5/12/2025 – Last year FIDE celebrated its 100th anniversary. The book "100 Years of FIDE" is an illustrated history of the World Chess Federation. From it we excerpt passages to retrace the final non-FIDE world championship (Alekhine-Boguljubow) and the Chess Olympiads from 1924 to 1940. This is a great chance to brush up your knowledge of chess history.

5/12/2025 – After a day of all draws at the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest, the standings remain unchanged, with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu still sharing the lead on 3/5 points. Despite the lack of decisive games, round five featured tense battles across all boards, with Jan-Krzysztof Duda narrowly missing a chance to claim his first win against Gukesh Dommaraju and Wesley So pressing against Caruana in a sharp Sveshnikov Sicilian. Four rounds remain after Monday's rest day. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

5/11/2025 – Would you like to make the most of ChessBase 18, especially in the opening, to improve your repertoire? With the Powerbooks and Powerbases, you will always be one step ahead of your opponents. Learn how to use these comprehensive and up-to-date databases with ChessBase and how to train your favourite openings with Fritz.

5/11/2025 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In episode 229 of his "Understanding before Moving" show Herman looks at the career of German Grandmaster Vincent Keymer. | Photo: Pascal Simon

5/11/2025 – Ukrainian chess legend Vasyl Ivanchuk has made a remarkable comeback, gaining 40 rating points in April and re-entering the top 100 with a FIDE rating of 2644. The 54-year-old grandmaster remained unbeaten in 27 games across three tournaments, including the Reykjavík Open, Semana Santa Open and Menorca Open, where he finished first with an impressive 8/9 score. Despite the turmoil in Ukraine, Ivanchuk continues to demonstrate his enduring talent, reminding the chess world of his prodigious skill and unpredictable brilliance. | Photo: Andreas Kontokanis, via Wikimedia Commons (2007)

5/11/2025 – Round four of the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest saw Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Levon Aronian securing crucial wins to shake up the standings. Vachier-Lagrave's victory over world champion Gukesh Dommaraju propelled him into a three-way tie for the lead alongside Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, both of whom drew their games. Meanwhile, Aronian claimed his first win of the tournament by outplaying Jan-Krzysztof Duda, while Alireza Firouzja missed a major opportunity against Wesley So. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

5/10/2025 – The Baku Open, the inaugural event of the newly launched "Chess Tour Azerbaijan", concluded on 6 May at the Baku Crystal Hall. Serbian GM Aleksandar Indjic emerged as the clear winner in the Group A section, finishing unbeaten with a score of 7/9. Georgian GM Baadur Jobava and Turkish GM Vahap Sanal shared second place, just half a point behind. Nearly 700 players from 16 countries competed across three sections, with prize funds totalling $55,000. | Photos: Azerbaijan Chess Federation

5/10/2025 – In the diagram position, White has everything he needs for a successful attack on the kingside. The ultimate goal is to win the queen - please get to work!

5/10/2025 – The third round of the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest delivered two decisive results as Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu claimed crucial victories and now share the lead with 2/3 points. Caruana defeated Alireza Firouzja in a 73-move struggle after the Frenchman's aggressive opening backfired, while Praggnanandhaa outplayed Nodirbek Abdusattorov in a strategic battle that highlighted his positional understanding. Meanwhile, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave missed a big chance to convert a promising position against Levon Aronian. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

5/9/2025 – Chess enthusiasts are in for a treat as Croatian GM Ivan Šarić is set to deliver a live lecture at the Kasparov Chess Foundation Academy on Sunday. This special event offers a unique opportunity to learn from one of Croatia’s top chess players and a former European Champion.

5/9/2025 – Chess fans are in for a treat: On 1 June the Italian town Pietrasanta will host a chess match between Faustino Oro, the world’s youngest chess master, and former world champion Vishy Anand. The event, supported by the famous singer Andrea Bocelli, is part of a broader program that includes the Chess Roads exhibition from June 2 to 15, featuring 40 rare and original chess sets from Asia and Europe.

5/9/2025 – In his new Game of the Week show, Merijn van Delft analyses a game from the Superbet tournament in Bucharest: Alireza Firouzja's masterclass in attacking against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. | Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.