9/1/2025 – Kirill Shevchenko's bid to overturn sanctions for alleged cheating at the 2024 Spanish Team Championship has failed. The FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commission’s Appeal Chamber has unanimously confirmed his guilt and strengthened the penalties originally imposed. The decision follows earlier controversy in Melilla, where the 22-year-old grandmaster was excluded after suspicions arose over repeated absences to the same toilet cubicle, with mobile phones later discovered and linked to him.

8/29/2025 – The World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries will open its newest exhibition, "Reading Between the Lines: Chess & Literature", on 18 September 2025. Running through 12 April 2026, the show explores how chess has shaped storytelling across centuries, from Lewis Carroll to Vladimir Nabokov and Walter Tevis. With rare books, artworks, artefacts and literary-themed chess sets, the exhibition highlights how the game has been used to explore imagination, morality and identity.

8/27/2025 – Arpad Emmerich Elo, born 122 years ago, revolutionised competitive chess with his groundbreaking rating system, officially adopted by FIDE in 1970. A physicist and accomplished player, Elo helped bring structure and fairness to measuring performance, with his system later extending beyond chess into other sports. From Fischer topping the first FIDE list in 1971 to Carlsen's record 2882, ratings have shaped the modern game. Today, FIDE continues refining the system to meet new challenges and a growing global player base.

8/25/2025 – This week, from 25 to 31 August, there is another special offer in our Summer Special: ChessBase 18 and the Opening Encyclopedia 2025 for only 249.90€ – instead of 299.90€! Be well prepared for every tournament and the new season!

8/22/2025 – The Saint Louis Chess Club is set to reopen this October with a newly expanded 30,000-square-foot campus, reinforcing its position as a global hub for chess. The month-long celebration will feature "Clutch Chess: The Legends", with Garry Kasparov facing Viswanathan Anand, the U.S. and U.S. Women's Championships, Hall of Fame inductions, and the Champions Showdown with Carlsen, Nakamura, Caruana and Gukesh. The transformed venue combines elite competition with education, community engagement and cutting-edge technology. | All photos: Saint Louis Chess Club

8/21/2025 – Peter Leko, once the youngest grandmaster in the world and a former world championship contender, played a pivotal role as mentor to Germany's star Vincent Keymer. In an interview with The Indian Express, Leko reflects on Keymer's steady rise, the influence of the new generation of prodigies and his own career lessons. He offers candid insights into what it takes to succeed at the highest level and why growth matters more than results. | Pictured: Peter Leko, Vincent Keymer and Hans-Walter Schmitt (2018) | Photo: Hartmut Metz

8/27/2025 – The Sinquefield Cup, the only event to feature in every Grand Chess Tour since 2015, returns to Saint Louis from 18 to 27 August. As the concluding leg before the revived Finals in São Paulo, it will play a decisive role in determining the four qualifiers, with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave currently leading the standings and strong challengers close behind. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 19.00 CEST (13.00 ET, 22.30 IST)

8/20/2025 – The FIDE Grand Swiss returns this September with its fourth edition, bringing many of the world's strongest players to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for one of the most prestigious classical tournaments on the calendar. Alongside seasoned contenders, a new generation of prodigies will be in the spotlight, from established teenage stars to emerging talents aiming to set fresh records. The event promises a fascinating clash of youth and experience across both the Open and Women's sections.

8/20/2025 – Anish Giri is known for his extensive opening knowledge and thorough preparation. Together with Sagar Shah, in his "Supergrandmaster’s Guide to Openings", he provides insights into the ideas and characteristics of a wide range of openings. Inspiring and instructive. This week (18.-24. August) for only 59.90€ - instead of 89.90€!

8/19/2025 – Vincent Keymer celebrated one of the greatest successes of his career at the Chennai Masters. He won the strong tournament by a two-point margin, achieved a performance rating of 2917 and gained more than 20 Elo points. For the first time in his career, he has entered the world’s top ten in the live rankings. After the tournament he sat down with Himank Ghosh of ChessBase India for an in-depth interview, speaking about the event, his career, his rivals, his collaboration with Peter Leko, life as a top player, his goals, and much more.

8/15/2025 – The fourth event of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour is the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament. Taking place on 11-15 August, the event starts with 9 rounds of rapid action, followed by 18 rounds of blitz. Included in the field are the three frontrunners in the race to win the Grand Chess Tour: Alireza Firouzja, R Praggnanandhaa and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 19.00 CEST (13.00 ET, 22.30 IST)

8/14/2025 – The Babson Task, one of the most difficult feats in chess composition, has finally been achieved in an endgame study for the first time in history. Italian composer Daniele Guglielmo Gatti succeeded where others, including leading figures, had fallen short, creating a fully legal, perfectly economical and thematically pure version. Published in EG in January 2025, the work marks a historic milestone in the art of chess composition.

8/13/2025 – The inaugural Smart Moves Summit in Washington, D.C., jointly organised by FIDE and the International Schools Chess Federation, concluded with a declaration urging the integration of chess into education worldwide. Over two days, more than 50 experts and practitioners shared research, personal stories, and strategies for using chess as a tool for learning and social inclusion, while exploring ways to market the game effectively and build sustainable, community-focused chess initiatives.

8/11/2025 – Sharpen your chess skills and put them to the test with Fritz 20 plus Fritz Powerbook! This ultimate duo gives you powerful training and deep opening knowledge for your next game. Get the Summer Special between August 11–17 and get it for a special price!

8/11/2025 – After an exciting ninth round, Michael Adams, Stuart Conquest, and Peter Roberson were tied for the lead. Adams went on to win the ensuing playoff, securing his ninth British Championship title. | Photos: Yuri Krylov / English Chess Federation (ECF)

8/11/2025 – Reigning European champion Matthias Blübaum put in an outstanding performance from start to finish and secured a narrow victory in Dortmund. Indian grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly tied for second place. Third place was the sensation of the tournament: 14-year-old Khuong Dau Duy defeated two grandmasters, drew with two others and finished just ahead of Dmitrij Kollars on tiebreak. | Photos: Michelle Lassak

8/9/2025 – Two three-part courses that will take your game to the next level! In his three-part Fritztrainer series on the Najdorf, Luis Engel presents a powerful repertoire against 1.e4. In "Mastering Chess Strategy", Robert Ris starts with the fundamentals before diving into the finer points of strategic play. Take advantage of our Summer Special this week (August 4–10) and get these courses at a special discounted price.

8/8/2025 – The round six game between Michael Adams and Nikita Vitiugov at the British Championship ended in a draw. Since none of the closest pursuers managed a win, Adams remains the sole leader. He stands at 5.0/6, followed by ten players on 4.5/6. | Photos: Yury Krylov/English Chess Federation