7/18/2025 – The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam continues in Las Vegas from 16 to 20 July with a 16-player invitational event featuring a round-robin followed by a double-elimination knockout stage. Top players including Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana are taking part. All games will be broadcast live with commentary, and eliminated players will contribute to coverage. | Follow the games live starting at 20.00 CEST (14.00 ET, 23.30 IST)

7/18/2025 – The 58th Biel Chess Festival, running from 12 to 25 July, offers a global celebration of chess with 16 tournaments spanning classical, rapid and blitz formats. The main events are the Triathlons, with a Masters and a Challengers section, each including six ambitious top competitors. | Follow the games live starting at 14.00 CEST (8.00 ET, 17.30 IST)

7/18/2025 – How should a positional player begin with White - 1.d4 or 1.Nf3? In his Fritztrainer course, Sipke Ernst presents a practical 1.d4 repertoire. And in his Grandmaster course on 1.Nf3, Felix Blohberger also focuses on teaching ideas rather than memorizing lines. It's a tough choice! Stay flexible and take a look at both courses — this week (July 14–20), they’re available at a Summer Special price.

7/18/2025 – With a victory over Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Vladimir Fedoseev took the lead in the overall standings of the Biel Masters Triathlon. Aravindh is tied for second place after a draw against Volodar Murzin. Frederik Svane suffered his second defeat in a row against Saleh Salem. | Photos: Biel Chess Festival

7/17/2025 – Chess is very popular in Sri Lanka. Well over 500 players, mainly children and young people, took part in the 12th Dhamso International Chess Festival in 2025. A A C B Amarasinghe scored 9 points from 10 rounds to win the tournament. | Photo: From left: Mr Nuwan Karunakalage, Mr Chamin Dennis Livera, CM A A C B Amarasinghe, Mr Yasindu Vithanage (organiser)

7/15/2025 – After playing the Accentus 960 tournament and the Rapid tournament, the grandmasters of the Masters and Challengers could enjoy a rest day before they start to play classical chess on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the players in the Masters Open began their tournament. Murali Karthikeyan is the Elo favourite and started with a win. | Photos: Biel Chess Festival

7/18/2025 – The 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup is taking place in Batumi, Georgia on 5-16 July. Hosted at the Grand Bellagio Hotel, the 107-player knockout tournament offers three spots in the 2026 Candidates. With many of the world's top female players competing, Batumi promises high-stakes action in one of the calendar's most prestigious events. | Follow the games live starting at 13.00 CEST (7.00 ET, 16.30 IST)

7/12/2025 – After 34 years of continuous development, ChessBase has released Fritz 20, marking the twentieth iteration of one of the most influential chess programs in history. This latest version represents a significant evolution in chess software, combining cutting-edge artificial intelligence with innovative human-like playing concepts that promise to transform how players train and improve their game. | Text and Photos: Paul Harwood (betterchess.net)

7/10/2025 – This week only (7–14 July), take advantage of ChessBase's Summer Special with major discounts on top training material. Ivan Sokolov's full "Understanding Middlegame Strategies series (Vol. 1–11)" is available for €209.90, down from €299.90. Also on offer: Martin Breutigam's German-language "1.d4! A Modern Repertoire (Vol. 1 & 2)", now €49.90 instead of €69.90. Ideal resources for serious club and tournament players looking to improve!

7/6/2025 – The third event of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour is the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia, the second of three speed chess events, which is taking place on July 2-6 in Zagreb. The event starts with 9 rounds of rapid action, followed by 18 rounds of blitz. Included in the field are four out of the five highest-rated players in the world: Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Gukesh Dommaraju. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 15.00 CEST (9.00 ET, 18.30 IST)

7/4/2025 – From 5 to 16 July, the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup will take place in Batumi, Georgia, a country with a proud tradition of excellence in women's chess. Hosted at the Grand Bellagio Hotel, the 107-player knockout tournament offers a $691,250 prize fund and three spots in the 2026 Candidates. With many of the world's top female players competing, Batumi promises high-stakes action in one of the calendar's most prestigious events.

7/4/2025 – On 28 June, over 330 girls gathered for a remarkable chess event at Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp, marking a powerful moment of in-person connection through the FIDE Girls Club. Usually held online, the club offers weekly training and support to girls in the camp as part of FIDE's Chess for Protection project. The day featured motivational talks, friendly matches and generous donations, highlighting chess as a tool for resilience, inclusion and empowerment.

7/4/2025 – This week only, get your hands on the ultimate chess bundle! ChessBase 18 and Fritz 20, normally priced at €269.90, are available for just €209.90 in our exclusive Summer Special. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, this powerful combination will elevate your game with advanced tools like playing style analysis, opponent simulations, and world-class training features. Don't miss out on this limited-time offer – shop now and take your chess skills to the next level!

7/3/2025 – The winner of the last three editions of the Masters tournament in the Biel Chess Festival, Le Quang Liem (photo), withdrew from the event for personal reasons. He will be replaced by Vladimir Fedoseev. Another tournament has been presented at the Chess Festival, a blitz event for players aged 20 years old or younger - with a new format.

7/2/2025 – FIDE's Ethics and Disciplinary Commission has confirmed that the one-year suspension imposed by the United States Chess Federation on GM Christopher Yoo will now apply globally. The sanction, effective from 15 November 2024 to 14 November 2025, follows an incident at the US Chess Championship involving physical assault. GM Yoo is barred from all FIDE-rated events during this period and will remain under a five-year probation through 2030. | Photo: Niklesh Jain / ChessBase India

6/30/2025 – FIDE has announced the formation of a task force to evaluate anti-cheating methods proposed by GM Vladimir Kramnik, inviting him to present his approach for official review. However, FIDE has also expressed deep concern over the damaging tone of Kramnik's public statements, particularly their impact on GM David Navara, a respected figure with a long-standing fair play reputation. FIDE urges Kramnik to withdraw his defamation lawsuit against Navara in the interest of community cohesion and integrity.

6/29/2025 – International Chess Day 2025 will be celebrated on 20 July under the theme "Every Move Counts", as FIDE continues its Year of Social Chess. This global initiative highlights the power of chess for inclusion, education and well-being. Celebrations include a 24-hour online blitz tournament, creative chess challenges and inclusive over-the-board events worldwide. Players of all levels are invited to take part and share how chess connects and empowers communities.

6/28/2025 – The 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship match between Gukesh D and Ding Liren has been named Best Sports Event of the Year (Exhibition/Competition) at the 2025 Singapore Sports Awards. Held in Singapore, the match crowned the youngest undisputed World Champion in history and captivated global audiences. The award recognises not only the thrilling contest but also the exceptional organisation and community engagement that made the event a landmark moment in chess history. | Photo: FIDE