6/7/2017 – Rounds six and seven saw an important development: the number of co-leaders has been drastically reduced to two, as two young Spanish and British GMs scored back-to-back victories to take sole lead with six out of a possible seven points. Both GM David Anton Guijarro and David Howell are now the sole leaders, but being an 11-round event, anything goes still. Also note 13-year-old WFM Bibisara (2244 FIDE) who has a 2558 performance so far, all against GMs and IMs!

6/7/2017 – The number of entries for this year's CCWC were disappointingly low, mainly due to the cost of participation. To overcome this problem the International Computer Games Association has decided to change the format and make it much like the FIDE human world championships. This year, from July 3rd-7th, there will be a tournament of four teams, each receiving a subsidy of €2000 from the ICGA. Anf from 2018 on the World Computer Chess Championship will be played as a match, between the reigning World Champion and a challenger chosen by a process that is still to be determined.

6/7/2017 – To put "rooks behind passed pawns" is not always good advice but very often and therefore it's a good endgame guideline. Particularly so, when things get complicated.

6/6/2017 – Concluding her joyful visit to Indonesia, Alina L'Ami shares more gorgeous photography, her meeting with editor and found of ChessBase India, IM Sagar Shah, and much more. You will also find a selection of games and positions that illustrate the dreadful (blackouts) and wonderful (fine positional ideas), all with high-resolution photos.

6/6/2017 – Despite the numerous draws, it was quite an interesting day in Norway. Kramnik and Aronian were putting very strong pressure on Karjakin and Caruana respectively, but had to settle for a draw. The only win came from a long endgame squeeze by Nakamura over Giri, which was certainly reminiscent of Fischer's famous "minor exchange" idea!

6/6/2017 – Norway Chess is here, and brings 10 of the top 12 players in the world. This may easily be the strongest tournament of the year, and will certainly rank as one of the strongest of all time. The roster brings names such as Magnus Carlsen, Wesley So, Vladimir Kramnik, Fabiano Caruana, and more. The opening blitz tournament was held to determine the pairings and Carlsen swept through the field like a hurricane. Illustrated report with GM analysis.

6/5/2017 – Enjoying the deep cultural history that Indonesia has to offer, and the passion for chess where you do not need to be an international celebrity to be recognized. The JAPFA tournament was held once more in Jakarta with hospitality to put most organizers to shame. Here is the illustrated report by Alina L'Ami.

6/5/2017 – That's the subject of this month's pick by our study expert Siegfried Hornecker. He introduces us to three prolific Soviet composers, each of whom had created around 110 studies. While researching the background for his article Siegfried hit upon a coincidence involving the number 110. It involves the Canadian Master Zoltán Sárosy, and we have included a lovely interview with him at the end of the article. Can you guess what the coincidence was?

6/4/2017 – The 4th and 5th rounds of the European championship saw expected, yet exciting developments. After five rounds, four players stand at the top with 4.5/5: Cheparinov, Melkumyan, Kuzubov, and Fridman. All got there in slightly different ways, but all playing strong gritty chess. They are trailed by a huge pack of 27 players with 4.0/5, but with six rounds to go, the tournament is barely at the midway point. Report and analysis by GM Elshan Moradiabadi.

6/3/2017 – On June 1 2017, the signing ceremony of Jiayuguan·2017 China-Russia Chess Grandmaster Summit Match was held in China Qiyuan (China Chess Academy). This match between Russian GM Alexander Grischuk and Chinese GM Yu Yangyi will held during July 19 to 25 in the city of Jiayuguan, a very important city of the silk road economic belt in China's "Belt And Road" strategy. The players will battle over four classical games. Here is the opening report.

6/3/2017 – The Memory Palace is a name that has grown steadily into the mainstream of thought and culture. What not many realize, is that this system dates back over 2000 years and was written about in detail by intellectual giants such as Cicero, who was an enthusiastic proponent. In this first part on the Memory Palace, you will be introduced to what it is and its history (and how it can eventually be used with chess).

6/2/2017 – In an open tournament, the earlier rounds play as crucial role as the last rounds. Although, one can argue that every game has a point and one should remain focused and try to make the best of every round, we should accept that in a ‘giant swiss’, luck and turn of events play an important role in one’s result. The question becomes one of either giving a little to gain a lot, or trying to sprint ahead. Report and analysis by GM Elshan Moradiabadi.