ChessBase

• Biel Festival - Live!

  The Biel International Chess Festival is taking place on 11-24 July. Following the Chess960 tournament on Saturday and the rapid chess stage on Sunday, the players in the Masters and Generations Challenge Triathlon face off in the first segment of the classical section on 14-18 July. | Follow the games live starting at 14.00 CEST (8.00 ET, 17.30 IST) | Photo: Biel Chess Festival

• Chennai Grand Masters - Live!

  The Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters is taking place on 16-22 July as an eight-player single round-robin with a classical time control. In its fourth edition, it brings together a field headed by world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Arjun Erigaisi and Alireza Firouzja. Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 11.30 CEST (5.30 ET, 15.00 IST)

• Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters: Gukesh, Firouzja and Abdusattorov head eight-player field

  The fourth Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters brings together an eight-player field headed by world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Arjun Erigaisi and Alireza Firouzja. The seven-round single round-robin also includes Hans Niemann, Nihal Sarin, Dmitry Andreikin and Pranesh M. Played from 16 to 22 July, the tournament features seven players rated above 2700. | Photo: Tushar Damor

• Biel: Classical chess sections kicks off with one decisive result per section

  The first round of classical chess in the Masters and the Generations Challenge Triathlons at the Biel International Chess Festival was played on Tuesday. Each event produced two draws and one winner. Matthias Bluebaum (pictured) drew his game against Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, while Le Quang Liem defeated Jose Martinez. In the Generations Challenge, Alexandra Kosteniuk beat Carissa Yip. In the Masters Open, Christian Gloeckler surprisingly dropped half a point as early as round two. | Photo: Biel Chess Festival

• Review: Fritz 21

  "Even stronger. Even more beautiful. Even more direct." That is the slogan ChessBase uses to promote the latest edition of its well-known Fritz series. But what does the new version actually offer? Who is Fritz 21 designed for? Lukas Köpl took a close look at the latest release to find out what really lies behind the promises of being stronger, better looking and more direct.

• In Memoriam: Oleg Skvortsov (1969–2026)

  Oleg Skvortsov, one of chess's leading patrons, has passed away. Between 2012 and 2017, he organized a series of world-class chess events, matches, and tournaments in Zurich, while also supporting the game through a number of other projects. | Photo: Wladimir Barsky

• Aleksander Wojtkiewicz (15 January 1963 – 14 July 2006): A Chess Vagabond Remembered

  Twenty years ago, on 14 July 2006, Aleksander Wojtkiewicz passed away. Born in Soviet Latvia in 1963, he was one of the country's greatest chess talents and trained under Mikhail Tal. He later went into hiding to avoid military service, became involved in gambling and pimping, served a prison sentence, and after his release became a chess nomad. His early death in Baltimore was tragic.

• Qualification paths for 2028 Candidates: No more rating spot, two places for Total Chess top scorers

  The FIDE Council has approved qualification paths for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2028 and the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament 2028, following proposals developed by the Global Strategy Commission. The regulations introduce new qualification opportunities while maintaining a balanced pathway through FIDE's premier competitions. Full information in this FIDE press release.

• Remembering Jan Timman: New in Chess Magazine – 2026#2

  "Enjoy the best game. Ever." This bold slogan is the motto of New in Chess Magazine, and in its six annual issues, it does much to justify that claim. The second issue of 2026 offers an appealing mix of tournament reports, training articles and insights into the world of chess. At its heart, however, are moving tributes to the Dutch grandmaster and author Jan Timman, who passed away on 18 February 2026. | Photo: Jan Timman 2019 | Photo: Lennart Ootes

• Svitlana's Smart Moves - The art of exchanges

  Svitlana Demchenko introduces the Ukrainian Variation from the Old Indian Defense and explains why it can lead to surprisingly comfortable positions for Black, especially if White accepts an early queen trade. The featured Soviet-era game between Lev Polugaevsky and Rashid Nezhmetdinov becomes a spectacular attacking lesson, where Black keeps the white king trapped in the center and launches a dangerous pawn and piece storm. The episode ends with a beautiful queen sacrifice, a wild king hunt, and a forced mate that makes the line both instructive and highly entertaining.