2/23/2025 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In episode 218 of his "Understanding before Moving" show Herman looks at the career of Ian Nepomniachtchi. | Photo: Pascal Simon

2/16/2025 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In episode 217 of his "Understanding before Moving" show Herman looks at the career of Fabiano Caruana. | Photo: Pascal Simon

2/10/2025 – The 2025 FIDE Women's World Chess Championship will see a rematch between China's Ju Wenjun and Tan Zhongyi in a 12-game battle for the title. Set to take place from 1 to 23 April in Shanghai and Chongqing, the match continues China's legacy of dominance in women's chess. With both players boasting impressive careers and past championship victories, this highly anticipated encounter promises a compelling contest at the highest level.

1/28/2025 – Against the popular Semi-Tarrasch (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5), 7.Rb1 (with h4!) is currently the absolute fashionable variation and, with a yield of well over 60%, also a promising choice. In the current ChessBase Magazine #223, IM Balász Csonka takes a close look at the variation and summarizes the current state of theory. His article includes an overview text and six annotated games from the period from 2018 (Karjakin-Kramnik from the Candidates Tournament) to 2024. You can view the complete article with all the analyses this week as a free sample from ChessBase Magazine #223 in ChessBase Books format!

1/24/2025 – The 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships will be held in London from 10 to 16 June, offering a record $500,000 prize fund. Now in its third edition, the event will bring together top players, emerging talents, and amateurs in mixed-team competition. With London’s rich history of hosting major chess tournaments, the championship is set to showcase high-level chess while highlighting the city’s role in the global chess boom.

1/10/2025 – Garry Kasparov, a chess legend revered worldwide, continues to inspire new generations through the Kasparov Chess Foundation University Cup. This unique online tournament offers university teams the chance to earn a coveted reward: a training session with Kasparov himself. In its fourth edition, 494 students from 117 universities across six continents competed fiercely online. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley triumphed, securing their dream session with the former world champion.

1/4/2025 – The dispute over Magnus Carlsen's trousers in the rapid tournament and the crowning of two world champions in the blitz section, which was not provided for in the rules, dominated the news cycle surrounding the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2024 - with one important sporting decision taking a back seat: thanks to his performance in New York, Fabiano Caruna won the FIDE Circuit 2024 and thus qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

12/15/2024 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In the 208th episode of his ChessBase show "Understanding before Moving" Herman takes a look at the career of Gukesh D. | Photo: Pascal Simon

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

12/1/2024 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In the 206th episode of his ChessBase show "Understanding before Moving" Herman looks at the games of Ding Liren. | Photo: Pascal Simon

11/19/2024 – The 2024 FIDE World Championship match, sponsored by Google, will unfold in Singapore from November 23 to December 13, pitting reigning champion Ding Liren against 18-year-old prodigy Dommaraju Gukesh. The duo will battle across 14 classical games for the lion's share of a $2.5 million prize fund. Ding, a seasoned champion, faces Gukesh, the youngest-ever challenger and a rising star in chess. With high stakes, expert analysis and unpredictable outcomes, this clash promises to captivate chess enthusiasts worldwide.

11/17/2024 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In the 204th episode of his ChessBase show "Understanding before moving" Herman continues his series "Chess history in a nutshell" and continues to look at the career of Magnus Carlsen. | Photo: Pascal Simon

11/3/2024 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In the 202nd episode of his ChessBase show "Understanding before moving" Herman continues his series "Chess history in a nutshell" and continues to look at the career of Magnus Carlsen. | Photo: Pascal Simon

10/28/2024 – Gukesh Dommaraju, an 18-year-old prodigy from Chennai, has shattered records to become the youngest contender for the World Chess Championship, setting up a highly anticipated clash with reigning champion Ding Liren. Gukesh's rapid rise has captivated fans, from achieving his Grandmaster title at just 12, to his recent triumph at the Candidates Tournament in Toronto. With intense preparation, an unwavering work ethic, and a focus on mental balance through meditation, Gukesh stands ready to face his greatest challenge yet.

10/26/2024 – When analysing grandmasters’ opening choices, the wealth of available chess resources demands careful selection. ChessBase, a leader in opening theory, provides players with powerful tools, including the Opening Encyclopaedia 2024. With over 1,400 articles, thousands of games, and numerous new repertoire ideas, this resource allows players to build their opening strategies effectively. It highlights the importance of balancing recent trends with older, reliable lines that may have fallen out of favour but remain sound.

10/25/2024 – Ding Liren's journey to becoming the first Chinese World Chess Champion is a testament to resilience. Rising from modest beginnings, he became the youngest Chinese national champion at 16, leading to a series of historic achievements, including two Olympiad golds and a record-breaking 100-game unbeaten streak. However, his road was far from smooth; he faced challenges and even took a hiatus in 2024 for mental health. Ding’s recent comeback showcases his determination to maintain his status among the chess elite | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

9/5/2024 – Ju Wenjun was among the 10 players who received invitations to participate in the main event of the Women's Speed Chess Championship. The tournament was a 16-player knockout tournament, also featuring participants who had prevailed in the qualification process. In the final, Ju faced Polina Shuvalova and obtained a clear 12½-9½ victory, as she outscored her opponent in all 3 sections of the match. | Photo: Gu Xiaobing

7/23/2024 – Pictorial portraits of ten chess players from many different countries, engaged in various sections (GMT Masters Triathlon, GMT Challengers Triathlon, Masters Open, and Amateur Open) at the 57th edition of the Biel Chess Festival. An unparalleled mix of chess activities! Our author, who lives in Biel, presents both known and unknown faces from the Festival | Photos: Organiser (Simon Bohnenblust, Peter A. Steffen)

7/20/2024 – Today, on July 20, 2024, FIDE has scheduled a celebration in Paris to mark 100 years since it was officially formed in the French capital. FIDE is marking its centenary with many different programs aimed at existing and new chess fans around the globe – be they schoolchildren, refugees, people in prisons, charities, club players, or newcomers to the game! The highlights: an Olympic-style torch relay and a Guinness Book record attempt.

6/28/2024 – 2024 Candidates Tournament: analyses by Giri, Gukesh, Firouzja, Praggnanandhaa and Vidit, plus video: Dorian Rogozenco shows the decisive moments of the tournament - "Special" on Gukesh: CBM authors show their favourite games of the youngest ever World Champion challenger, an exclusive collection of 24 annotated games - New trend from Toronto: Rustam Kasimdzhanov shows Caruana's 3...Nf6 in the Rossolimo Variation (video) - "The King is the goal!": Oliver Reeh presents 34 games with training exercises and four interactive videos - Semi-Slav Bluebaum Variation: Yago Santiago highlights the merits of 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c6 5.Qc2!? - In the end it's the technique that counts: knight and pawn against pawn(s) in "Fundamental Endgame Knowledge" Part 10 and much more.

6/23/2024 – Tan Zhongyi signed a quick draw with Alexandra Kosteniuk to become the outright winner of the Cairns Cup in Saint Louis. The Chinese star finished the event with an undefeated 6/9 score. In the one decisive game of the final round, Anna Muzychuk defeated Alice Lee to secure sole second place. This was Muzychuk’s second win in a row, after having collected seven draws in the first seven rounds of the event. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

5/29/2024 – Astrologers may feel vindicated. After all, Dommaraju Gukesh, the winner of the 2024 Candidates Tournament, and Tan Zhongyi, the winner of the 2024 Women's Candidates Tournament, were both born on 29 May, Gukesh in Chennai, India, in 2006 and Tan Zhongyi in Chongqing, China, in 1991. Congratulations! | Photos: David Llada (Gukesh) and Lennart Ootes (Tan Zhongyi)

5/10/2024 – Each issue of ChessBase Magazine honours an outstanding chess player with a portrait. The current issue is dedicated to Fabiano Caruana. Several authors shed light on the qualities of the 2018 World Championship runner-up. Stefan Liebig took a look at the issue. | Photo: FIDE

4/24/2024 – Records were shattered and history was made at the 2024 FIDE Candidates. Two events — open and women’s — took place simultaneously for the first time at the same hall. We saw the first brother-sister duo, R Praggnanandhaa and R Vaishali, participating. In the end, D Gukesh broke a number of records: he was the youngest ever to win the Candidates Tournament and thus become the youngest ever challenger to the World Championship. Gukesh was interviewed by Sagar Shah in what turned out to be a conversation lasting close to two hours. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza