2/22/2026 – Twelve-year-old Argentine talent Faustino Oro is set to compete in the Aeroflot Open in Moscow, one of the strongest open tournaments on the international circuit. With two GM norms already secured and the rating requirement met, the event represents his final opportunity to become the youngest-ever GM in history. The Moscow tournament brings together an exceptionally strong field, with Ian Nepomniachtchi, Andrey Esipenko and Daniil Dubov as the top seeds. | Photo: Argentine Chess Federation

2/22/2026 – When you work with a programme on a regular basis, you should make that work as pleasant as possible. ChessBase´26 offers endless possibilities - and that goes for the look too. Make your workspace individual and pleasant. In part 4 of our new series of tutorials we will show you how easy it is to design your individual notation so that analysing with it is a maximum pleasure.

2/21/2026 – A recent study by Marc Barthelemy applies tools from information theory and statistical physics to analyse Chess960 opening positions systematically. By evaluating all 960 starting configurations with modern chess engines, the research examines first-move advantage and decision-making complexity across the variant. The results place standard chess in context, showing it to be statistically typical rather than structurally exceptional within the broader landscape of possible starting positions.

2/21/2026 – Hong Kong will host the fourth edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships from 17 to 21 June 2026, marking the event's first appearance in East Asia. Organised by FIDE, the tournament features rapid and blitz competitions, with teams required to field at least one female and one recreational player. The event follows previous editions in Düsseldorf, Astana and London.

2/21/2026 – Wilhelm Steinitz had lost his World Championship title to Emanuel Lasker in 1894, but he still retained the right to a return match. That rematch was scheduled to take place in Moscow at the end of 1896. Before that, however, Steinitz played a training match against Emanuel Schiffers. Join us on a brief journey back in time to Rostov-on-Don in 1896.

2/21/2026 – The pairings for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 and the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament 2026 have been confirmed following the official Drawing of Lots ceremony in Paphos. Scheduled from 28 March to 16 April 2026, both events will determine the challengers for the World Championship titles, with round-one matchups now set and preparations entering their final phase.

2/20/2026 – Entries are open for the 2026 British Chess Championships, which will return to Coventry from 1 to 9 August at the University of Warwick. The event will feature a record £34,000 prize fund, a significantly increased women’s prize fund and an expanded festival programme. Organised by the English Chess Federation, the nine-day championships are expected to attract more than 1,000 players across all age groups. | Photo: Chess in Schools and Communities

2/20/2026 – In this episode, Svitlana explores how to fight back after a blunder, using dramatic comeback examples from players like Magnus Carlsen and classic games from the 19th century to show that even the best can recover from lost material. The key lessons are to avoid self-pity, keep pieces on the board, create complications, pose constant problems, and play actively as if you’re not worse—because pressure often causes the opponent to falter. Ultimately, she demonstrates that chess games are rarely over after a single mistake, and with the right mindset and resourcefulness, even a lost position can turn into a win or at least a save.

2/20/2026 – Who is your favourite chess player – we asked you recently. Whose games do you enjoy the most? We got a lot of feedback, and will show you the choices that human chess players make – and compare them with what a chess AI chooses, after it has played through and evaluated millions of games.

2/20/2026 – FIDE and Freestyle Chess have agreed that the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championships will again be staged in Weissenhaus, Germany in 2027. The agreement confirms the continuation of the championship at the Baltic Sea venue following the inaugural edition in 2026. | Photo: FIDE

2/20/2026 – The German Bundesliga always provides us with a beautiful collection of top level games. This weekend a very instructive game was played between top grandmaster Anton Korobov and the experienced grandmaster and trainer Felix Levin. A Petrov Defence turned into French Exchange variation and while the queens were quickly exchanged in this symmetrical structure, the game instructively shows that there is always still enough to play for. Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

2/20/2026 – To pave the way for his queen to h4, Black will have to come up with something special in the diagram position – luckily you happen to be sitting at the mouse!