12/12/2024 – In his new Game of the Week show, Merijn van Delft looks at what many experts consider to be the best game of the World Championship match between Ding Liren and Gukesh D at Singapore 2024. They also consider it to be one of Ding's best games in years - his win in game 12 of the match that levelled the score and was a positional and strategic masterclass. | Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

12/12/2024 – From December 7 to 10, the European Chess Union, together with the Chess Federation of North Macedonia, organised this year's European Rapid and Blitz Championships in Skopje, for the first time also together with the European Fischer Chess Championships. Vladimir Fedoseev won two titles. Jorden van Foreest became European Blitz Champion. | Photos: ECU

12/12/2024 – Gukesh D became the youngest-ever undisputed world chess champion after beating Ding Liren in the last classical encounter of their 14-game match in Singapore. Ding voluntarily entered a pawn-down endgame which was objectively drawn, but a blunder by the Chinese GM on move 55 meant Gukesh would take the title by winning the match with a 7½-6½ score. | Full report to follow shortly.

12/11/2024 – The tension in Singapore continues to mount as the World Chess Championship match heads into its final classical game with the score tied at 6.5-6.5. In a gripping 13th game, Gukesh D created significant pressure with the white pieces in a French Defence but missed critical chances to convert his advantage, allowing Ding Liren to hold a draw after 68 moves. The reigning champion showed remarkable defensive skill under time pressure, while Gukesh remained undeterred despite his missed opportunity. | Photo: FIDE / Eric Rosen

12/11/2024 – Want to send a game to friends as a QR code? Or print out a worksheet with tactics exercises for training and add the solution as a QR code? Or print the games as a QR code in the club magazine for replay on your mobile phone? You can do all this with ChessBase 18. In the video, head developer Matthias Wüllenweber shows how quickly and easily it can be done.

12/11/2024 – In his new Fast & Furious episode, Robert Ris looks at game 11 of the the World Championship match between Gukesh D and Ding Liren in Singapore, in which Gukesh tried a bold and promising gambit - recommended by Robert in one of his opening courses. | Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

12/10/2024 – After Ding Liren won against Gukesh in game 12 of the World Championship, chess players are talking about the Chinese comeback mentality. But the Indian GM also has some comeback abilities. Svitlana is showing us two examples by the two extraordinary players from a couple of years ago.

12/10/2024 – Currently, World Champion Ding Liren and Challenger Gukesh D fight for the World Championship in Singapore. They will certainly be keen to have the right equipment - board, pieces, and, perhaps underrated, chairs. Which chair will sit right with them? A question that is probably as old as the World Championship matches. Let’s have a closer look back, filled with some nostalgia. | Photo: Chess paradise in Formentera, Spain, from the annual Sunway Formentera Festival, official website

12/10/2024 – At the beginning of December Fabiano Caruana was the sole winner of the U.S. Masters in Charlotte, but at the Saint Louis Masters he had to share victory with German Grandmaster Alexander Donchenko. With one round to go, Caruana led the field by one point, but in the final round he lost to Donchenko with White and both finished with 6.5/9. | Photo: (from left to right) Tony Rich, Fabiano Caruana, Alexander Donchenko, Sabina Foisor | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club

12/10/2024 – Yes, it is that time of the year again. Time to leave your copy of CHESS Magazine open, ‘non-suspiciously’, hoping that the family will take the hint and place a big order at Chess & Bridge. If the hint is not taken, then just order one or more of the items yourself, safe in the knowledge that there are much worse things you could be doing.

12/10/2024 – The tenth game was nothing more than a boring draw, but games eleven and twelve were quite exciting as the two opponents traded wins to keep the score at 6-6 with two classic games left (after the third day off). Ding Liren played the eleventh game miserably (although he missed some good chances), while Gukesh D. lost the twelfth game without any real fight! The match seems to be quite balanced and nobody can make any predictions. There are plenty of mistakes made by both opponents and although the quality is low, the fighting spirit is high! | All photos by Eng Chin An.

12/10/2024 – Zugzwang is a typical endgame weapon. Usually the attacker uses it to force concessions, but when both sides are in zugzwang things can be different. In the diagram position it is White to move and draw. What should she do?