Jon Speelman: Defeat and redemption

7/8/2025 – In today's competitive chess landscape, even legends would struggle to maintain spotless records. This reflective piece contrasts the rare losses of Capablanca with the regular defeats modern players face, particularly in rapid formats. From Nodirbek Abdusattorov's heartbreaking loss in Tashkent to Richard Rapport's brilliant comeback, the article explores the psychological toll of losing - and recovering - in elite chess. Personal memories and missed chances add an introspective touch to this insightful journey through triumph and defeat. | Pictured: A 16-year-old Jon Speelman | Photo: Hulton Archive

Women's World Cup - Live!

7/8/2025 – 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)
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25,000 chess players to descend on London

7/8/2025 – More than 25,000 people, including stars from the BBC’s chess show Chess Masters: The Endgame, are expected to descend on London’s Trafalgar Square on Sunday, July 13, for ChessFest 2025. Last year, the event drew 23,300 people. The UK’s biggest chess event, now in its fifth year, will draw chess enthusiasts from across the country, including many of the country’s top grandmasters, for a free day of fun suitable for every level of player.
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Passed pawns can be powerful

7/8/2025 – In the diagram position White is a rook down, but he still has a way to draw the game. What should he do?

Women's World Cup: Mgeladze and Wang grab upset wins

7/8/2025 – The second game of round one at the FIDE Women’s World Cup brought high tension as players fought to secure qualification or force tiebreaks. Many favourites, including Carissa Yip and Bella Khotenashvili, advanced with clean 2-0 wins, while others will return for rapid playoffs. Meanwhile, top seeds have started arriving ahead of their debut. Notable upsets included the early exits of IM Deysi Cori and IM Pham Le Thao Nguyen. | Photos: Anna Shtourman / FIDE

The Fritz 20 Duel: Robert Ris vs. Mikhail Tal!

7/7/2025 – Robert Ris faces off against the legendary Mikhail Tal in Fritz 20's grandmaster-level mode. With playful banter and strategic reflections, he navigates a tense middlegame filled with attacking chances, tactical bluffs and surprising defences. Despite some miscalculations and a critical blunder that nearly costs him the game, Robert defends resiliently, showcasing both fighting spirit and self-deprecating humour. Finally, after a flurry of complications and a tense queen endgame, the game concludes in a threefold repetition - a well-earned draw against one of history's most fearsome attackers.
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Le Quang Liem defeats Vishy Anand to win Leon Masters

7/7/2025 – Vietnamese Grandmaster Le Quang Liem has been crowned champion of the León Masters after defeating five-time world champion Vishy Anand by a 3-1 score in Sunday's final match. The tournament, which also featured Argentine prodigy Faustino Oro and local representative Jaime Santos, took place from 4 to 6 July and concluded with a closing ceremony honouring the memory of Zenón Franco and Manuel García Cob, prominent figures in chess who were associated with the León tournament.
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Magnus Carlsen plays "alright" on final day of blitz, wins SuperUnited Croatia tournament

7/7/2025 – Magnus Carlsen won the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia tournament after finishing first in both the blitz and overall standings. Despite a quieter second day of blitz, his combined performance was enough to secure the title ahead of Wesley So and Gukesh Dommaraju. Gukesh, who had led after the rapid section, struggled in the blitz phase but held on to third place overall. The tournament in Zagreb marked Carlsen's fourth win at the event. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
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This week's Summer Special: Sokolov's complete strategy bundle!

7/7/2025 – 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!
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Endgame Magic #303: Highlights from the Uz Chess Cup in Tashkent

7/7/2025 – In the Endgame Magic Show #303, Karsten Müller shows a selection of endgames from the Uz Chess Cup. Guest tonight: Arne Kähler| You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

Women's World Cup: Most favourites start with wins

7/6/2025 – The FIDE Women's World Cup got underway at the Grand Bellagio Batumi Convention & Casino Hotel, where 86 players contested the first game of round one. While most favourites scored early wins, several matches remain finely balanced ahead of game two. A few surprises included resilient draws by lower-rated players against elite opposition. The day began with a ceremonial first move by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and Georgian Federation President Akaki Iashvili. | Photos: Anna Shtourman, Andrei Anosov / FIDE
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SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia - Live!

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)
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Robert Ris' Fast and Furious: Gukesh handles the Nimzo-Indian masterfully

7/6/2025 – In his new Fast & Furious show, Robert Ris goes over an impressive victory by reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, who punished Nodirbek Abdusattorov's risky pawn grabbing out of a Nimzo-Indian Defence. | Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich opens 2025 Women's World Cup

7/6/2025 – The Women's World Cup was officially opened in Batumi with a gala evening of traditional Georgian music, dance and historical tributes to women's chess. Held at the Batumi Drama Theatre, the ceremony welcomed 107 players from 46 countries and featured speeches from FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and Georgian Chess Federation President Akaki Iashvili. The event highlighted Georgia's deep-rooted chess heritage and set the tone for the competition ahead. | Photos: Polina Bovina
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SuperUnited Croatia: Carlsen shines on first day of blitz, leads

7/6/2025 – Magnus Carlsen took the lead at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia tournament after scoring 7½/9 on the first day of blitz. Gukesh Dommaraju, who had led by three points after the rapid section, managed just 1½ points and fell to third place. Jan-Krzysztof Duda is now in second with 16 points, while Wesley So had the second-best blitz score of the day. The final nine rounds of blitz will be played on Sunday, as the action kicks off one hour earlier than usual. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
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ChessBase 18 – Tips for beginners, part 21: Maximum Training Effect with the Power Tool "Replay Training" (Part 1)

7/6/2025 – Do you know the powerful training tool in ChessBase 18? It's called "Replay Training"! This great feature lets you actively go through games move by move—sharpening your strategic and tactical understanding in a targeted way. Whether under time pressure or not, the choice is yours. Train in a realistic setting, get instant feedback, and systematically improve your play—whether you're a beginner or an ambitious tournament player. In this tutorial, we'll guide you step by step through how Replay Training works. Let's get started!
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David Navara: Your Calculation Compass: Know When to Calculate

7/5/2025 – In this video course, Grandmaster David Navara teaches when deep calculation is truly necessary and when simple, solid moves are more effective. Through examples from top-level games, he explains how to recognize critical positions, avoid overcalculating, and use candidate moves and hidden tactics wisely. The course is designed to improve decision-making and efficiency, making it ideal for tournament players aiming to strengthen their practical skills.
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Game of the Week #678: Abdusattorov - Praggnanandhaa, Tashkent 2025

7/5/2025 – In the new episode of his Game of the Week show, Merijn van Delft analyses the all-important game facing Nodirbek Abdsuattorov against Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in the final round of the UzChess Cup. Pragg won on demand and went on to claim tournament victory in tiebreaks. | Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.
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Spoilt for choice?

7/5/2025 – Right, 45...Rxh3+! leads to a win for Black in the diagram position - provided he doesn't let up after 46.Kg2. Do you see the way to go?
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