8/3/2025 – The 52nd edition of the Dortmund Chess Festival is taking place on 2-10 August at the Kulturzentrum in the largest city of the Ruhr District. European champion Matthias Bluebaum is the rating favourite in the A Open. On Sunday, the International Women's Tournament begins, featuring four representatives from three countries: Elisabeth Paehtz, Dinara Wagner, 15-year-old Chinese champion Lu Miaoyi and Deimanté Daulyté-Cornette of France. | Follow the action live starting at 15.00 CEST (9.00 ET, 18.30 IST)

8/3/2025 – Frederic Friedel reveals what the Egyptian pyramids, an internship with Otto Borik and a frog game on the home computer have to do with his career in Germany's leading chess magazine SCHACH-MAGAZIN 64, where he was interviewed by Stefan Liebig. The four-page article is reproduced here in English with the kind permission of Schuenemann-Verlag. | Photos: Archiv Frederic Friedel

8/3/2025 – The Modern Defence (1…g6) offers Black a dynamic and strategically rich alternative to mainstream openings, avoiding early theory battles while targeting White’s centre with long-term pressure. Grandmaster Daniel Fernandez guides you through its complex ideas and practical applications, ideal for players seeking unbalanced positions and full-point ambitions. Master the subtleties of 1…g6 and energize your repertoire with this bold and flexible weapon.

8/3/2025 – ChessBase 18 offers a wide range of technical features and training tools. To get the most out of them, it helps to know where to look. In this tutorial, we show you how just a few clicks can enhance your ChessBase experience. Explore the "View" menu across different sections of the program to design your own personalized ChessBase environment. Take a look and try it out — because in the end, it’s all a matter of personal preference...

8/2/2025 – Michael Kotyk, a young chess trainer from Hamburg, has taken a close look at David Navara’s new course. The Czech grandmaster, who has been among the world’s elite for many years, offers deep insights into how chess players can make their thinking processes more effective. Players often misjudge what needs to be calculated and what does not. Kotyk explains how David Navara approaches this subject.

8/2/2025 – After 52.Nf5 (diagram) Black has a way to win, but must protect his own king from damage. So proceed with caution!

8/2/2025 – Magnus Carlsen won the first-ever chess tournament held at the Esports World Cup, defeating Alireza Firouzja with two consecutive 3–1 set wins in the Grand Final. The Norwegian performed convincingly throughout the four-day event, displaying consistent control and clock management in every stage. Earlier on the final day, Hikaru Nakamura edged Arjun Erigaisi 3½–2½ to secure third place. The tournament featured a fast-paced, no-increment format. | Photos: Esports World Cup

8/1/2025 – In this episode, the focus is on typical errors made in Sicilian Dragon games, illustrated through instructive examples from recent tournaments. Chris covers common move-order mistakes, thematic tactics like the exchange sacrifice on c3, and a brilliant underdog win by a 2033-rated player over a 2369-rated opponent using precise Dragon play. The discussion also touches on repertoire-building advice, the importance of playing openings that suit your style, and an amusing anecdote about meeting the young "Vietnamese Dragon" prodigy at the Biel Chess Festival. | Photo: John Upham

8/1/2025 – In the latest episode of the Power Play Show, GM Daniel King examines the final of the Women's World Cup between Divya Deshmukh and Humpy Koneru. In the positions attached, the challenge is to find the best defensive moves. | Watch Power Play on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account. All the usual puzzles, games and instruction will be on offer.

8/1/2025 – While there were few changes in the absolute world rankings, there was a lot of movement in the women's rankings. Magnus Carlsen remains the world's best player. Hou Yifan lost many Elo points, but remains the top-ranked female player. Best junior is Praggnanandhaa, closely ahead of World Champion Gukesh, best female junior is the Winner of the Women's World Cup in Batumi, Divya Deshmukh.

8/1/2025 – The Esports World Cup began on Tuesday, 29 July. Sixteen of the world's best players competed in blitz chess (10+0) for prestige and a prize fund of $1.5 million. Alireza Firouzja and Magnus Carlsen will face each other in the final, while Hikaru Nakamura will take on Arjun Erigaisi in the match for third place. Follow the games live with commentary. | The final starts at 15.00 CEST (9.00 ET, 8.30 IST).

8/1/2025 – Kavutskiy shares how he balances his pursuit of the Grandmaster title with his work as a content creator, coach, and co-founder of ChessDojo. Though his creative and educational work often limits his tournament prep, he remains deeply motivated by a love for the game and a desire to improve. In the interview, he reflects on chess as a tool for personal growth, his admiration for the King’s Indian Defense, and his belief that freestyle chess could shape the game’s future.