4/25/2026 – In Barcelona and across Catalonia, chess is being integrated into public education as a tool for learning and inclusion. Schools such as Escola Jaume Balmes and Escola Ramon y Cajal use the game to teach subjects ranging from mathematics to language, while also helping students from diverse backgrounds connect. Supported by educators and institutions, the initiative demonstrates how chess can foster engagement, participation and personal development in the classroom. | Photo: KNZO Photography

4/25/2026 – Zachary’s journey is a remarkable rise from a small content creator to the face behind the YouTube channel thechessnerd, now with over 227,000 subscribers, and a presenter for FIDE, hosting press conferences at the 2026 Candidates Tournament. He began in 2019 at just 18 years old, uploading chess videos, and saw explosive growth during the pandemic as his content reached a global audience. Alongside this, his playing strength climbed from 1680 Elo in 2016 to over 2100 within a decade. So how did he make the leap from creator to official FIDE presenter, and how did his chess level improve? In this interview with Arne Kaehler, he shares the full story.

4/25/2026 – Magnus Carlsen reached the Grand Final of the Chess.com Open after two closely contested 3–2 victories over Denis Lazavik and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Despite falling short, Duda secured qualification for the Esports World Cup by reaching the Winners Final. In the Losers Bracket, Sina Movahed and Nodirbek Abdusattorov advanced with two wins each, while six players were eliminated as the field narrowed further ahead of the final two days of action. | Photo: ChessBase / Nils Rohde

4/25/2026 – The two-part FritzTrainer series "King’s Indian – A Complete Repertoire for Black" by Grandmaster Felix Blohberger is devoted to one of the most dynamic and at the same time complex openings in modern chess: the King’s Indian Defence. Lukas Köpl examines the series with regard to its structure, content, didactic quality and practical relevance.

4/25/2026 – SC Viernheim extended their lead in the 2025/26 Chess Bundesliga with a narrow win over Sfr. Wolfhagen in round thirteen, while OSG Baden-Baden were held to a draw by Heimbach-Weis-Neuwied. The results leave Viernheim four match points clear of Baden-Baden with two rounds remaining. A draw in Saturday's direct encounter with Baden-Baden would be sufficient for the leaders to secure the title. | Pictured: 14-year-old Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (Viernheim) | Photo: ChessBase / Nils Rohde

4/24/2026 – This weekend KCF Academy subscribers will have the opportunity to meet the extraordinary Peter Svidler during a regular live Sunday session. Don't miss this unique opportunity to enhance your chess understanding with insights from a true chess legend and get an expert's take on the just-concluded 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. Add to Your Calendar: Sunday, April 26, 2026, 17:00 CET.

4/21/2026 – In the world of Indian chess, few stories are as cinematic as the rise of Vaishali Rameshbabu. While the world watches her exploits, the man who has spent a decade moulding her talent, GM R.B. Ramesh, provides an intimate look at the sacrifice, ethics and the psychological sides of India's newest Women's World Championship challenger. Read the article to know more about not just the professional but also the personal side of this amazing champion. | Photo: ChessBase India

4/20/2026 – As we reported, 14-year-old Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş has just become the the youngest player in history to surpass the 2700 rating mark. By beating former world champion Veselin Topalov 5-1 he reached a live Elo rating of 2709.4 and is clearly on his way to join the group of the top-ten players in the world. But will he be the youngest to do so? We checked.

4/20/2026 – In this episode, we'll have a look at one of his three spectacular victories which was played in the second game of match. Erdogmus didn't show any fear by entering the sharp Anti-Moscow Variation of the Slav. The Bulgarian superstar is an absolute top specialist in this field and contributed massively to the development of this line 20 years ago. It seemed like White got the upper hand out of the opening, but one mistake enabled Black to come back into the game. After the exchange of queens a razorsharp position ensued in which both sides tried to promote a passed pawn. By chosing the wrong square for his king, the Bulgarian committed the decisive blunder and soon lost. An absolutely incredible fight!

4/20/2026 – Were you able to handle the four rook endgame studies we showed you recently? They were a little bit harder to solve than they looked. We now bring you all the intricacies and subtleties in short videos by IM Gauri Shankar, who works as a chess trainer in Chicago. And of course we give you full analysis in a ChessBase replayer, where you can switch on an engine to help resolve any residual questions.

4/20/2026 – Roman Dehtiarov produced a huge surprise at the European Championship in Katowice by defeating David Anton in the final round to win the title outright with 9/11 points. The 17-year-old Ukrainian entered the tournament as the 126th seed and an international master rated 2452. He finished with eight wins, two draws and one loss, defeated six higher-rated opponents and earned the grandmaster title after a 2781 tournament performance rating. | Photo: Official website

4/19/2026 – The 2026 World Senior Team Championship has begun in Durrës, with 90 teams competing across the 50+ and 65+ sections. Top seeds include USA 1, England 1 and Kazakhstan in the younger category, while England I and Lasker SGK head the 65+ field. The event has attracted a number of leading veterans, among them Michael Adams, John Nunn and Artur Yusupov. | Photo: Georgia Grapsa