12/4/2017 – If the first round looked like a car left in neutral, then round two was barely in second gear. Karjakin and Carlsen left their battles for another time, while So failed to make the most of a strange opening choice by Nepo. The game of the day was the sharp as nails Sicilian Dragon between Maxime Vachier Lagrave and Hikaru Nakamura, giving the audience something to cheer for. Report and analysis by GM Alex Yermolinsky. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

12/3/2017 – Some players seem to be able to give their pieces magical powers. An invisible force seems to unite the pieces, and even if one, two or more of them are hanging or have to be sacrificed, the power of the remaining pieces easily compensate this. A classic example for such a dynamic is the game Rotlewi against Rubinstein. | Photo: Deutsche Schachzeitung 1908

12/3/2017 – Ever wanted to release your inner Tal or Shirov? This is your chance! On this DVD you will be taken on a journey through what is arguably the sharpest opening line known to men: the Botvinnik Variation! Ever since its birth, in the late 30’s of the previous century, the Botvinnik Variation has fascinated generations of dynamic players. To date, the opening is very much alive and is considered the sharpest and most principled way to meet 5.Bg5 in the Semi-Slav.

12/3/2017 – After winning the FIDE World Cup, Levon Aronian sat down for an in depth interview published by the Champord Newspaper and conducted in Armenian. Meri Grigoryan painstakingly translated the full 43-minute conversation between Levon and Mark Grigoryan (no relation to Meri!), which we shared with Champord to subtitle the original video on YouTube. Enjoy both the video and the complete transcript!

12/2/2017 – It is not often that chess players gets serious attention in the straight press. Luckily we have some great ambassadors for the game. Like IM and WGM Tania Sachdev, who is not just a successful player, but also a much sought after commentator at top events. Last weekend the London newspaper Telegraph devoted a whole lot of space to the media star who is currently doing live video commentary for the London Chess Classic. She talks about the discrepancy between the sexes in a sport that should offer more scope for equality than most. The article remarkably includes a number of glamour shots and details about the exact cost of her attire.

12/2/2017 – The London Chess Classic is the last event in the Grand Chess Tour and is also the last of the classical tournaments with the world's elite this year. The roster is mouthwatering for all fans, with Carlsen, Aronian, Caruana, So, and more. The opening round was a bit slow to gain traction and while there were chances for a couple of decisive results, it was all draws in the end. Round two is on Sunday. Report and analysis by GM Alex Yermolinsky | Photo: Lennart Ootes

11/28/2017 – The Duchamp Festival in Rio de Janeiro was not only a welcome change in the chess landscape in the city, but lived up to its promise of a true international event with a multitude of competitions, activities, and more. The main competition, the Master, was won by GM Neuris Delgado a full round in advance. Here is the final report. | Photo: Albert Silver

11/28/2017 – It is one of the most important tools of chess professionals and amateurs alike: the flagship database of 7.8 high quality games, from 1560 to 2017, extensively classified, with direct access to players, tournaments, openings, middlegame and endgame themes. 71,000 games are annotated by top players. And best of all: the database is constantly updated, for a full year, with around 250,000 new games expected in 2018. How it all works and how you can use the Mega Database is explained in a very instructive video by IM Sagar Shah.

11/28/2017 – The attacked white knight c3 in the diagram must withdraw, but in view of Black's lurking bishops not all retreat squares are equally good. 25.Ne2 or 25.Nd1 — what would be your candidate?

11/28/2017 – Wesley So is in Hamburg and paying the ChessBase headquarters a visit before he's playing the London Chess Classic. In a special webcast Wesley will do a Q&A on Tuesday november 28. Get your questions into the comment section which will be picked up in the live broadcast.

11/28/2017 – Vassily Ivanchuk was impressive on his way to winning the blitz tournament and at one point was leading by three full points. He finished two points clear of Sergey Karjakin. Anna Muzychuk lead the women's tournament from start to finish, ultimately scoring 1½ points more than her nearest rival Elisabeth Paehtz. The tournament (November 24th-29th) was held in memory of Elisabeta Polihroniade who helmed the event for its first nine years until her death in 2016 at age 80. Ivanchuk and Muzychuk also won their respective rapid tournaments for a clean sweep!

11/27/2017 – Even chess players hardly remember Fedor Bohatirchuk although the Ukrainian-Canadian doctor and chess master led a life worth remembering. He lived in turbulent times, and he was a strong chess player with a life-time score of 3½-½ against Mikhail Botvinnik. He also inspired Boris Pasternak to the character of "Doctor Zhivago". Today, Bohatirchuk would celebrate his 125th birthday.