2/17/2026 – Were you able to solve the challenge positions we gave you last week? Were you able to defeat the diagrams, which defended tenatiously? Today we bring you all solutions, with very instructive video explanations by Jared Modica, a chess content creator from Austin, Texas. He shows us how to solve tatical lines of play, and how to handle pawns in endgames.

2/17/2026 – Miracle move: Usually rook endings have a large drawish tendency. But pawn races are different. But here Black is saved by a miracle as queen and g-pawn vs queen is often drawn: Black to move and draw.

2/16/2026 – On 16 February 1906, Vera Menchik was born. After the Russian Revolution, her family lost their property, her parents separated, and Vera Menchik moved to England with her mother. As she did not have a good command of the English language, she devoted herself to chess. In this way, she became the first woman to be invited to top tournaments. Today marks the 120th anniversary of her birth.

2/16/2026 – How do grandmasters organize their opening files? Inspired by Vishy Anand Austrian GM Felix Blohberger shares advice how to use databases that might help you to study more efficiently and play better.

2/16/2026 – Magnus Carlsen secured the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship title in Weissenhaus after defeating Fabiano Caruana 2½–1½ in the final. The match turned on a dramatic third game in which Caruana failed to convert a completely winning position and ended up losing. In the contest for third place, Nodirbek Abdusattorov overcame Vincent Keymer to join the two finalists in qualifying for the 2027 Freestyle Chess World Championship. | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes

2/15/2026 – Alongside the main event in Weissenhaus, Bibisara Assaubayeva and Alexandra Kosteniuk contested a four-game Freestyle Chess exhibition match over the weekend. Played at the same time control as the world championship knockouts, the encounter ended 2½–1½ in Assaubayeva's favour. The result secured her a place in the forthcoming Women's FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship later this year. | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes

2/13/2026 – From its early beginnings in Kanjiza and the Chess Classic in Mainz to the officially recognised FIDE championships of 2019 and 2022, the World Chess960 title has followed an uneven but traceable path. Published ahead of the upcoming Freestyle Chess World Championship in Weissenhaus, this overview revisits the main editions of the event, outlining formats, qualification systems and key matches that shaped the development of Freestyle Chess at world championship level. | Pictured: Peter Svidler dealing with a Freestyle Chess starting position (note that the bishops are on the a-file) at the Chess Classic in Mainz | Photo: Frederic Friedel

2/12/2026 – This ChessBase training course by IM Oliver Reeh focuses on improving tactical vision through carefully selected exercises from the “Tune your Tactics” series in ChessBase Magazine. Across 34 interactive videos and over 120 training questions, you actively calculate variations, receive hints if needed, and get immediate feedback to reinforce key tactical patterns. With additional databases containing hundreds of games and exercises, the course systematically sharpens calculation skills and helps you recognize decisive combinations in your own games.

2/12/2026 – The FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026 will take place from 13 to 15 February at the Schloss Weissenhaus resort in Germany, marking the first jointly organised world title event in this format under an agreement between FIDE and a private organiser. Eight players, including Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, have qualified through the 2025 Grand Slam Tour and online competition, while a women's exhibition match will also be staged alongside the main event. | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes

2/12/2026 – This episode explains how to add annotation symbols and evaluation marks to your analysed games in ChessBase using the Insert tab, quick-access menus, keyboard shortcuts, and the notation pane. It also shows how to insert, edit, or delete text comments before or after moves, helping you personalize your analysis and clearly express your ideas.

2/12/2026 – Jonathan Hawkins followed an uncommon route to the top of English chess. From a club player rated around 1800 in his late teens, he became a grandmaster, two-time British champion and author of "Amateur to IM", a book widely read among players seeking insight into long-term improvement. He later devoted much of his time to coaching, working with emerging talents such as Bodhana Sivanandan. Diagnosed with neuroendocrine carcinoma, he died on 22 December 2025 at 42, only months after his diagnosis. | Photo: English Chess Federation / John Upham

2/11/2026 – Montevideo hosted the 9th Ciudad de Montevideo Open, the Antel Cup, as part of its annual chess festival, attracting 79 players and 27 titled participants. Second seed Brandon Jacobson (pictured, right) claimed clear first place with 7½/9, remaining undefeated throughout the nine rounds. A key round-six win over top seed Johan-Sebastian Christiansen (pictured, left) proved decisive. Christiansen and 22-time Uruguayan champion Bernardo Roselli completed the podium. | Photo: Antel Cup