7/5/2026 – Alireza Firouzja is once again the sole leader thanks to an 8/9 performance on the first day of blitz. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, who entered the fourth day of action in shared first place, suffered four losses in a row at some point and only scored 3½/9. Firouzja's closest chasers are now Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who scored 6 points on the first day of the blitz section and, with 17 points, are 3 points behind Firouzja in the overall standings. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
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.
From the 2026 Candidates Tournament, featuring a video review by Dorian Rogozenco, to Jan Werle’s opening video on the French Tarrasch Defence, and Oliver Reeh’s tactical column ‘Top Grandmasters at Work’. Analyses by Giri, So, Wei Yi and many others.
€21.90
Risky approach works wonders
After a good day for Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in the third day of rapid, he failed to follow through in Saturday's blitz session. Pragg scored only 3½/9 points on the first day of the blitz tournament, which means he had to give up the shared lead. Alireza Firouzja is in his element in blitz and scored 8/9, thus taking the sole lead. On the final day, the participants will play another full round-robin. If necessary, playoffs will also take place after the regular rounds.
Firouzja: "When I am in good form, I can take big risks"
Chess is a concrete game. There is no way around training your calculation skills. Improve your visualization, pattern recognition and learn calculation techniques such as reciprocal thinking with this course. Calculation is at the heart of practical chess. Every chess concept builds on proper calculation technique. Therefore, all chess players should continuosly train the fundamental techniques, concepts and patterns this course will present. The goal isn't only to teach you to calculate, but to give you the tools and insights to keep improving long after the final lesson.
Free sample video: Introduction
Alireza Firouzja interviewed by Maurice Ashley | Video: Saint Louis Chess Club
In the interview with Maurice Ashley, Firouzja mentioned that he had played with 100% risk against Bogdan-Daniel Deac. He explained this by saying that he feels he gets good results when he is in form and plays riskily. His score of 7 wins and 2 draws on Saturday seems to confirm his assumption. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave said about Firouzja in an interview: "There is one guy who is absolutely unstoppable".
In the game against Bogdan-Daniel Deac, Firouzja's problems began early on, after he played 15...Bg7?.
The material remains equal, but the position became more complicated for Black.
The early 9.g5, the omission of castling and the opening of the kingside did not exactly help Firouzja to play solidly. During the course of the game, he managed to exchange material, which allowed him to compensate for his lack of space. In the end, the players' performance in an equal endgame with rook, knight and four pawns per side decided the game.
In this course, we will learn how to identify passively placed pieces in any given situation and how to improve their health by bringing them into active squares.
Alireza Firouzja in his element at the Rapid & Blitz | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Vincent Keymer has a chance for revenge
The tournament has not been particularly successful for Vincent Keymer. On day four, he scored only 3/9 points. That gave him the same blitz score as Ivan Saric and half a point more than Jorden van Foreest. Keymer is now in sixth place in the overall standings.
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Vincent Keymer can still make up for lost ground on Sunday | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Keymer beats Gukesh
The blitz game between Keymer and Gukesh turned in the German GM's favour early on. Before move 20, Gukesh was forced to give up material.
The course of the game did not suit Gukesh. In the endgame, he faced Keymer with three pawns for the bishop pair. The game ended when Gukesh had to give up his last pawn and saw no more chances for Keymer to make a mistake with rook against rook and bishop pair.
In total, Keymer won three games on Saturday. He defeated Gukesh, Jorden van Foreest and Ivan Saric. He lost the rest of the day's games.
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
Commentator Maurice Ashley is surprised by Nodirbek Abdusattorov's rook sacrifice | Video: Saint Louis Chess Club
Martina GerdtsMartina Gerdts studied Portuguese and Spanish linguistics and nowadays teaches language classes and writes about chess and languages. Having started playing chess for a tournament trip to Paris, she is now active not only as a player but in a diverse range of activities connected to chess. This includes among others teaching chess classes, writing about chess and being active as an arbiter.
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.
If you're looking for a dynamic alternative to the Slav, Queen's Gambit Declined, or other mainstream systems, the Chigorin Defence offers exactly what modern tournament players need.
Michael Kotyk presents a complete repertoire after 1.e4 e5, built around creative ideas, surprising move orders, and practical weapons designed to catch your opponents off guard.
Michael Kotyk presents a complete repertoire after 1.e4 e5, built around creative ideas, surprising move orders, and practical weapons designed to catch your opponents off guard.
Michael Kotyk presents a complete repertoire after 1.e4 e5, built around creative ideas, surprising move orders, and practical weapons designed to catch your opponents off guard.
“Attack with Qh5!!” – Tactical training with Oliver Reeh, “6…g5 – nothing ventured, nothing …” – Le Quang Liem comments on one of his victories in Biel, “Grischuk’s stroke of genius” – Petra Papp reveals a surprise in the Sicilian Kan Variation, and much
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.
While tactics decide the game in concrete moments, strategy guides the entire battle. Understanding how to improve your pieces, create weaknesses, execute maneuvers, and steer the game toward favorable structures is what defines strong players.
€39.90
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