2/14/2025 – The inaugural tournament of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam is taking place in Weissenhaus, Germany on 7-14 February. The elite participants, including Magnus Carlsen and Gukesh Dommaraju, first play a single round-robin with a 10+10 time control. Eight out of ten players then move on to the knockout stage, played with a classical time control. | Follow the action live with expert commentary starting at 13.00 CET (7.00 ET, 17.30 IST)

2/14/2025 – In 2025 the Spanish city of Valencia commemorates its special role in the history of chess. To mark the occasion, a presentation has been created in 'La Lonja de la Seda', highlighting the revolution in the rules that led to modern chess. The city will soon be hosting tournaments, conferences and exhibitions with prominent personalities such as Viswanathan Anand. This tribute underlines the role of Valencia in the development of world chess.

2/14/2025 – Despite all the current excitement about Freestyle Chess, Merijn van Delft takes a look at a classical game in his new Game of the Week show. He analyses the game Gukesh lost against Arjun Erigaisi in the final round of the Tata Steel Tournament in Wijk aan Zee - a game, in which Erigaisi showed his attacking skills. | Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

2/13/2025 – Vincent Keymer won the first game of the final match at the Weissenhaus Freestyle Grand Slam tournament. Keymer defeated Caruana with the white pieces after getting a position edge out of the opening. Magnus Carlsen also won, as he took the lead against Javokhir Sindarov in the match for third place. | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Stev Bonhage

2/13/2025 – Imagine that you are at a party. A person you are talking to is just speaking endlessly. It feels like they will never stop, and there is only one thought in your head: "How can I interrupt this person before I go deaf?" Changing the course of a conversation is sometimes a tricky task. Changing the course of a chess game might be similarly challenging, but not for those who know the noble art of intermediate moves! | Photo: Christine Schmidt, Pixabay

2/13/2025 – Freestyle Chess and the grenke Open have agreed to cooperate. In addition to the grenke Open, there will be a grenke Freestyle Open instead of the grenke Classic this year, in which Magnus Carlsen and Vincent Keymer will also participate. The winner will participate in the Freestyle Chess Tournament in New York. Last year's winner of the grenke Open, Hans Niemann, will receive a wildcard for the upcoming Freestyle Chess Tournament in Paris. Read the press release and register here.

2/13/2025 – What really happened in the deciding game of the 2024 World Chess Championship? GM Miguel Illescas, Director of Ajedrez21, delves into the shocking blunder that cost Ding Liren his title. Drawing from his concept of "panic mode", Illescas explains why even elite players can freeze under pressure, making irrational moves without calculation. In this article, he presents his theory with detailed analysis and compelling examples. | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

2/12/2025 – After winning game one of his semifinal match against Magnus Carlsen, Vincent Keymer held a draw in the second encounter to become the first player to reach the final. His opponent will be Fabiano Caruana, who won the tiebreaker against Javokhir Sindarov in Armageddon. | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes

2/12/2025 – Impressions from the semi-finals of the Weissenhaus Freestyle event: Vincent Keymer won against Magnus Carlsen. Anna Cramling vs. Alexandra Botez was the Freestyle evening event. Gukesh reunites with Frederic Friedel and the World Champion receives an unexpected gift. And finally, we see the perhaps most famous chess button in the world!

2/12/2025 – The world's elite are competing in the Freestyle Chess tournament at Weissenhaus. However, Anna Cramling and Alexandra Botez proved in an exhibition match that Freestyle Chess is also something for ambitious amateur or club players. Levon Aronian showed his qualities as a commentator – he was not always satisfied with the moves of the young ladies.

2/12/2025 – The Key to Opening Success: Unlock your chess potential with this dynamic course focused on mastering the initiative. Whether you're looking to gain an advantage or counter an early attack, this video course will give you the tools to navigate the critical early stages of the game with confidence and precision

2/11/2025 – Vincent Keymer will keep good memories of his Tuesday game in Weissenhaus, as he managed to beat Magnus Carlsen in the first semifinal game at Freestyle Chess tournament. Keymer's win was achieved in the only decisive game on the day. The other semifinal saw Javokhir Sindarov missing a chance to beat Fabiano Caruana in a tricky endgame. | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes