2/6/2026 – A regular fixture in the German "Schachkalender", edited by Wolf Böese and Stefan Löffler, is the biographical puzzle. The task is to identify a player who is celebrating a milestone birthday this year.

2/6/2026 – Baadur Jobava and Nino Batsiashvili claimed their fifth national titles at the 2026 Georgian Chess Championships, held in Tbilisi from late January to early February. Jobava led the open tournament from the early rounds and finished unbeaten, while Batsiashvili dominated the women's event with a decisive mid-tournament winning streak. | Photos: Georgian Chess Federation

2/5/2026 – Paula Wolf-Kalmar only came to chess at the age of 30, but then went on to compete in three Women’s World Championships. However, she died young from diabetes. Much about the biography of the Austrian chess pioneer remains unclear. With his detective-like flair, Alan McGowan has brought order to the available data and uncovered new sources.

2/5/2026 – Sipke and Karsten show one endgame highlight from the Tata Steel rapid tournament. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

2/5/2026 – In recent years Nodirbek Abdusattorov was very close to winning the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, but now he finally managed to actually win it and very deservedly so. After his recent dropping out of the World's top ten, this crowns his comeback, now being number 5 in the World rankings with 2771. Our Game of the Week is the decisive last round game Erigaisi-Abdusattorov, which saw a highly interesting Evans Gambit, which could have easily gone differently. Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

2/5/2026 – Welcome to The Initiative – a show dedicated to the relentless battle for momentum in chess! In every game, players fight to seize control, dictate the pace, and keep their opponent on the back foot. But what does it really mean to have the initiative? How do the world’s best players maintain pressure and transform small advantages into crushing attacks?

2/2/2026 – Christian Glöckler delivered an impressive performance at the Qualifiers in Wijk and had already secured overall victory with one round to spare. In the ninth and final round of the tournament, he added another win. He outplayed Tim Grutter with remarkable ease and finished on 8.5 points from 9 games, with an Elo performance of 2851. In 2027, he will be eligible to play in the Challengers. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

2/2/2026 – Following the recent announcement of the cooperation agreement between FIDE and Freestyle Chess, the International Chess Federation has now published the qualification paths for the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2027. The 2027 Championship will feature a compact field of eight players who will secure a seat in a cycle of events that will span from April 2026 to January 2027, featuring both online and over-the-board tournaments.

2/2/2026 – What is the secret of becoming really good at chess? How can you best improve your understanding, your results and your rating? Well, use the cutting edge study and training software. But also spend some time discovering all the advantages it offers! GM Iniyan Pa has uncovered all the secrets of ChessBase´26, and presents his findings in his training/review reports.

2/2/2026 – The closing day of the 88th Tata Steel Chess Tournament settled both sections without the need for playoffs. In the Masters, Nodirbek Abdusattorov secured clear first place by defeating Arjun Erigaisi, finishing ahead of compatriot Javokhir Sindarov. Meanwhile, the Challengers title went to Andy Woodward, whose final-round win over Erwin l'Ami earned him a place in next year's Masters, while Vasyl Ivanchuk also won and finished in sole second place. | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

2/1/2026 – FIDE has approved the regulations for the Women's Circuit 2026–2027, outlining how ranking points will be awarded and which tournaments qualify toward the series. Covering a two-year period, the circuit broadens the range of eligible events while setting clear rating and participation criteria linked to qualification for the Women's Candidates. Following recent rapid and blitz events, the first leaderboard standings have been established, with several leading players already on the board.

2/1/2026 – The 88th edition of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament is taking place from 17 January to 1 February and once again features the traditional structure of parallel Masters and Challengers tournaments, each consisting of 14 players competing in a single round-robin. Nodirbek Abdusattorov enters the final round as the sole leader in the Masters, while Andy Woodward and Aydin Suleymanli are tied for first place in the Challengers. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 12.00 CET (6.00 ET, 16.30 IST)