1/11/2025 – A month ago, "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" was released worldwide. Being a massive fan of the Indiana Jones franchise, this game was obviously a must-play. You must be wondering, why are we talking about a video game on a chess website? Well, the game had plenty of chess positions which were carefully curated. Unlike in "Watch Dogs", you cannot solve the positions by moving pieces, but you can certainly use your mind to solve them, or perhaps recollect where you might have probably seen it. | Game cover: Indiana Jones fandom

1/11/2025 – The 2024 European Women's Blitz Championship brought high-octane chess action to the luxurious backdrop of Monte Carlo, Monaco. Featuring 126 players from 28 countries, the event saw Polish IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya claim a stunning victory with 10½/13 points, defeating top talents including former world champions Anna Ushenina and Alexandra Kosteniuk. Rising star Eline Roebers also impressed but narrowly missed the podium. | Photo: Patricia Claros

1/11/2025 – In the diagram position axb4 is not a threat, so Black can actually play whatever he wants. However, a continuation leads straight to the orcus, with mate in 4 - ha det så kul!!!

1/10/2025 – In 2024, FC St. Pauli, which had just been promoted to the top division of the Bundesliga, pulled off a coup: they were able to convince Magnus Carlsen, a football fan and the world's number one, to become a member of their team. But it remained unclear how often Carlsen would play in the coming season. But the time has come sooner than expected, as Carlsen will play in St. Pauli's home matches against Solingen and Düsseldorf this weekend. And if Düsseldorf choose not to go to Hamburg with their best lineup, Carlsen could even face Gukesh, the newly crowned world champion, on Sunday. | Photo: Nils Rohde

1/10/2025 – Garry Kasparov, a chess legend revered worldwide, continues to inspire new generations through the Kasparov Chess Foundation University Cup. This unique online tournament offers university teams the chance to earn a coveted reward: a training session with Kasparov himself. In its fourth edition, 494 students from 117 universities across six continents competed fiercely online. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley triumphed, securing their dream session with the former world champion.

1/10/2025 – The highly anticipated training program at KCF Academy is set to begin on January 11, 2025, bringing together some of the brightest young chess talents from Europe and America. Renowned for its cutting-edge training methodologies and distinguished coaching staff, KCF Academy has become a hub for nurturing the future stars of the chess world.

1/6/2025 – Egyptian GM Bassem Amin emerged victorious in the 52nd Rilton Cup, held from 27 December to 5 January in Stockholm, Sweden. The prestigious tournament, established in 1971 thanks to the visionary support of Dr Tore Rilton, attracted 115 players from 35 countries this year. Despite an early upset loss, Amin showcased his resilience by winning six consecutive games and secured the title with 7½ points. | Photo: Lars OA Hedlund

1/6/2025 – Merijn van Delft starts the year with a provocation. In his first Game of the Week show of 2025, he presents a rapid game, in which White played 1.a4 against Hikaru Nakamura, the current world number 3. Despite his dubious opening, White won the game - in which his a-pawn made a remarkable career. | Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

1/6/2025 – There are many clear advantages of using the latest ChessBase 18. It dramatically improves your level of chess study and preparation. Ask Indian grandmaster Pa.Iniyan, who sent us an in-depth three-part review of his experience with the program. You would do well to follow what he says carefully – and use our software to increase your performance and rating. | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

1/5/2025 – GM S L Narayanan scored an unbeaten 7/9 to win the main section of the Groningen Chess Festival 2024. The top seed finished a half point ahead of the competition. Four players collected 6½ points: GM Thomas Beerdsen, IM Nick Maatman, IM Manish Anto Cristiano and IM Theo Stijve. The 9-round Swiss open was organised in Gronigen, Netherlands from 21 to 30 December 2024. | Photo: Harry Gielen

1/5/2025 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In episode 211 of his "Understanding before Moving" show Herman looks back to the World Championships that FIDE introduced after World Champion Garry Kasparov and Challenger Nigel Short split from FIDE by creating the PCA. | Photo: Pascal Simon

1/5/2025 – Robert Hübner died on 5 January 2025 after a long and serious illness. For decades after the war Robert Hübner was the best German chess player, with countless successes in individual and team competitions. In addition to his career as a tournament player, Hübner gained great importance as a profound chess historian and incorruptible analyst. With his death the chess world loses one of its outstanding minds. | Photo: R. Bogaerts / ANEFO via nationaalarchief.nl