5/18/2026 – Aram Hakobyan speaks about his journey from a passionate chess obsessed child in Armenia to becoming a world under 12 champion, studying at Webster University in the United States, and eventually returning home to continue pursuing professional chess. He reflects on the importance of passion over pressure, explains how mentors like Levon Aronian shaped his mindset, and shares honest thoughts about sponsorship struggles, modern chess preparation, and why enjoying the process matters more than chasing rating goals. Aram also discusses his upcoming ChessBase training course on the Ruy Lopez Opening from Black’s perspective, while offering practical advice on studying openings, experimenting with different training methods, and developing genuine curiosity for chess.

5/18/2026 – FIDE has confirmed that its 2026 Congress will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 20 to 27 September, with the General Assembly and elections scheduled for the final two days. The announcement sets out the application deadlines and endorsement requirements for candidates seeking the positions of President and Deputy President, elected Vice President and Zonal President, while also reminding applicants of the rules governing campaigning during the electoral period.

5/18/2026 – In the latest issue of ChessBase Magazine #231, Mihail Marin examines a structure that is important for both the Sicilian Dragon and the English Opening: when White plays the knight to d5, Black exchanges it, and White takes back with exd5, an outpost is created on d5. Is this an advantage for White? How does this change the overall situation? Could the pawn become a target for attacks, or is it Black who needs to worry about his pawn on e7? Our strategy expert explores these and many other questions in his article. Check out the new CBM sample “Space advantage: yes – one-sided game: no!”

5/18/2026 – Vincent Keymer took the sole lead at the Super Chess Classic Romania in Bucharest after defeating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in round four, while the other completed games were drawn. Fabiano Caruana v. Alireza Firouzja was postponed after Firouzja was unable to play for medical reasons. Keymer now stands half a point ahead of the field, though Caruana still has a game in hand. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

5/17/2026 – You want to analyse a position without having to enter all the moves first? No problem: with ChessBase´26, the position is quickly displayed on the board and you can analyse it with or without an engine, or import other game positions using FEN code. Learn how to use the “Position Setup” menu to start immediately at the point that interests you, and find out what FEN is all about...

5/17/2026 – The London System is no longer a fringe opening on the margins of chess theory, but has developed into a serious and widely tested weapon — an assessment recently confirmed by Magnus Carlsen in an interview. Against this backdrop, Mihail Marin presents an approach that confronts London players with concrete problems at an early stage and demands a high degree of flexibility — a requirement that can prove particularly uncomfortable for unprepared adherents of the system. In his review, Lukas Köpl takes a closer look at this antidote for Black.