2/10/2025 – The knockout stage of the Freestyle Chess tournament in Weissenhaus began with the first classical games of the quarterfinals and the ninth-place playoff. Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, and Vincent Keymer took the lead in their matches, while Hikaru Nakamura and Javokhir Sindarov remain level after a draw. In the ninth-place playoff, Levon Aronian defeated Vladimir Fedoseev with white. Sunday's starting position led to dynamic struggles, with all white players opting for 1.f4. The second classical games will now determine who advances or forces tiebreaks. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

2/9/2025 – Rook endgames are often deceptively complex, with even top grandmasters struggling in seemingly straightforward positions. In "Endgame essentials you need to know", Surya Shekhar Ganguly explores key endgame concepts, highlighting how even the fundamental Lucena position has been misplayed at the highest level. Through real-life examples, including mistakes by Magnus Carlsen and himself, Ganguly demonstrates why mastering these essentials is crucial for players of all levels.

2/9/2025 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In episode 216 of his "Understanding before Moving" show Herman looks at the career of Sergey Karjakin. | Photo: Pascal Simon

2/9/2025 – Let's go: In part 1 of our new tutorial series, we will show you how to quickly enter and save your own games. Just follow the explanations and screenshots and gradually build up your own database of games.

2/8/2025 – The 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss and Women's Grand Swiss will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 3 to 15 September, marking the first time the event is hosted in the country. With a growing chess presence and past successes in global tournaments, Uzbekistan continues to establish itself as a major hub for the game. The tournament will offer direct qualification spots for the 2026 Candidates and an increased prize fund of at least 30%.

2/8/2025 – Peter Enders was one of the greatest talents in the German Democratic Republic in the 1970s, but often came into conflict with the authorities. After reunification, Peter Enders was able to develop more fully, becoming an international champion and grandmaster. Peter Enders died on his 62nd birthday in Freyburg. | Photo: Georgios Souleidis

2/4/2025 – Indian FM Vedant Panesar scored an unbeaten 6/9 to win the Tata Steel Chess Qualifiers 2025. This triumph earned him a place in the Challengers section of the 2026 edition. He finished a half point ahead of the field. FM Leandro Slagboom and FM Tim Grutter, both from the Netherlands, scored 5½/9 each. They secured second and third place respectively. The top three prizes were New in Chess book vouchers worth €90, €60 and €40 each respectively. More than the prize fund, advancing to the Challengers is a big deal for the champion. Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

2/4/2025 – FIDE published the new world rankings at the beginning of February, but they are no longer completely up-to-date, as the tournament in Wijk aan Zee could not be considered. Carlsen remains number one, but Caruana, who is ranked second in the FIDE world rankings, fell to fourth place in the live ratings list. Hou Yifan remains number one among the women; the best junior is still Gukesh Dommaraju, followed by Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu; and with Divya Deshmukh the best junior among the women also comes from India.

2/4/2025 – A queen is usually much stronger than pawns. But against far advanced passed pawns she has to be careful. In the diagram position, which is from a game between Vincent Keymer and Georg Meier, it is White to move and win. What would you do?

2/4/2025 – Ready to test your wits, your ability to handle unusual chess problems? We have selected three really challenging examples for you to solve – problems that have come up with some outrageous ideas. See if you can find them, and record the time it takes you to solve them. In a week we will provide you with the full solutions, diligently explained in YouTube videos.

2/3/2025 – The conflict between Freestyle Chess and the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has intensified after Jan Henric Buettner, representing Freestyle Chess, released an open letter criticizing FIDE's approach to negotiations over the recognition of the Freestyle Chess Tour. The letter alleges player coercion and broken agreements. In response, FIDE issued a press release reaffirming its authority over World Championship titles and setting conditions for players participating in the Freestyle Chess Tour. | Photo: ChessBase India

2/3/2025 – The German "Bundesliga" is arguably the strongest national league in the world, and many top players regularly travel to Germany to support their teams. In his Endgame Magic Show #286, Karsten Müller looks at endgame highlights from the Bundesliga, which played again last weekend. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.