1/18/2025 – Can White play 11.e4 in the diagram position to consolidate his space advantage - or will it backfire because of 11...Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Nxe4? Your verdict, please!

1/18/2025 – The KCF Academy training program kicked off in style on the weekend of January 11-12 with a 4-level Training Program and an exclusive live lecture by Fabiano Caruana! The next guest star at KCF Academy is the chess legend Levon Aronian, who will host an exclusive lecture on January 19, 2025. Known for his profound creativity and dynamic playing style, Aronian remains one of the most respected figures in modern chess.

1/18/2025 – In his new Fast & Furious episode, Robert Ris takes another look at the Rubinstein Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. And shows a fine attacking by Parham Maghsoodloo. | Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

1/17/2025 – The World Chess Hall of Fame invites you to embark on a whimsical journey with "Paws and Pawns: Exploring Animal Chess Sets", an enchanting exhibition running from 30 January to 31 August 2025. Featuring over 50 animal-themed chess sets from around the globe, this family-friendly showcase highlights the creativity of artists who reimagine the chessboard through the lens of the natural world. From regal lions to playful mice, these unique designs celebrate the diversity of wildlife and artistic traditions!

1/17/2025 – It's still the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese zodiac, but on the 29th of January, it will turn into the Year of the Snake. But for Chris Ward, every year is the Year of the Dragon, and new games continue to show up month by month. In this episode, Chris examines the variation without f3 for White. What are the plans? How should they be countered? The English GM knows it all. | Photo: John Upham

1/17/2025 – In their review of current events in the chess world, Arne Kähler and Johannes Fischer remember Robert Hübner, talk about Elisabeth Pähtz's 40th birthday and the Bundesliga weekend when Magnus Carlsen gave his debut for St. Pauli. And they wonder who might win the tournament in Wijk that starts on Saturday.

1/14/2025 – The Swiss System entered our lives in order to avoid a situation of unpractical number of rounds compared to the Round Robin System. With the advent of computers, pairing players in a Swiss became simple and automatic. But there was a controversy about "forbidden pairings". People could – and often would – prevent certain pairings. International Arbiter Alon Shulman tells us what he thinks of the system.

1/14/2025 – Even before the start of the Bundesliga season, the announcement that Magnus Carlsen would be playing for the Hamburg club St. Pauli caused a huge media stir. Last weekend the world's best chess player made his debut for his new club - and created a real chess hype, not only in Hamburg. | Photos: André Schulz

1/14/2025 – Despite the reduced material, mating attacks can still occur in endgames and should be kept in mind. In the diagrammed position, it is White to move, and he has a chance to attack Black's king and win. How?

1/13/2025 – In the Endgame Magic Show #286 Karsten Müller looks at endgame highlights from the World Championship Match Gukesh vs Ding Liren in Singapore, one of the highlights of the chess year 2024. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

1/13/2025 – The 2024 European Women's Rapid Championship saw four players finish tied for first place with 8½/11 points, with Ukrainian GM Anna Ushenina securing the gold medal on tiebreaks. The former women's world champion remained undefeated throughout the event, climbing to the top with crucial wins in rounds 7 and 8. Yuliia Osmak and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh grabbed silver and bronze, while Eline Roebers finished just outside the podium spots. | Photo: Patricia Claros

1/13/2025 – Johor Chess Association invites you to 9th Johor International Open 2025. The tournament has two categories - Open and Challengers (Below 2000). The top three prizes in Open are RM 10000, 6000 and 4000. For Challengers, the top three prizes are RM 1300, 1000 and 800. A total of 3 GMs, 11 IMs and a WIM have registered from eight countries across the world. Entry is Free for GM, IM and players rated above 2300 in the Open section. Last date is extended to 16th January without any penalty in entry fees. There are few conditions offered for GMs rated above 2400 and IMs rated above 2300. IM Nitin S and Venkatesh M R are the only two Indians to have won this tournament in 2014 and 2017 respectively. The next one can be you. Check out the article to find out all details about the tournament. Photo: Tournament circular