4/15/2025 – On 4 April, Iceland's first grandmaster Fridrik Olafsson passed away. Olafsson had celebrated his 90th birthday in January. After ending his career as a professional chess player, he became a lawyer and eventually became FIDE President. FIDE published Olafsson's last interview, in which he talks about computers, his chess career and his friendship with Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky, among other things.

4/15/2025 – Tactical analysis is not just exciting, but it is very practical. With ChessBase 18, it is easy to use its findings. In this episode, learn how you can use this ChessBase function to complement your analysis and make it more effective.

4/15/2025 – Mate ends the game - a good reason to look out for mating attacks, even in position with only a few pieces left on the board. In the diagram position Black played 76...Rh1?, a mistake that allowed White to end the game in fine fashion. How?

4/15/2025 – After getting the lead in the match on Sunday, Magnus Carlsen did not allow Hikaru Nakamura to get realistic chances of a comeback in the final of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam leg in Paris, as he secured tournament victory with a draw. Fabiano Caruana defeated Vincent Keymer in their two-game match to grab third place. | Photo: Stev Bonhage

4/14/2025 – The Women's World Championship match is going very one-sidedly. Today, the defending champion Ju Wenjun won a fourth game in a row against challenger Tan Zhonqui, increasing her lead to 6-2. Ju Wenjun is now only half a point away from retaining the title, as match will most likely come to a premature end. | Pictured: Sabrina de San Vicente plays the first move of game eight. | Photo: Anna Shtourman

4/14/2025 – In his Endgame Magic Show #293, Karsten Müller looks at endgame highlights from the American Cup. In one of the endgames picked by Karsten, Abhimanyu Mishra showed his defensive skills and his endgame knowledge. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

4/11/2025 – On Sunday, April 13 at 6 PM CET, the Kasparov Chess Foundation Academy will host an exclusive lecture by Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko, a renowned Ukrainian chess grandmaster and esteemed coach who has guided national teams such as Ukraine, Egypt, and the Netherlands.

4/11/2025 – Svitlana presents to us an insightful analysis of the first two decisive games in the Women's World Chess Championship match between Ju Wenjun and Tan Zhongyi, focusing particularly on their endgames. Both games, though seemingly equal in rook endgames, were decided by subtle inaccuracies and the strategic importance of king activity and piece placement. Svitlana emphasizes how small endgame advantages—such as a more active king or minor positional tweaks—can determine the outcome even in positions that look like simple draws.

4/11/2025 – The 25th European Women's Chess Championship is taking place from 31 March to 11 April in Rhodes, Greece. The Championship features 136 players representing 34 European federations battling in an 11-round Swiss open for prize money and spots in the Women's World Chess Cup. The last round starts today at 12.00 CET (6.00 ET, 15.30 IST). | Follow the action live with expert commentary starting at 12.00 CET

4/11/2025 – The quarterfinals of the Paris Freestyle Chess Grand Slam concluded on Thursday, with Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura and Vincent Keymer advancing to the semifinals. While Carlsen, Caruana and Nakamura secured their places through wins in the classical games, Keymer needed tiebreaks to overcome Ian Nepomniachtchi. The German GM is now the only player from the younger generation left in the tournament. The upcoming semifinal matchups are Carlsen v. Caruana and Keymer v. Nakamura. | Photo: Stev Bonhage

4/11/2025 – In his new Fast & Furious show, Robert Ris shows a tricky line against the Philidor - and a game in which Black collapsed surprisingly quickly. | Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

4/11/2025 – GM Jonathan Levitt explains why and how he has suddenly taken up writing lyrics for songs, including one on Bobby Fischer and one on Boris Spassky. Have a look, listen and enjoy!