1/9/2022 – The Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2022 will take place in Wijk aan Zee on January 14-30. The Masters and the Challengers sections will be played concurrently. The Open had to be cancelled. World Champion Magnus Carlsen leads the field. Alireza Firouzja is not taking part. | Photos: Tata Steel Chess

1/8/2022 – "Historias de Ajedrez" is a Cuban movie from 2019 by Emmanuel Martin Hernandez. In the movie, Hernandez, a passionate chess player himself, offers an intimate look at the stories of chess players in Santiago de Cuba.

1/6/2022 – In the second week of December Nigel Short caught Corona though he was vaccinated twice. Short's infection was so severe that he had to go hospital, but it did not stop the English Grandmaster from playing at the 6th Vergani Cup in Cattolica, Italy, at the beginning of the year. However, he needed some help from chess goddess Caissa when the tournament began. But Short did not forget his duties as a chess ambassador. | Photos: Circolo Scacchistico Forlivese, Rupali Mullick

1/4/2022 – In 1967 the city of Sousse (Tunisia) organised one of the most talked about Interzonal Tournaments in the history of chess. After 10 rounds Bobby Fischer led with 8½/10 but after quarrels with the organisers, the eccentric American decided to withdraw from the tournament and to wait for three more years before making his final attempt to become World Champion. The first Bicapawn International Chess Tournament that was played in Sousse at the end of 2021 went much more smoothly and was won by GM Misratdin Iskandarov from Azerbaijan.

1/4/2022 – On Christmas Day, the James Webb Telescope began its long journey into space, as it is expected to provide new insights into the early history of the universe. The infinite expanses have inspired many artists. Music, the stars and chess are magically connected — says Jason Kouchak. | Photo: “Starlight” by Julian Paix

12/31/2021 – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave won the world title in blitz chess after beating Jan-Krzysztof Duda in a playoff. Alireza Firouzja scored as many points as MVL and Duda, but had an inferior tiebreak score. The women’s world title went to 17-year-old Kazakh star Bibisara Assaubayeva. | Photos: Rafał Oleksiewicz, Anna Shtourman / FIDE

12/29/2021 – After a thrilling final day, Nodirbek Abdusattorov won the World Rapid Chess title in a photo finish. At the start of the day, the young Uzbek defeated Magnus Carlsen. After 13 rounds, four players were tied on points. Abdusattorov won the playoff against Ian Nepomniachzchi. | Photos: Rafał Oleksiewicz, Michał Walusza, Anna Shtourman (FIDE)

12/28/2021 – After nine rounds, played on Sunday and Monday, Magnus Carlsen is the sole leader at the World Rapid Chess Championship in Warsaw as the only player to have collected 7½ points. On the second day of play, Alireza Firouzja and Jan-Krzysztof Duda were two of the players defeated by the world champion. In the women’s tournament, Alexandra Kosteniuk is in a class of her own.| Foto: FIDE / Anna Shtourman

12/25/2021 – Part of the attraction of the Netflix series "The Queen's Gambit" is the design: costumes, buildings and music evoke the 1960s, the time in which the series is set. In a crucial scene of the series the Dutch band Shocking Blue provides the background music. Shocking Blue, founded in 1967, might not be as famous as other bands from the 1960s and 1970s but it still has ardent followers, and one of them is a prominent chess player and well-known coach. | Photo: Netflix

12/25/2021 – The eighth edition of the strong Open in Sitges was a thrilling tournament throughout, but it offered an extra dose of excitement on the final day of play. Four players finished with 8 points at the top of the standings table, and a knockout was organized to decide the winner. Dimitrij Kollars reached the final, where he lost to Uzbek prodigy Nodirbek Andusattorov. | Photos: Rupali Mullick

12/24/2021 – "The Queen's Gambit" is one of the most successful Netflix series and will remain one of the best representations of chess in film. The series contains many impressive and powerful scenes, e.g. the depiction of a tournament in fast-forward mode, fittingly accompanied by the famous instrumental musical piece "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams.

12/24/2021 – Fabiano Caruana had a great second day of blitz at the Vugar Gashimov Tournament in Baku. The American even caught up with former leader Richard Rapport in the overall standings table. Caruana then went on to beat his Hungarian colleague in Armageddon to win the event. | Photos: Official tournament site

12/22/2021 – Richard Rapport, co-winner of the rapid section, is leading the overall standings table after the first seven rounds of blitz at the Gashimov Memoarial in Baku. The strongest on day 1 of the blitz was Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, though, who scored 5 out of 7 points despite losing his last game of the day against Fabiano Caruana. | Photos: Official site

12/22/2021 – In the last three days the number of leaders at the Sunway Sitges Open has always doubled, and by now the leading group consists of eight players with 6.5/8 each. Among them is the young Indian Arjun Erigaisi (pictured) who won a fine attacking game in round eight. But most of the top matches in round eight ended in a draw which allowed a number of players to catch up to the leaders. | Photos: Rupali Mullick

12/22/2021 – The rapid tournament at the Vugar Gashimov Memorial ended with an exciting and close finish. In the sixth and penultimate round tournament leader Richard Rapport lost against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, which allowed Fabiano Caruana to catch up. But in the final round Caruana also lost against Mamedyarov while Rapport and Karjakin won their matches. In the end, Rapport and Karjakin shared first place with 16 points each. | Photos: Tournament page

12/17/2021 – The 7th edition of the Gashimov Memorial was officially inaugurated today in Baku. The tournament in memory of Vugar Gashimov, who died at an early age, will be contested by eight players — including Vishy Anand, Fabiano Caruana and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Unlike previous editions, it will be played as a rapid and blitz tournament. The first round will be played on Saturday.

12/17/2021 – The Chess Festival Salamanca combines chess sport and chess culture and emphasises gender equality. Four top male and four top female players compete in a tournament. After three rounds, Jaime Santos is in the lead. | Photos: Tournament page

12/14/2021 – From the 1970s to the 1990s Jan Timman, born in Amsterdam on 14 December 1951, was one of the world's best players. He qualified several times for the candidates and in 1993 he became FIDE Vice World Champion. Timman is also a renowned study composer and a prolific and excellent writer. Today, the Dutch Grandmaster celebrates his 70th birthday.