes his readers on to an excursion into the world of chess and talks about his chess career, the pain of defeat, and the charm and allure of the game.

9/19/2016 – Among the many brilliant performances turned in at the Baku Olympiad was Vladimir Kramnik's gold medal performance on board two, and taking him to 2817 Elo and world no.2. While everyone appreciates his brilliance, understanding the games and moves of such a deep player often requires the help of a grandmaster who can shed light on seemingly baffling choices. Providing just that is GM Elshan Moradiabadi who shares his insights in this wonderful class on strategy.

9/18/2016 – If you thought the three activities hockey, football and chess don’t mix, think again. During the summer break, the Doprastav Bratislava Chess Club (Slovakia) organized a chess exhibition match between hockey players and footballers. This match between big names of the sport in Slovakia, included such players as Miroslav Šatan, a hockey player who was world champion and even won a Stanley Cup. His personal love for chess motivated him to help make this unlikely event possible. Illustrated report with a mind-boggling video.

9/17/2016 – An event such as the Baku Olympiad will generate enormous interest, great games, and historic moments, but have you ever wondered what it was like from an insider's point of view. We don't mean from the perspective of an on-site reporter, but rather one who had to make the tough decisions each and every day: the captain! What follows is an article by Manuel Weeks, the captain of the Australian team, as he dealt with the decisions and worries that might decide his team's fate. A fascinating account with games and quizzes.

9/17/2016 – Three years ago Vladimir Kramnik won the 2013 FIDE World Cup in Tromsø, a 128-player knockout tournament. It was a fine and stunning victory, which involved defeating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (currently the World's number two) in the sixth round. In game two Kramnik could have settled matters with a study-like win he had on the board, but failed to find. Not surprising in short time controls under high pressure. Try to solve the position and let Sagar Shah of ChessBase India teach you a bit about an important endgame.

9/16/2016 – A solid mix of solid play and aggression - that is what Black wants with the Queen's Gambit Declined. And that is what Daniel King wants to give you on his DVD "Powerplay 23" - a "Repertoire For Black With the Queen's Gambit Declined". German amateur Sebastian Vigl, who now seems to be an ardent fan of the QGD, had a look at the DVD and shares his impressions in a personal review.