7/1/2026 – “Mate is great!”: Combinations, opening tactics, calculation drills – loads of training exercises + four interactive videos with Oliver Reeh – “Everything's ruined on the 50th move”: Peter Heine Nielsen comments on Carlsen’s game against Erdogmus at the TePe Sigeman 2026 – “Underrated and highly dangerous”: Yago Santiago examines the Sicilian Wing Gambit in the version 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.b4!? – “A spectacle guaranteed”: Dorian Rogozenco presents the “Modern Classic” Kramnik–Shirov from Linares 1994 – “Javokhir Sindarov, the new challenger”: ChessBase authors comment on 20 winning games by the young Uzbek in the “Special”, and much more. New: Download version including a comprehensive and redesigned accompanying PDF (42 pages)! Take a look – a sample chapter awaits you!

7/1/2026 – Magnus Carlsen may have lost a significant number of rating points at Norway Chess, but he remains the undisputed world number one. World Champion Gukesh continues to lead the junior rankings, though only by a narrow margin. In the girls' rankings, Anastasiia Hnatyshyn is the new number one.

7/1/2026 – The 39th edition of the "Ciudad de León" Masters will take place from 3 to 5 July, with Le Quang Liem, Kirill Alekseenko, Faustino Oro and Jaime Santos in the four-player knockout. Le returns as defending champion, while Oro arrives with grandmaster-elect status and Santos once again represents the host city. The XI Open Internacional "Magistral de León" will be played alongside the main event. | Image: Official website

7/1/2026 – The KazChess Masters Almaty has begun in Kazakhstan's largest city, with five established international grandmasters facing five rising local players in a ten-player single round-robin. The opening round produced two decisive results, as Igor Kovalenko defeated Alexander Donchenko with a strong attacking display, while Sam Shankland converted an endgame against Aldiyar Ansat. | Photo: Official website

6/30/2026 – The Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia, the third leg of the Grand Chess Tour, will take place in Zagreb from 1 to 5 July. The 10-player field includes six members of the world top 20, among them Gukesh Dommaraju, Vincent Keymer, Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri (pictured) and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. After events in Warsaw and Bucharest, the tournament will offer another chance to gain ground in the overall standings. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

6/30/2026 – Chris Ward looks at a sharp Dragon main line from the French League, featuring GM Surya Ganguly with Black. The focus is on the fashionable Bishop c4 system and Black’s fresh-looking plan with ...a5, which helps activate the queenside pieces and create pressure before White can build a dangerous kingside attack. The game becomes a model Dragon victory, with Black taking over the b-file, pushing ...d4 at the right moment, and finishing with a powerful interference tactic that forces resignation. | Photo: John Upham

6/30/2026 – Georgia honoured Nona Gaprindashvili at a ceremony in Tbilisi marking her 85th birthday, with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, government officials and FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich among the guests. Held at the Rustaveli National Theatre, the event combined tributes to Gaprindashvili’s chess career with Georgian cultural elements. The former women's world champion also received Georgia's highest award for sporting achievement during the ceremony. | Photos: gov.ge

6/30/2026 – Incumbent FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich has announced he will seek a third term as President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). Dvorkovich has said he will focus on providing more practical support for national federations, digital modernisation, youth development, stronger commercial partnerships and bringing FIDE closer to those it serves.

6/30/2026 – A light initiative weighs heavily: This is the main guideline in the endgame rook and knight against rook and knight: White to move and win.

6/30/2026 – First held in 1904, the British Chess Championships are among the world's longest-running and most prestigious national chess events. Each year they bring together leading players, rising talents and chess enthusiasts from across the United Kingdom and beyond. The English Chess Federation (ECF) welcomes the support of two Coventry businesses as the Championships return to the city this summer.

6/29/2026 – The FIDE World Cup Under 8–12 concluded in Batumi after eleven days of play, with China finishing first in the medal standings after winning three gold medals, one silver and one bronze. Kazakhstan, France and India also collected gold medals, while India added two silvers and one bronze. The closing ceremony brought together players, coaches, parents and guests, and included a performance by Junior Eurovision 2024 winner Andria Putkaradze. | All photos: Mindia Malakhmadze

6/29/2026 – In his new ChessBase course, IM Kostya Kavutskiy focuses on one of the most important and challenging skills in chess: calculation. Drawing on more than 15 years of coaching experience and his work with ChessDojo, he presents key concepts, patterns and practical techniques to help players calculate more clearly and objectively. The course also includes challenging assessments with instructive puzzles, encouraging students to test their skills, avoid tempting but flawed solutions and continue improving even after completing the video lessons.