3/27/2025 – Matthias Bluebaum became European Champion for the first time in 2022 and has now won the title for the second time - no other player has ever achieved this feat. Frederik Svane ensured a German double triumph: in the last round, he bravely took risks against Daniil Yuffa and secured second place. Like Bluebaum, he finished with 8½/11 points, but Bluebaum had a better Buchholz score. Israeli GM Maxim Rodshtein, who also scored 8½ points, finished in third place. | Photo: David Llada

3/27/2025 – Arnold Schönberg's name is closely associated with the invention of twelve-tone music, but his creative power extended far beyond music. He painted and was an inventor. At the end of February, the Johanneum Eppendorf in Hamburg dedicated an afternoon to the great artist. Schönberg's invention of 'coalition chess' played an important role. | Photo: Anne Kropp/ Johanneum

3/26/2025 – In the new instalment of the Power Play Show, GM Daniel King explores Boris Spassky's attacking skills. A classical game from the Candidates 1977 is explored - specifically the ninth game of the semifinal match between Spassky and Lajos Portisch. | Power Play is on air most Fridays. Watch it on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account. All the usual puzzles, games and instruction will be on offer.

3/26/2025 – The Romanian Chess Federation is hosting the 2025 European Championship, with over 330 players competing for titles, prize money and one of the 20 qualifying places for the World Cup. Romanian star Bogdan-Daniel Deac tops the seeding list. He is followed by some familiar names, including younger players like Daniel Dardha and experienced players like Pawel Eljanov. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 14.00 CET (9.00 ET, 18.30 IST)

3/26/2025 – The European Chess Union (ECU) has announced the launch of an innovative online training platform, ECU HUB, which is aimed at significantly improving chess education and professional development. The new platform serves as a comprehensive digital learning environment, designed to enhance the skills of chess professionals, arbiters, and enthusiasts across Europe and beyond. It represents the organization's commitment to modernizing chess education and making high-quality training accessible to chess community. Press release.

3/25/2025 – Anna Muzychuk emerged as the winner of the Cyprus Women's Grand Prix, securing victory after a tense final round in which all games ended in draws. Tied with Zhu Jiner on 6/9, Muzychuk claimed the title based on tiebreak criteria, while the prize money and Grand Prix points were shared. The tournament concluded with several dramatic moments, including missed winning opportunities for Zhu and Olga Badelka. | Photos: Mark Livshitz

3/23/2025 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In episode 222 of his "Understanding before Moving" show Herman looks at the career of Levon Aronian. | Photo: Pascal Simon

3/23/2025 – Anyone seriously interested in openings cannot ignore the opening encyclopaedia. With over 1,500 professional articles and 100 video contributions from renowned grandmasters. Take a look at a free video example on opening trends......

3/23/2025 – Round 7 of the Women's Grand Prix in Nicosia saw three decisive games and a new leader emerge. Olga Badelka stunned Anna Muzychuk with a fierce attacking game, allowing Zhu Jiner to take the lead after her win against Divya Deshmukh. Nana Dzagnidze also bounced back, defeating Stavroula Tsolakidou with the black pieces. | Photos: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

3/22/2025 – The Social Chess Research Conference, held on 22 February, marked the launch of "2025: Year of Social Chess". Bringing together researchers and practitioners from around the world, the event explored the role of chess in social development, inclusion, and rehabilitation. Presentations covered topics ranging from cognitive training to chess-based addiction recovery. Organised by FIDE’s Social Chess Commission, the conference set the stage for future initiatives aimed at leveraging chess as a tool for positive societal impact.

3/22/2025 – The finalists of the 2025 American Cup have been decided, with Hikaru Nakamura and Alice Lee securing their places through the Champions Bracket, while Fabiano Caruana and Tatev Abrahamyan fought back in the Elimination Bracket to earn rematches. Nakamura defeated Caruana in blitz tiebreaks before Caruana overcame Levon Aronian to stay in contention. In the women's section, Lee advanced after Abrahamyan missed a winning opportunity, but Abrahamyan recovered by eliminating Irina Krush, ensuring a new Grand Final pairing for the first time in the tournament's history. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

3/22/2025 – The black king is boxed in, and after 28.Qxe6+ Rf7 White delivered the coup de grâce. This was a rapid game - let's hope you'll the solution quickly!