2/23/2024 – Around the turn of the century, there was worldwide interest regarding chess confrontations between humans and computers. One of the last top-notch events featuring such a battle was seen in 2005, when three strong grandmasters played a match against three of the best engines in the world. In the end, Hydra, Junior and Fritz defeated Alexander Khalifman, Ruslan Ponomariov and Rustam Kasimdzhanov by an 8-4 score. The match took place in Bilbao, and saw Ponomariov beating Fritz in a memorable encounter.

2/20/2024 – On 19 February 2024 David Bronstein, one of the most creative players in the history of chess, who in 1951 missed the World Champion title by only a draw, would have celebrated his 100th birthday. Emil Sutovsky pays tribute to this outstanding grandmaster. | Photo: juegosdeajedrez.com

1/14/2024 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In the 160th episode of his ChessBase show "Understanding before moving" Herman continues his series "Chess history in a nutshell" and talks about the David Bronstein and his famous book about the Candidates Tournament Zurich 1953. | Photo: Pascal Simon

1/7/2024 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books on chess training and strategy. In the 159th episode of his ChessBase show "Understanding before moving" Herman continues his series "Chess history in a nutshell" and talks about the "Sorcerer's Apprentice", David Bronstein. | Photo: Pascal Simon

11/1/2023 – World-class chess explained in video: Dorian Rogozenco shows two win by Magnus Carlsen from the World Cup 2023 – From a surprise weapon to a fashionable variation: Luis Engel shows why 6.Rg1 is being used by more and more top players against the Najdorf Variation (video) – Analyses of Nijat Abasov, Anish Giri, Vidit Gujrathi, Ferenc Berkes, Jan Krzysztof Duda, Andrey Esipenko, Nils Grandelius, Anna and Mariya Muzychuk, Praggnanandhaa, Peter Svidler et al. from the World Cup 2023 – “Special” on Hou Yifan: exclusive collection of 22 encounters with detailed commentary from the period from 2008 to 2020 – "Crushing the Benoni": Petra Papp recommends the attack with 6.e4 g6 7.f4! – Carlsbad 1923: Mihail Marin surprises us with how modern the old masters already laid out the game 100 years ago, incl. two interactive videos – "Fundamental Endgame Knowledge" Part #6: Karsten Mueller reveals tips and tricks in the endgame with more than two pawns on one wing and much more.

10/3/2023 – While there were a few upsets on individual boards at the open section of the European Club Cup, none of the big teams gave up match points in Monday’s second round, with Magnus Carlsen making his debut for Norway’s Offerspill. In the women’s section, on the other hand, top seeds Monte Carlo drew Centar Asseco See, the seventh seeds from North Macedonia. Stavroula Tsolakidou beat Mariya Muzychuk with black on the top board. | Photo: Gerd Densing

10/2/2023 – The favourite teams in both sections of the European Club Cup had little trouble beating much lower-rated opposition in the first round of the seven-day event. In the open, none of the five top seeds (individually) — Magnus Carlsen, Vishy Anand, Richard Rapport, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave — played in round 1. | Pictured: Nino Batsiashvili (Superchess) | Photo: Sandra Schmidt

9/25/2023 – At the world-class tournament in Buenos Aires in 1960, the then 17-year-old Bobby Fischer — one of the tournament favourites — delivered one of his worst tournament results. Facing Wolfgang Unzicker, an unfortunate touch of the h-pawn led to a quick loss. It was not until many years later that the reason for Fischer’s poor form was revealed.

7/14/2023 – The 56th Biel Chess Festival, one of the most traditional and beautiful chess tournaments, begins next Saturday, 15 July 2023. In his review, Eduard Frey presents ten surprising and interesting facts about the history of the tournament. | Photo courtesy of the organiser: Playing Hall, Congress Centre Biel

5/4/2023 – Chess is not only a sport. Richard Rapport and Wei Yi are two of the most creative players in the circuit, and about six years ago they were also the two highest-rated junior players in the world. In a 4-game match organized in December 2016, Rapport defeated Wei in the Armageddon decider. The games, which took place in Yancheng, were predictably entertaining.

4/23/2023 – Pia Cramling, the Grande Dame of Chess is celebrating her 60th Anniversary today. Heartfelt congratulations! Looking back and forward, our author, who was a spectator at the tournament where she made her final GM norm to obtain the Grandmaster title as fifth woman on earth, presents fantastic facts and funny figures from an unparalleled biography. | Photo: Carolina Byrmo via hemtrevligt.se

3/30/2023 – The 2015 World Team Championship saw China winning its first gold medal (out of three) in the tournament. The team was led by Ding Liren on top board, and had its top scorer in 15-year-old Wei Yi, who collected scoring 7/9 points on board 4. Ukraine and Armenia finished second and third, while the clear rating favourites from Russia only managed fourth place. The tournament took place in Tsaghkadzor, a small touristy town in Armenia also known as the ‘valley of flowers’. | Photos: Arman Karakhanyan

2/16/2023 – The name Erich Eliskases is familiar to only a few chess enthusiasts today. However, the Austrian was one of the best players in the world in the late 1930s. In 1941 he was supposed to play for the World Championship with Alexander Alekhine. But things turned out differently. 15 February 2023 is the 110th birthday of Eliskases, who was born in Innsbruck, Austria, and died in Cordoba, Argentina.

1/2/2023 – The exodus of Russian chess players continues. In 2024 Alexandra Kosteniuk will play for Switzerland. The top Russian player and Women's World Champion from 2008 has both Russian and Swiss citizenship, and in 2013 Kosteniuk won the Swiss Championship (in the open tournament). | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

12/30/2022 – Now that Argentina has won the FIFA World Cup in memorable fashion, it is a great time to reminisce on the legacy of Miguel Najdorf. ‘Don Miguel’ was born in Warsaw, but was among the many European players who found themselves in Buenos Aires when the Second World War broke out in 1939. Najdorf stayed in Argentina and spent most of his life in the South American country. Najdorf was one of the fifteen players who participated in the legendary 1953 Candidates Tournament in Zurich.

11/4/2022 – The Edinburgh Chess Club was founded in 1822 and is celebrating its 200th birthday on November 4. It is the world’s second oldest chess club in continued existence after Zurich (1809). Best wishes for the Bicentenary celebrations, and for the next 100 years!

10/7/2022 – Ossip Bernstein had a turbulent life: Born in 1882 in Czarist Russia he was a successful lawyer in Moscow until he had to flee from the Bolsheviks. He emigrated to Paris where he rebuilt his successful law firm but then had to flee again when the Nazis occupied France. After the war, Bernstein returned to Paris. Apart from his career as a lawyer and businessman he was also a successful chess player and at his peak he was one of the world's best players. Eugene Manlapao takes a look at the life and career of this brilliant amateur player.

8/22/2022 – Ever since the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) emerged as chess’ governing body, the Candidates’ Tournament has been vital to the selection and making of the game’s world champion. Remade more than a few times in the seventy-two years that it has been running, the tournament has been a story on its own. Eugene Manlapao traces its history from its first edition in 1950, to its latest in 2022 that may have produced the combatants for the next world championship match. | Photo: The participants of the Candidates Tournament 1956 in Amsterdam | Photo: Herbert Behrens (ANEFO) (Cropped from GaHetNa (Nationaal Archief NL)) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

8/12/2022 – Recently, the Exzelsior Verlag published the third and final volume of their huge biography of Emanuel Lasker, mathematician, philosopher, writer, and World Champion from 1894 to 1921. Richard Forster, Michael Negele and Raj Tischbierek edited the three volumes. Like its predecessors, the third volume sheds light on many aspects of Lasker's personality and his wide ranging intellectual interests, and it is a beautiful, carefully designed book well worth reading.

7/18/2022 – What, you may well ask, is the 'Two Plus Club'? Is this some country club for lonelyhearts, or something of that ilk? Nothing like that. By winning the Candidates tournament for the second straight time, and thus qualifying himself for a second shot at the World title, Ian Nepomniachtchi has joined a very exclusive group of repeat challengers. Let's take a look at who they are. | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

6/20/2022 – In the June issue of the venerable British Chess Magazine, Macedonian GM Aleksandar Colovic takes a deeper look at the strengths and weaknesses of the eight players fighting for a chance to be the next world champion. In agreement with BCM, ChessBase will publish BCM’s evaluation of the chances of the individual players. Today we are publishing a part of the evaluation that takes a deeper look at the chances of two players: Fabiano Caruana and Alireza Firouzja. While Caruana (29) is a perennial favourite when it comes to the Candidates ever since 2016, the whole world will probably have their eyes set on Alireza Firouzja, who will turn 19 at the start of the event.

5/29/2022 – Machgielis “Max” Euwe is one of the most esteemed figures in chess history. A teacher and a professed chess amateur, he did the unthinkable when he became world champion in 1935, defeating an all-time great in Alexander Alekhine. On top of that, he was a perennial top player from the late 1920s to the 1950s, an outstanding writer, and Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) President in the latter part of his life. On the recent occasion of Euwe’s 121st birth anniversary, Eugene Manlapao explores the life and times of chess’ 5th world champion.

5/17/2022 – Under the motto "Check, Mate, Donate", the two Swiss juniors Oliver Angst (photo, left) and Vincent Lou have organised an online tournament for the benefit of Ukraine Aid and are calling for people to join in. For 5 Swiss francs, you can join in, play and help. Thursday, 29 May from 20:00 CEST ( 14:00 ET, 18:00 UTC).

5/9/2022 – The legendary grandmaster Yuri Averbakh passed away in Moscow. Yuri Averbakh was the world’s oldest living Grandmaster. In his prime, he was one of the strongest players in the USSR and the world, and in 1953 he took part in the legendary Candidates Tournament in Zurich. Our deepest sympathy goes out to Yuri Lvovich’s family and loved ones. Video added. | Photo: Maria Emellianova