World Rapid 2019 Day one: The difficulty of keeping up!

12/27/2019 – The World Rapid Championships 2019 kicked off with some exciting chess on day one. In the open section we have five leaders — Smirin, Mamedyarov, Duda, Dominguez and Wang Hao on 4½/5. They are followed by a group of seven players on 4 points, including World Champion Magnus Carlsen. In the women's section, we have three leaders — Olga Girya, Meri Arabidze and Irina Bulmaga. We bring you a detailed report from Moscow with interviews, photos, game analyses and more.

Vote: Female player of the year

12/26/2019 – Another eventful chess year is behind us, with great events and tournaments, impressive personalities and fantastic chess games. Help us choose the player of the year, the female player of the year, the game of the year, the combination of the year and the endgame of the year in our annual ChessBase reader poll. Next up: The Female Player of the Year...

Opening of the World Rapid and Blitz

12/26/2019 – The "King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Championship" 2019 is here! It is one of the most exciting events of the year with the participation of almost all the top players in the world including World Champion Magnus Carlsen. Carlsen will be looking to win the title in both rapid and blitz and become triple crown champion again. The opening ceremony was held on December 25th at the Russian Chess Museum on the Gogolevsky Boulevard in Moscow. IM SAGAR SHAH and AMRUTA MOKAL were present at the venue and bring you first-hand impressions from the place. We also have some very interesting interviews with Carlsen, Wang Hao, Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, Anton Korobov and Peter Leko.

Christmas puzzle: What were the previous moves?

12/26/2019 – Christmas Puzzle week, which we bring you for the twentieth year in succession, is time for unusual and entertaining puzzles — tasks that are not amenable to computer assistance, but require human ingenuity. Try, for instance, to imagine how the position in the picture could have possibly arisen. Determining that needs lateral thinking. One of the foremost composers of chess problems "out of the box" sent us some highly entertaining examples. At least one of them looks quite impossible. Merry Boxing Day!

Game of the Week: A great Gruenfeld battle

12/25/2019 – This week IM Merijn van Delft looks back on an exciting and critical Grünfeld encounter from the FIDE Grand Prix in Jerusalem between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. The live show is free to watch, and available on-demand for ChessBase Premium account holders (but FREE for a limited time!). Merijn is available on demand this week starting at 19:00 UTC (20:00 CET / 4 PM EST).

Vote: The player of the year 2019

12/25/2019 – Another eventful chess year is behind us, with great events and tournaments, impressive personalities and fantastic chess games. Help us choose the player of the year, the female player of the year, the game of the year, the combination of the year and the endgame of the year in our annual ChessBase reader poll. First up: The Player of the Year...

Pal Benko's last Merry Christmas Puzzle

12/25/2019 – Every year Pal Benko, grandmaster, former World Championship candidate, and one of the best problem composers in the world, sent us some very special seasonal greetings. They came in the form of chess problems for our readers. Just weeks before his death (at 91 last August) Pal started working on this year's Christmas puzzles. Unfortunately he was only able to suggest the first one, for Christmas Day. It is a problem by Sam Loyd and was supposed to fool our readers (Pal retained his humour and mischievous nature to the end). We share this puzzle with you today.

The Weekly Show: Return to Sunway Sitges

12/24/2019 – IM Lawrence Trent signs off on 2019 with a follow-up on his tournament in Sitges, Spain for this Weekly Show. | Puzzle time: In the diagram, it's Black to move! | Lawrence is on-demand this week beginning at 17:00 UTC (18:00 CET / Noon EST) and free for a limited time, or forever on-demand with a ChessBase Basic Account. You can register a free 90-day account to watch.

Banff Open: An Armageddon finale

12/24/2019 – A picturesque setting, incredible hospitality and attention to detail are three elements that will surely make for a great open tournament. The fourth edition of the Banff Open took place at one of Canada's most popular tourist destinations in Alberta's Rockies and it was an enjoyable experience for all involved. Agnieszka Matras-Clement defeated Belsar Valencia in an Armageddon tiebreaker to take the title. Her husband, PAUL CLEMENT, had a great time as spectator and sent us a report.

Not dim: a bishop on the rim

12/24/2019 – Endgames with bishops of the same colour are often a draw. Not as often as endgames with opposite-coloured bishops, but they are still difficult to win. In the diagram position White is a pawn down but can still save the game.

Artist and chess player: an interview with Mihail Marin and Maria Yugina

12/24/2019 – Mihail Marin is considered as one of the best opening theoreticians and chess authors. Two years ago he married the painter and chess player Maria Yugina. Conrad Schormann had a chat with the couple that travels around the world, following their passions, painting and playing chess.

Anton Korobov claims Sunway Sitges Open

12/23/2019 – The Ukrainian grandmaster Anton Korobov (pictured) won the strong Sunway Sitges Open with 8½ points from 10 games. Half a point behind were GMs Vasif Durarbayli from Azerbaijan and Rasmus Svane from Hamburg, Germany. They contested a two-game blitz playoff (won by Durarbayli) to determine second and third places. | Photo: Lennart Ootes (archive)

Top FritzTrainers of the year

12/23/2019 – Whether you're on the lookout for a last-minute (virtual) stocking stuffer, or looking forward to your New Year's (chess) resolutions, here's a rundown of some of our best FritzTrainers of 2019 with video samples and review links from DAVIDE NASTASIO. All are available as digital downloads.

Vachier-Lagrave appeals for Candidates wild card

12/23/2019 – In an open letter to the Russian Chess Federation on Monday, the manager of French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who narrowly missed out on multiple avenues to qualify for the 2020 Candidates tournament in Yekaterinburg next March, calls for a qualification match against Kirill Alekseenko. The RCF has already nominated Alekseenko. | Photo: Nadja Wittmann

Ian Nepomniachtchi wins Jerusalem Grand Prix, qualifies to Candidates

12/23/2019 – A draw in the second game of the Jerusalem Grand Prix Final gave Ian Nepomniachtchi tournament victory and secured him a spot in next year's Candidates Tournament. Wei Yi managed to mix things up with the black pieces, only to get an inferior position which came to a close when a draw by repetition was agreed. The one remaining spot in the Candidates still up for grabs is the organizer's wildcard, and the Russian Chess Federation will more than likely grant it to Kirill Alekseenko. | Photos: Niki Riga

Chess on an Indian house boat

12/22/2019 – The Chess Train tournament launched in 2013 in various years covers the Czech Republic, parts of Germany, Austria, Poland and Slovakia. Now a similar idea is launching in India from January 26th to February 2nd, 2020, in the state of Kerala: A Chess Houseboat tournament! Every day double-rounds will be played, each round consisting of 20 minutes per player, inside a houseboat in various scenic locations. A total of €5000 prize fund is up for grabs and only first 100 registered players will be able to participate. This is your unique chance to combine chess with sight seeing in one of the most beautiful destinations in India. | Photo: Official site

A weekend Open in Palmanova

12/22/2019 – The planned city of Palmanova in north-east Italy cannot be called a chess stronghold, but it was once a real fortress! The small local chess club has been organizing a popular weekend tournament with international participation for eight years, and this time an Italian took home top honours. GERHARD BERTAGNOLLI tells the tale. | Photos: Gerhard Bertagnolli

FIDE Grand Prix in Jerusalem: Nepomniachtchi wins!

12/22/2019 – A draw in the second game of the Jerusalem Grand Prix Final gave Ian Nepomniachtchi tournament victory and secured him a spot in next year's Candidates Tournament. Wei Yi managed to mix things up with the black pieces, only to get an inferior position which came to a close when a draw by repetition was agreed. The one remaining spot in the Candidates still up for grabs is the organizer's wildcard, and the Russian Chess Federation will more than likely grant it to Kirill Alekseenko. | Photo: Niki Riga

Jerusalem GP Final: Nepomniachtchi strikes

12/22/2019 – Game one of the final in Jerusalem favoured Ian Nepomniachtchi, who won a 96-move game with the black pieces after Wei Yi declined to force a draw by repetition in the middlegame. Nepomniachtchi now only needs a draw in the second classical game to reach the Candidates Tournament, leaving Maxime Vachier-Lagrave out of the race to challenge Magnus Carlsen in the next World Championship match. | Photo: Niki Riga

Sally and Misha: Parting of ways

12/21/2019 – Sally Landau marries Misha Tal for love. Soon she discovers the downside of his character. He is a philanderer and enjoys amorous conquest. His affair with actress L becomes a scandal. Early in 1964, he is summoned to the Central Committee and is told that he has to choose between his wife and his mistress. He is reminded that he is a public figure and has to conduct himself as a responsible citizen. He tells them curtly it’s none of their business, and he will do as he pleases. “Well, you can make your own decision”, the officials tell him. He is soon to learn of their decision… | Photo: Svetlana Punte

Shtembuliak and Zhukova are 2019 Ukrainian Champions

12/21/2019 – Evgeny Shtembuliak is having a breakthrough year. The Texas Tech University student won the World Junior Championship earlier this year and has now been crowned Ukrainian Champion. The 20-year-old was first among a strong field of well established grandmasters, including Yuriy Kryvoruchko, Andrei Volokitin and Alexander Moiseenko. In the women's section, Natalia Zhukova had a better tiebreak score than Iulija Osmak, which prompted her to win her first ever national championship. MIKHAIL GOLUBEV reports. | Photos: Oleksandr Martynkov

Sitges: Korobov still leads with two to go

12/21/2019 – Anton Korobov gave up his first half point at the Sunway Sitges Open in round seven against his compatriot Vassily Ivanchuk (pictured), and his second in Friday's eighth round. But he maintains a half point edge over a quartet of pursuers. Dennis Wagner saved a half point with luck and skill, and he, along with fellow Germans Alexander Donchenko, Rasmus Svane and Andreas Heimann, trail by a full point. | Photos: sunwaychessfestival.com

Magnus Carlsen a double #1?

12/20/2019 – Magnus Carlsen likes to be number one all things. The Guardian recently announced that the chess world champion is one of the world's top players in the Fantasy Premier League. Now he's up to #3 in the world. A quick update from last Friday's account.

Inside Wei Yi's mind: 35 minutes for one move

12/20/2019 – Have you ever heard the advice, "while solving positions in your practice sessions, don't think for more than 20 minutes!"? The logic is that usually in practical games we do not spend more than 20 minutes for any move or decision, so we shouldn't be spending too much time when training either. But now and then comes a moment when, in a tournament game, an elite GM digs down deep and thinks for over 30 minutes! In Wei Yi vs Sergey Karjakin at the Jerusalem Grand Prix 2019, we saw the young Chinese GM 'in the tank' for 35 minutes! IM SAGAR SHAH tries to decode his thought process!