6/20/2025 – Arjun Erigaisi, Javokhir Sindarov, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov are among the favourites at the strong UzChess Masters in Tashkent, and they began the tournament with a win. In the Challengers, chess legend Vasyl Ivanchuk suffered a loss. | Photos: Tournament page

6/20/2025 – Carissa Yip kept her nerves! With a draw against Alice Lee in the final round of the Cairns Cup in Saint Louis, she secured both the tournament victory and a GM norm. If Lee had won the game, she would have taken first place, but the draw was enough for her to finish second. The youngest participants, and the 9th and 10th seeds—Carissa Yip and Alice Lee—won gold and silver in Saint Louis. Third place went to Harika Dronavalli. | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club

6/20/2025 – Those who prepare well in the summer will be ready for tournaments in the fall and winter — or for summer opens as well. The Neo-London System is a powerful weapon that allows White to take control of the game right from the start — slightly sharper than the traditional London System. In her Fritztrainer, Elisabeth Pähtz explains how it works. Part of this week's Summer Special for only €34.90 (instead of €49.90).

6/19/2025 – FIDE and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF) invite all FIDE member federations to participate in the World Schools Team Championship 2025 (WSTC). The competition will take place in Washington, D.C./Alexandria, USA, from August 2 (arrival) to August 7 (departure), 2025. Each team must consist of four main players, one reserve, and one non-playing captain. The registration deadline is July 1, 2025.

6/19/2025 – With her fourth consecutive victory, Carissa Yip has taken the lead at the Cairns Cup in Saint Louis. She won convincingly with Black against Bibisara Assaubayeva in round 8 and, with one round to go, is now half a point ahead of Alice Lee, who had to settle for a draw against Harika Dronavalli. And one of the two - Alice Lee or Carissa Yip - will win the tournament, as they face each other in the ninth and final round! | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club

6/18/2025 – Since 1994, the Echternach Open has been a regular highlight on the tournament calendar in the Eifel region. Set in the historic town of Echternach - the oldest city in Luxembourg - the event is held in the beautiful setting of the Old Abbey. Combined with flawless organization, this charming venue draws over 300 chess enthusiasts each year, including grandmasters. This year, German GM Daniel Fridman claimed victory thanks to the best tiebreak score, edging out four other players who finished with the same number of points. Gerd Densing reports and sends impressions.

6/18/2025 – In the new episode of his Game of the Week show, Merijn van Delft analyzes a game between two Indian players: Vishy Anand’s brilliant win against Arjun Erigaisi at the World Rapid Team Championship in London. Erigaisi went for an aggressive attack, but Anand kept his cool and countered effectively. | Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

6/18/2025 – The Uzbek Chess Federation is organizing the UzChess Cup again. It is taking place in Tashkent from June 19 to 27, and is a major chess festival featuring three invitational tournaments - Masters, Challengers, and Futures — as well as an Open tournament. The Masters tournament is particularly strong. Four of the top five Uzbek players will compete against six international top players.

6/18/2025 – The Cairns Cup in Saint Louis remains exciting. With two rounds to go, Humpy Koneru, Carissa Yip, and Alice Lee are tied for the lead with 4.5 points out of 7. Trailing by just half a point are Harika Dronavalli and Alina Kashlinskaya. In round 7, Carissa Yip won a tactical skirmish against Humpy Koneru, while Alice Lee capitalized on Alina Kashlinskaya’s overly aggressive attacking play. The other three games ended in draws, but Harika Dronavalli (pictured), Nino Batsiashvili, and Nana Dzagnidze all missed promising opportunities. | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club

6/17/2025 – Master Your Technique Vol. 2 by Adrian Mikhalchishin takes you deeper into the technical foundations of practical chess, focusing on converting advantages and mastering key endgame and middlegame imbalances. Through structured lessons and model games, you'll learn crucial skills like precise endgame technique, double attacks, attacking on open files, and the principle of two weaknesses. This course is ideal for ambitious players who want to turn good positions into wins with confidence and clarity.

6/17/2025 – In some countries, strong chess players have risen to prominent political positions, and in others, politicians happen to be skilled at chess. But even high-ranking chess officials can find their way into political office. According to the World Chess Federation, Zandanshatar Gombojav, former president of the Mongolian Chess Federation, has now been appointed Prime Minister of Mongolia.

6/17/2025 – After the rest day following Round 5, fighting spirit returned to the Cairns Cup in Saint Louis: all five games in Round 6 ended decisively. The new tournament leader is Humpy Koneru, who won an interesting theoretical battle against Harika Dronavalli. She now leads with 4.5 points out of 6, half a point ahead of Alina Kashlinskaya, who defeated Mariya Muzychuk. | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club