7/15/2017 – The traditional Porticcio Open took place for the fourth year in a row on Corsica island, gathering 139 participants from 18 countries and beating all the records of the previous years. Tournament winner Michal Krasenkow from Poland had an impressive 8/9 score and 2834 performance. Eltaj Safarli and Gadir Guseinov finished 2nd and 3rd. IM Nino Batsiashvili was the top woman. Surprise upsets were 14-year-old Corsican prospect Albert Tomasi (rated just 2141) beating GM Sergei Zhigalko, and 10-year-old Maurizzi Marc Andria (a mere 1841) downing French grandmaster Fabien Libiszewski (2542)!

2/4/2016 – Melbourne is remarkable. It is no coincidence that the Economist Intelligence Unit has ranked Melbourne as the world's most liveable city for five times in a row (2011 to 2015). Deimante Daulyte had the pleasure and the chance to play chess in this city. She became second in the Australian Women's Masters and shares her impressions in a large pictorial report.