1/27/2017 – One might argue that Carpe Diem, or 'seize the day' applies to all games and events, but round eleven was defined more than most by those who did and those who didn't. While leader So drew quickly with Andreikin, 17-year-old Wei Yi defeated Karjakin, moving to half a point behind So, whom he plays in round 12. Adhiban almost pulled off a miracle when he had a chance to beat Carlsen, but missed it and drew. Jeffery Xiong defeated co-leader Smirin and is now sole leader in the Challengers. Express report.

1/27/2017 – Tactics can seem deceptively simple, particularly when seeing an engine analysing grandmaster games. Strange, however, how difficult it is to find the right move and to calculate variations properly when playing yourself. It is easier if you solve tactical puzzles regularly. In the ChessBase Magazine and his tactics column Oliver Reeh helps you to do so.

1/27/2017 – Michael Adams and Nikita Vitiugov are the only 2700+ player with a perfect score at the end of the third round of the Gibraltar Masters 2017. All the elite players who had drawn their games yesterday including Caruana, MVL and Gelfand were able to win. However, Svidler had to once again split the point and on the top board Nakamura was surprised by an excellent exchange sacrifice by G. N. Gopal. We have the full illustrated report from round four rich with analysis, pictures, videos and also information about the team blitz and Governor's visit to the event.

1/27/2017 – Studying and learning from Bobby Fischer's games is an arduous and laborious affair. Although Fischer quit playing chess when he was just 29 years old, the number of high quality games that he had played was already quite high. The Master Class Vol. 1 on the life of Bobby Fischer is a boon for players who would like to delve deeper into the life of the eleventh World Champion. Three grandmasters and an International Master dissect the play of one of the greatest players that the game of chess has ever seen. A review by Aditya Pai.

1/27/2017 – The coach-player relationship is one that goes back in time and has marked almost every great sportsman. It allows (hopefully) a player to achieve their goals and fulfill their potential. Wesley So has been on a tremendous streak, but has never worked with a coach. With his success, he now has the means to bring in a top coach, and he has partnered with veteran player and coach Vladimir Tukmakov. They explain how this came about and what a coach brings to a top player.

1/26/2017 – Using a computer to analyze, while important, needs to be balanced with understanding our limits. A solution or choice that demands we be able to calculate like a computer, in both speed and precision, can lead us to place unrealistic expectations on ourselves. In the following column, Jon Speelman examines the game by Tom Harley, who sends his analysis and computer results, and balances them with choices with what he would play regardless of the 'absolute truth'.

1/26/2017 – We mentioned it in our full Round Two report: 2752 rated Vassily Ivanchuk thought he had made the 40th move time control his white game against Israeli IM Ori Kobo, 2482, and let his clock run out – only to discover that he had left out a move on his scoresheet. A blackout on the part of the Ukrainian Super-GM that reflected the general power blackout that struck the island before play. John Saunders gives us his take of the fateful round two in Gibraltar.

1/26/2017 – There was some high voltage drama in the second round of the Gibraltar Masters 2017. Four super-GMs: Caruana, MVL, Topalov and Svidler were held to a draw. Meanwhile, Vassily Ivanchuk lost in a completely better position against IM Ori Kobo. 37 players including Hikaru Nakamura, Mickey Adams, Yu Yangyi, Nikita Vitiugov and Arkadij Naiditsch are on 2.0/2. In this report we bring to you didactic analysis, Topalov's instructive Masterclass and some lively video interviews by Tania Sachdev.

1/26/2017 – Three decisive games, all white victories, make Wesley So's lead in Tata Steel quite comfortable. He is now a point ahead of a large pack as the American dispatched Poland's Radoslaw Wojtaszek in a very nice technical game. Levon Aronian took some vengeance from his recent loss against Richard Rapport, and he did so in spectacular fashion. Alexander Yermolinsky analyzes the fireworks!

1/25/2017 – It's all about taking advantage of your opportunities, and this was very much the tale of the day. Wesley So turned in a powerful display against Radoslaw Wojtaszek to ensure he would at least share the lead. Magnus Carlsen was unable to crack Harikrishna, while Pavel Eljanov vs Wei Yi had its pivotal moment when the Chinese player missed a win and chance to stay in gold contention. Levon Aronian played a brilliant game against Rapport. In the Challengers, Xiong joined the leaders. Express report.

1/25/2017 – It is the first time that drugs have been found under rigorous scientific conditions to improve chess performance. The results of the ground-breaking study have been published in a leading scientific journal. The drugs are methylphenidate, which is most commonly marketed as Ritalin, and modafinil, which is sold as Alertec, Modavigil and Provigil. They improved the players’ performances by an average of 13 and 15 percent, while caffeine, which also has an ameliorative impact, improved it by around nine percent. Report in WorldChess.com.

1/25/2017 – After visiting Africa on a tour, GM Maurice Ashley was deeply moved by the extreme poverty, underlying beauty, and promise of hope. Instead of just writing about all this, he decided to take action, and together with Graham Jurgensen, they enlisted the help and patronage of the Paul Allen Foundation, as well as the Kasparov Chess Foundation in the USA and Africa, to take three grandmasters on a training tour for 18 weeks in Africa. Join Maurice Ashley, the KCF, and ChessBase, and get involved!