Chess as part of English philosophical and literary tradition

1/1/2026 – Chess has played a subtle but persistent role in English intellectual life, serving less as a pastime than as a lens through which writers and thinkers have examined reason, language, power and uncertainty. From Victorian debates on culture to literary modernism and twentieth-century philosophy, this article traces how chess has functioned in England as a symbolic structure, a narrative device and a reflective model of thought under rules. | Image (AI generated): Uvencio Blanco
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Interview with Anastasia Corotcova

1/1/2026 – This interview introduces Anastasia Corotcova as a member of the ChessBase team, sharing how she grew into chess through her grandmother, an international arbiter, before choosing an IT career while staying closely connected to chess. She talks about her work as an arbiter, a fun kids-tournament anecdote, and her experience creating a weekly TV chess show for children. The final part is a lighthearted rapid-fire Q&A that reveals her personality, interests, and everyday habits.
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Could you solve them?

1/1/2026 – Did you enjoy our Christmas puzzles? They were computer-resistant, which meant you could not simply ask a chess engine to solve them for you. Today we bring you a first batch of solutions – and reveal for the first time the solution to the decades-old problem of a game starting 1.e4 and ending on move five with knight takes rook mate. The solutions to the remaining problems will appear shortly.

New York Chess Education Conference

1/1/2026 – The National Scholastic Chess Foundation (NSCF) and Kasparov Chess Foundation (KCF) presented Mindsets: The New York Chess in Education Conference at Quorum in Rockefeller Center. It brought together educators, school administrators, and researchers from across the United States, and as far away as the UK, Latvia, and Sri Lanka. Through addresses, research presentations, and practitioner panels, the conference examined how chess can be used more intentionally in education—shifting the focus from “natural talent” toward growth, mastery, and purposeful play.
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Zyon Kollen dives to victory at World Diving Chess Championships in Groningen

1/1/2026 – Dutch FM Zyon Kollen won his first World Diving Chess Championship title in Groningen, emerging on top at the largest edition of the event to date. Entering the final round with a perfect score, he secured the crown with a quick draw. The oversubscribed tournament brought together a diverse field across ages and experience, underlining the growing appeal of this hybrid discipline that blends classical chess with underwater endurance and breath control. | Photo: Oscar Bos / Etan Ilfeld
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99th Hastings Chess Congress: Three rounds to go in tradition-rich event

12/31/2025 – The Hastings International Chess Congress remains one of the most enduring fixtures in the chess calendar, combining deep historical roots with a competitive modern format. From its famous 1895 origins to the current 2025/26 edition in East Sussex, the Congress continues to attract an international field. With six rounds completed, a tight race has developed at the top, with German IM Marius Deur as sole leader and ten players standing merely a half point back. | Pictured: Mr Dominic Lawson, President of the English Chess Federation, makes the first move on Harry Bryant's board in the first round. | Photo: Hastings Chess Congress
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Svitlana's Smart Moves - Smartest Moves of 2025

12/31/2025 – This “Best of 2025” episode is a year-end tactics celebration where Svitlana reviews the coolest moments of the chess year by turning them into a guess-the-move challenge for viewers. The WIM works through several sharp positions from major events (including the Global Chess League, World Cup, Grand Swiss, and Prague Chess Festival), featuring wild sacrifices, mating nets, and one especially memorable queen-sac idea in a Petroff line. Happy new year!
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Game of the Week #704: van Foreest vs Rodshtein

12/31/2025 – This month we looked at the amazing performances of the young super talents Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (14) and Faustino Oro (12). We also paid attention to the biggest rating jumps at 2700 level: Nodirbek Abdusattorov returned to the absolute top and Nihal Sarin firmly went over 2700. We'd like to finish the year with another popular player returning to the world elite: Jorden van Foreest did well in the Czech league, his game against Rodshtein was played in his trademark original style. | Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

Christmas Puzzles 7 – long and short

12/31/2025 – Take a look at this relatively simple position. Can you figure out how White can win? And how many moves it will require to overcome Black's most resolute defence? You won't believe it. To relax we bring you the arguably easiest chess study ever composed, and other entertaining puzzles, many from the out-of-the-box legend Karl Fabel.

Carlsen claims ninth World Blitz title as Assaubayeva secures third crown

12/31/2025 – The World Blitz Championships in Doha closed with repeat champions in both sections. In the Open event, Magnus Carlsen completed a strong comeback to win his ninth World Blitz title and his twentieth world title overall. The women's championship was claimed by Bibisara Assaubayeva, who added a third Women's World Blitz crown after advancing from a crowded Swiss stage and prevailing in the knockout matches. | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes
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Kramnik files lawsuit against FIDE

12/30/2025 – Vladimir Kramnik has filed a lawsuit against the World Chess Federation FIDE before a Swiss civil court. The former world champion announced on his X account that he personally dropped off the opening documents of the lawsuit in the mailbox of FIDE’s headquarters in Lausanne. It is assumed that Kramnik is going on the offensive against FIDE after the World Chess Federation had initiated proceedings against the former world champion. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
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White knight magic

12/30/2025 – White knight magic: Usually a rook is much stronger than a knight in a pure endgame. But there are exceptions: White to move and win.
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Christmas Puzzles 6 – cover the board!

12/30/2025 – In August 2019 I spent a week in France, at the training camp I had organized (together with ChessBase India) for young Indian super talents. Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik did the chess training, while I pestered the kids with logic puzzles. Most did not involve chess, but some did. Here are a couple for you.

World Blitz Championships - Live!

12/30/2025 – Tuesday marks the final day of the World Blitz Championships in Doha. Both the open and the women's sections will be decided in four-player knockouts once the first stage (Swiss opens lasting 19 and 15 rounds respectively) come to an end. The time control throughout is 3+2. | Follow the action live with expert commentary starting at 12.00 CET (6.00 ET, 16.30 IST)
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World Blitz: Arjun, Caruana and MVL lead in the open, Roebers shines among the women

12/30/2025 – The World Blitz Championship got under way in Doha with 13 rounds played in the open section and 10 in the women's event. Fabiano Caruana, Arjun Erigaisi and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (pictured) share the lead in the Open tournament, while 19-year-old Eline Roebers heads the women's standings after the first day. With several rounds still remaining and only four knockout places available, the early standings leave plenty unresolved. | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes
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Lilit Mkrtchian's Best Games of 2025 - Find out about your opponent's style

12/29/2025 – This video is a valuable chess lesson by IM Mkrtchian. Watch Lilit walk through a full "real tournament" prep routine in ChessBase 26. Find out how she scouts an opponent in the Mega Database, predict their openings, and steer the game into a line she specifically prepared. The payoff: a sharp Rossolimo move-order trap explained in a super teachable way, plus how she converts the advantage into a clean endgame win.
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Chess Research – The Story Never Ends

12/29/2025 – Some years ago, Alan McGowan published a remarkably comprehensive biography of the German chess writer Kurt Richter (born 24 February 1900, died 29 December 1969). But then McGowan encountered the fate of every biographer: he found new information. While it does not change the overall picture, it does lead to corrections in the details. A detective story on the anniversary of Kurt Richter’s death.
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The Monthly Dragon - Conquering the White trap Nd5!

12/29/2025 – This end-of-year edition of the Monthly Dragon with Chris Ward wraps up 2025 by diving deep into early deviations against the Sicilian Dragon, with a special focus on the tricky and provocative Knight d5 idea. Ward explains why grabbing the e4-pawn is often a trap, illustrates the dangers with classic games and sharp tactical examples, and shares practical recommendations for Dragon players to stay calm and choose safer setups like …Nxd5 or …Bg7. Blending serious opening theory with anecdotes, humour, and historical games, the episode delivers a memorable “anti-Christmas variation” lesson to take into the new year. | Photo: John Upham
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Christmas Puzzles 5 – Rotary problems

12/29/2025 – In rotary problems the board is rotated by 180° for a second position with a different solution. It is usually pawns that make a different when you turn the board around. Or the king/queen positions, or castling is involved. Can one devise problems where these factors do not play a role? Yes one can, as our expert for out-of-the-box problems, Werner Keym, proves.
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