3/21/2025 – The Black Sniper is back – sharper and deadlier than ever! This dynamic system (1...g6, 2...Bg7, 3...c5 against 1.e4, 1.d4 and 1.c4) creates unpredictable, high-pressure positions, leaving opponents struggling to adapt.

3/21/2025 – On Sunday the Kasparov Chess Foundation Academy will host a lecture by Vladimir Tukmakov titled "Bluff in Chess". Drawing from his extensive experience, Tukmakov will delve into the art of taking calculated risks in chess, a theme he explores in his book Risk & Bluff in Chess: The Art of Taking Calculated Risks. Participants can anticipate an in-depth analysis of how deception and risk intertwine in high-level play, enriched by anecdotes from Tukmakov's own games and those of other grandmasters.

3/20/2025 – In an historic moment for the global chess community, World Chess officially introduces a Patron Saint of Chess: bringing the game into a centuries-old tradition of sports and cultural patronage. St. Teresa of Avila, a 16th-century Spanish mystic, writer, and intellectual, is an apt choice for chess's first patron saint. One of the most influential figures of the Catholic Church, she was known for her deep strategic thinking, discipline, and ability to navigate complex intellectual and spiritual landscapes—qualities that also define the highest levels of chess.

3/20/2025 – Day 5 of the 2025 American Cup saw contrasting matches in the Champions Brackets, with Alice Lee securing a key win in the women's section, while Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana opted for a quick draw in the open section. Meanwhile, the Elimination Brackets featured intense battles, as Irina Krush and Nazi Paikidze advanced in the women's event, while Levon Aronian and Sam Sevian eliminated Wesley So and Leinier Dominguez, respectively. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

3/20/2025 – Anna Muzychuk extended her winning streak to three games, strengthening her lead in the Cyprus Women's Grand Prix with four rounds remaining. Zhu Jiner remains just half a point behind after drawing with Alexandra Goryachkina, now in third place. Zhu's performance has already pushed her into the world's top eight in the live ratings. Elisabeth Paehtz secured her first victory of the event, while the remaining games ended in draws. The players will enjoy a rest day before the competition resumes. | Photos: FIDE / Mark Livshitz

3/19/2025 – Prepare for your next tournament with the new Opening Encyclopaedia 2025! Whether you want to build up a reliable and powerful opening repertoire or find new opening ideas for your existing repertoire, the Opening Encyclopaedia covers the entire opening theory in one product and is the ideal start for your opening training. Many new articles enrich the current theory with new or revisited ideas. The Encyclopaedia can help you learn openings quickly and give you a head start on your next opponent. Each article contains explanations and annotated games illustrating typical plans to deepen your understanding.

3/19/2025 – At the January Tata Steel Challengers tournament in Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands, at the start of their 4th round game, Uzbek GM Nodirbek Yakubboev refused to shake the extended hand of his opponent, Indian GM Vaishali Rameshbabu. This is what International Arbiter Alon Shulman, Councilor of the ECU Arbiters Council, has to say about the incident and about handshake history.

3/19/2025 – The fourth day of the American Cup saw intense battles in the semifinals of the Champions Bracket. Hikaru Nakamura secured his spot in the final by defeating Leinier Dominguez in the second classical game, while Fabiano Caruana edged out Levon Aronian in a blitz playoff after two drawn classical games. In the women's event, Alice Lee advanced with a draw, while Tatev Abrahamyan won a playoff against Carissa Yip. The finals will feature Nakamura v. Caruana and Lee v. Abrahamyan. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

3/18/2025 – Svitlana Demchenko introduces her new ChessBase training course, focusing on one of her favourite openings, the King's Indian Attack (KIA). She explains its universal nature, emphasizing that players only need to learn a basic setup (1.Nf3, 2.g3, 3.Bg2, 4.O-O, 5.d3), making it ideal for both creative and lazy players. She showcases how the KIA can be reached via e4 against various defences, including the French, Sicilian and Caro-Kann, offering flexibility in transpositions. A model game by Tigran Petrosian is analysed, demonstrating the strategic manoeuvring and attacking potential of the opening, particularly the h4-h5 push to weaken Black's kingside.

3/18/2025 – Sometimes, even a few pieces are enough to create a powerful mating attack. In the diagram position White is a piece up, but has to find a way to parry Black's attack. Any ideas?

3/18/2025 – The living chess legend from Argentina, Oscar Panno, celebrated his 90th birthday on Monday. The Argentine ranks sixth on the list of the oldest living chess grandmasters. His international career began in 1953 when he won the U20 World Championship. A number of remarkable achievements followed in what turned out to be a memorable chess career.

3/18/2025 – The third round of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in Cyprus featured hard-fought games, with high accuracy scores across the board. Anna Muzychuk secured the only decisive result, defeating Nana Dzagnidze in a queen endgame that lasted 83 moves - the longest game of the tournament so far. The remaining matches ended in well-contested draws, reflecting the competitive nature of the event. Zhu Jiner maintained her tournament lead with 2½/3 points to her name. | Photos: FIDE / Mark Livshitz