10/21/2026 – FIDE President Timur Turlov met Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia to discuss the country's growing chess infrastructure and future cooperation with FIDE. Cyprus has hosted several major international events in recent years while also expanding domestic tournaments, youth training and permanent facilities. The meeting highlighted the island's development as an emerging European chess centre and its potential as a model for combining elite events with long-term national growth. | Photo: FIDE
new: Fritz 20
Your personal chess trainer. Your toughest opponent. Your strongest ally. FRITZ 20 is more than just a chess engine – it is a training revolution for ambitious players and professionals. Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of serious chess training, or already playing at tournament level, FRITZ 20 will help you train more efficiently, intelligently and individually than ever before.
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before. FRITZ is more than just a chess engine – it’s a training revolution! Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
In this video course experts examine the games of Bent Larsen. Let them show you which openings Larsen chose, where his strength in middlegames were, how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame & you’ll get a glimpse of his tactical abilities!
This DVD allows you to learn from the example of one of the best players in the history of chess and from the explanations of the authors how to successfully organise your games strategically, and how to keep your opponent permanently under pressure.
FIDE President Timur Turlov met with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on 19 October. The meeting focused on the rapid development of chess in Cyprus, future plans and how the country's experience could contribute to FIDE's wider efforts to strengthen chess ecosystems around the world. Turlov was joined by Evgenii Tiapkin, CEO of Freedom24.
Over the past few years, Cyprus has developed into one of Europe's emerging chess centres, combining major international events with national competitions, youth development and permanent training infrastructure. This progress has been supported by close cooperation between the Cyprus Chess Federation, the government of the country and private partners.
The FIDE President said:
In three years, Cyprus has become one of Europe's chess hubs, and we want to keep building on that. It was important for us to present our plans for chess on the island to President Christodoulides, and we are grateful for his time, his support and his attention to the game.
Cyprus has already hosted several major FIDE competitions. These include stages of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in Nicosia in 2023 and 2025, as well as the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament and Women's Candidates Tournament, which brought the world's strongest players to the island and featured a prize fund of €1 million.
At the same time, the country has continued to strengthen its domestic chess structure. With the support of Freedom24, 26 chess tournaments have been held in Cyprus since 2023, including the Cyprus Open Chess Championship and the Cyprus National Championship. A permanent training base has also been created. The Freedom24 Chess Academy opened in Limassol in March 2025 under the leadership of International Master Artem Sadovsky, with a focus on developing young players capable of representing Cyprus at international level. According to the Cyprus Chess Federation, around 2,000 people now play chess actively on the island, with children making up the majority.
The progress is also beginning to show in international competition. At the recent Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, the Cyprus women's team won silver in Category D. Ranked 125th by average rating at the start, the team finished 91st among 189 teams. Twelve-year-old Aida Păunescu scored 6½/9 on board one, recording a 2049 performance rating and gaining 142 rating points.
This DVD focuses on several types of material imbalances, such as Rook vs 2 Pieces, Queen vs 2 Rooks, and Queen vs Pieces.
For FIDE, the development of chess in Cyprus offers an example of how hosting elite events can be integrated with long-term national development. Turlov said:
Major tournaments are important, but they should leave something behind after the last game is played: stronger players, coaches, regular competitions, better infrastructure and stronger federations. As FIDE President, I would like us to help more countries build this kind of sustainable system, adapted to their own circumstances.
The meeting with President Christodoulides also underlined the importance of cooperation between national federations, public authorities and private partners in creating long-term opportunities for chess players at every level.
EXPAND YOUR CHESS HORIZONS ChessBase 26 + Fritz 21: The Summer Special Power Bundle Study like a champion. Play like a legend.
Real progress happens in two places: at the desk, where you prepare and analyze, and at the board, where you test yourself under fire. For one week only, we are bringing both ChessBase flagships together in a single bundle so you can close the gap between the two. Prepare with ChessBase 26. Play against Fritz 21. Improve faster than either program can take you on its own.
10/8/2026 – Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has met newly elected FIDE President Timur Turlov to discuss the development of chess in the country and future cooperation with FIDE. Their talks covered chess in education, coach and arbiter training, youth development and the organisation of major events. Tokayev also highlighted Kazakhstan's recent progress, including the women's team'’s silver medal at the Samarkand Olympiad and the growing number of active players nationwide. | Photo: FIDE
9/26/2026 – Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, was elected President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The elections were held on 26 September at the FIDE General Assembly, alongside the 46th Chess Olympiad, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Turlov won in the second round, with 110 votes. At 38, he becomes the second youngest FIDE President ever elected. | Picture: ChessBase
After 1.d4 d5 many players with White avoid the great amount of theory in the Slav, Semi-Slav, QGA and Orthodox Queen's Gambit and do not therefore play 2.c4. This is not very ambitious, but the painful experience of many chess players has been that the Colle System, the Trompowsky Attack, the Torre Attack and the London System are nevertheless extremely dangerous. Black has to be prepared for each of these openings and IM Valeri Lilov offers you some help with his six instructive videos, in which he demonstrates for each single opening a relevant plan for Black. In addition to the openings mentioned, the Bulgarian trainer also delves into the Catalan, the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit and the Richter-Veresov Opening.
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
Most players don’t lack the urge to attack, they just strike at the wrong moment, and GM Sipke Ernst shows you which signals tell you to go for the king and which tell you to choose another plan.
How grandmasters win without fireworks: GM Jan Markos shows you 11 very practical tips from "How to play in a lost position" to "Be patient like Carlsen" that will improve your tournament chess.
The Nimzo-Indian has stood the test of time for over a century: Still a top choice for elite players today, from Magnus Carlsen to Praggnanandhaa, it remains one of Black's most reliable ways to fight for real chances against 1.d4 2.c4 3.Nc3.
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4!? is an opening idea well worth considering. Black immediately threatens to double the pawns on c3 in the style of the Trompowski or Sicilian Grand Prix attack.
Italian Game Powerbase 2026 is a database and contains 8571 top class games from Mega 2026 and the Correspondence Database 2026, of which 479 are annotated.
€9.90
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.
Pop-up for detailed settings
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies, analysis cookies and marketing cookies. You can decide which cookies to use by selecting the appropriate options below. Please note that your selection may affect the functionality of the service. Further information can be found in our privacy policy.
Technically required cookies
Technically required cookies: so that you can navigate and use the basic functions and store preferences.
Analysis Cookies
To help us determine how visitors interact with our website to improve the user experience.
Marketing-Cookies
To help us offer and evaluate relevant content and interesting and appropriate advertisement.
