10/8/2024 – Rapid games are noted for the fast-paced action and drama and mistakes, a fine line between quality and plain adrenaline. When played by world elite players such as MVL, Erigaisi, Nepo, and more, you can also run into astounding tactics and attacks that even the computers cannot criticize. Such was the case for two by the Frenchman no less. Now with video! (credit: Albert Silver/Flux Pro 1.1)

10/8/2024 – In the diagram position it is Black to move and he fights for survival as White's far advanced e-pawn is very dangerous. However, Black has a way to draw. What would you do?

10/8/2024 – The reigning champions of the Bundesliga, Viernheim, made a false start to the new season and lost to the host team in Hamburg. The defending champions were missing the top six boards due to the Global Chess League taking place concurrently. Baden-Baden also played without its top players in Munich. | Pictured: The cheerful Hamburger SK team with captain Reinhardt Ahrens | Photos: André Schulz

10/7/2024 – Alireza Firouzja is in the form of his life, as he defeated Maxime Vachier-Lagrave for the second time in consecutive days. Alexandra Kosteniuk scored the only other win for the team, which helped Triveni Continental Kings register their fourth win of the event. Anish Giri made a nice queen sacrifice to build a fortress and draw with Magnus Carlsen. Yifan Hou and Kateryna Lagno scored the wins for SG Alpine Pipers. Nihal Sarin's sole win for Balan Alaskan Knights was not enough to win the match. Ganges Grandmasters scored their second match win of the event. The sixth day will start with Alpine SG Pipers vs upGrad Mumba Masters from 1 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. | Photos: Shahid Ahmed

10/7/2024 – ARTE, the French-German film production and TV channel, has made a six-part dramatic re-enactment of the epic 1997 match between Garry Kasparov and the super-computer Deep Blue. The movie, due for broadcast on October 17, can already be viewed in full on the ARTE Internet web site. Mind you, it will take almost five hours to watch, but it is definitely worth the invested time.

10/6/2024 – Every month or so, I have lunch with some chess players in central London. We normally go to a pub and this time I had a decent pint and a reasonable veggie burger which was punctuated by some gossip and some chess. Find here a few of the positions we discussed - plus three remarkable games from the Olympiad in Budapest! | Pictured: Benjamin Gledura (Hungary) at the 2024 FIDE Chess Olympiad | Photo: Michal Walusza

10/3/2024 – The Global Chess League returns for its second edition, bringing top players from around the world to London from 3-12 October. Organised by Tech Mahindra Global and FIDE, the team-based tournament features six teams, each made up of male and female stars, including Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand and Hou Yifan. With a US$ 1 million prize fund at stake, the competition will follow a double round-robin format, leading to a final showdown between the top two teams. An innovative scoring system and fast-paced time control promise an action-packed event.

10/2/2024 – Would you like to be Chess Champion 2025? An exciting new competitive format show for the BBC is looking for players to battle it out on TV. If you're interested in being on the show, please get in touch with us at chessmasters@curvemedia.com

10/2/2024 – In his new Fast & Furious episode, Robert Ris looks at a theoretically interesting game Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Ding Liren played at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Abdusattorov tried a sharp approach in the Colle system, but got into trouble when the World Champion found a good counter. | Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

10/2/2024 – Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH announced three dates for the upcoming Freestyle Chess Grand Slam. The first tournament will start in February 2025 in Weissenhaus. This will be followed by the second tournament in New York in July and the final tournament in South Africa in December 2025. Magnus Carlsen will play in all three tournaments.

10/2/2024 – The Chess Olympiad 2024 in Budapest saw a lot of interesting games, many truely spectacular, and often quite instructive, especially for budding chess masters. Of the total of nearly 8,000 games, here are six treats, selected and annotated by international trainer Eftratios Grivas. Play through them and learn.

10/2/2024 – The Latin American chess community has lost one of its most important figures with the passing of Paraguayan Grandmaster Zenón Franco on Tuesday in Vigo, Spain, at the age of 68. With an illustrious career as a player, author, and coach, Franco left an indelible mark on the chess world. He represented Paraguay and Spain in 11 Chess Olympiads and published 40 chess books. Additionally, he was known for his work as a columnist and trainer, leaving behind a legacy that will endure for years to come.