Evenly matched confrontation

WR Chess made its United States debut on Monday with the opening day of a match between the United States and Uzbekistan at Faena Miami Beach. After four rounds of rapid chess, the American team hold a 5–3 lead, having won two encounters, drawn one and lost one.

The competition uses the Scheveningen system, with each player facing every member of the opposing team once. Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Levon Aronian and Leinier Dominguez were included in the American rotation, while Uzbekistan fielded Javokhir Sindarov, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, Shamsiddin Vokhidov and Mukhiddin Madaminov.

The Bulletproof 1.b3 Repertoire

This compact course is designed specifically for practical play. Instead of overwhelming you with endless theory, it focuses on the critical lines, typical plans, and recurring tactical ideas.
Looking for an opening that gets your opponents thinking on move one? Grandmaster Andy Woodward has relied on 1.b3 for years in blitz and bullet, using it to defeat strong masters and grandmasters who underestimated its hidden venom. While many players dismiss the opening as harmless, they often find themselves caught in unfamiliar positions, tactical traps, and uncomfortable middlegames. This compact course is designed specifically for practical play. Instead of overwhelming you with endless theory, it focuses on the critical lines, typical plans, and recurring tactical ideas that matter most when the clock is ticking.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: King's Indian Setup

Each rapid round consisted of four games played at a time control of 15 minutes for the whole game plus a 10-second increment from move one. Teams received two match points for a victory and one for a draw, placing greater weight on the combined result across the four boards than on individual scores.

The teams proved closely matched throughout the day. All three decisive encounters finished by a 2½–1½ margin: two in favour of the United States and one for Uzbekistan. The remaining match was drawn, leaving Team USA with a 2-point advantage before the switch to blitz.

Levon Aronian was the leading scorer for the United States, collecting 2½ points from 3 games. Nodirbek Abdusattorov produced Uzbekistan's strongest individual performance, scoring 3/4. Abdusattorov was one of only three players to appear in every rapid round, alongside Sindarov and Caruana.

Sindarov had the most eventful day among the Uzbek players. The World Championship challenger defeated Nakamura and Dominguez, but lost to Aronian. His remaining game, against Caruana in the first round, ended in a draw. The victory over Nakamura followed Sindarov's win against the American at the 2026 Candidates Tournament in Cyprus.

Caruana completed the rapid section undefeated, although all four of his games ended in draws. His steady contribution helped the American team maintain their overall advantage.

Understanding Middlegame Strategy Vol.14 Reversed Colour Systems – Benoni, Blumenfeld and Benko Gambit

You will learn how Black's dynamic piece activity and structural counterplay more than compensate for White's extra tempo in the colour-reversed setups.
The Benoni family of openings has toppled world champions, decided match games under the highest pressure, and rewarded those brave enough to play them with some of the most electrifying chess imaginable. In this Fritztrainer, Grandmaster Ivan Sokolov -  continuing his successful series "Understanding Middlegame Structures" - takes you deep inside the complexities of the Colour-Reversed Benoni, the Colour-Reversed Benko Gambit, and the Colour-Reversed Blumenfeld Gambit.
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: Colour Reversed Banoni - Game 1

The match concludes on Tuesday with eight rounds of blitz at a time control of 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment. Each four-board round will again count as a separate match, with 2 match points awarded for a team victory and 1 for a draw. Board points will serve as the first tiebreak, followed, if necessary, by an Armageddon decider.

Dominguez 0-1 Sindarov

Annotations by GM Karsten Müller

Videos by ChessBase India

The Endgame Academy Vol.2: Theoretical Rook Endgames

Grandmaster Dr. Karsten Müller, one of the world’s leading endgame experts, guides you step by step through everything you need to know in this second volume.
Picture this: you’ve outplayed your opponent move by move, you’re clearly better – and then the endgame slips into a draw, simply because you lacked the crucial theoretical knowledge. That is exactly where this course comes in. Without solid endgame skills, there’s no way forward. Rook endgames are most essential: they occur more often than any other type of endgame, and often make the difference between victory and half a point. If you master them, you’ll confidently convert your advantages into wins!
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Bodycheck

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Links

• WR Chess
• Jorge Cori and Faustino Oro shine at 67-hour chess marathon in Peru