ChessBase

• Candidates Round 2 - Live!

  The Candidates Tournaments form the final qualifying stage of the FIDE World Championship cycle. Each tournament features eight of the world's strongest players competing in a double round-robin format over fourteen rounds of classical chess. In Monday's second round, Anish Giri plays white against co-leader Fabiano Caruana in the most anticipated game of the day. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 14.30 CEST (8.30 ET, 18.00 IST) | Photo: Michal Walusza

• Candidates R2: Head-to-head stats

  Head-to-head records between the participants of the Candidates Tournaments provide useful context for each pairing. Drawing on data compiled via Mega Database 2026, the key statistics from past encounters highlight imbalances and trends. While such figures are not decisive, they offer an additional perspective on how rivalries have developed before a tournament that will determine the next challenger for the world title.

• Candidates R1: Caruana, Pragg and Sindarov score in exciting first round

  The 2026 Candidates Tournament kicked off in style, with three decisive results from four games, all in favour of the player with the white piece. Fabiano Caruana defeated Hikaru Nakamura in the all-American clash between top seeds, while Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Javokhir Sindarov scored wins of different nature over Anish Giri and Andrey Esipenko, respectively. The only draw came in Matthias Bluebaum v. Wei Yi. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

• Women's Candidates R1: Four draws, Zhu and Goryachkina miss big chances

  The Women's Candidates began in Pegeia with four draws in round one, though the games featured a number of missed chances. The event, held alongside the open section for a second time, brings together five returning players from 2024 and three young talents. Early pairings included two all-national encounters, while late changes following Humpy Koneru's withdrawal altered the draw. Time pressure and opening surprises marked the first day of action. | Pictured: Aleksandra Goryachkina | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

• Pranav Venkatesh dominates KazChess Masters, obtains 2795 TPR

  The KazChess Masters, held in Shymkent from 21 to 29 March, brought together five experienced international grandmasters and five emerging Kazakhstani players in a single round-robin format. Pranav Venkatesh secured first place with 7½/9, finishing clear of Shamsiddin Vokhidov. The event also highlighted the progress of local talents, notably Danis Kuandykuly (born in 2013), who exceeded expectations with a 4/9 score. | Photo: Kazakhstan Chess Federation

• ChessBase´26 – Tips for Beginners, Part 9: "Tactical Analysis"

  Tactical analysis is not just exciting, but it is very practical. With ChessBase´26, it is easy to use its findings. In this episode, learn how you can use this ChessBase function to complement your analysis and make it more effective.

• Review: "Calculation Step by Step" by Surya Ganguly

  Accurate calculation is the be-all and end-all in chess. That is precisely what Surya Ganguly aims to teach. Young FIDE Master Bahne Fuhrmann of Hamburger SK reviews Ganguly’s video course “Calculation Step by Step – Vol. 1: Foundations.” In his article, he takes a closer look at the tips and techniques proposed by the Indian grandmaster for calculating variations with precision. A course that demands active participation…

• The Birth of a Journey

  Praful Zaveri is the founder of Indian Chess School, where he has trained more than 5000 students. In 2023 he began writing a book, Shat Shat Vande Chess, on the cultural, historical, and philosophical journey of chess, on the 15,000‑year “odyssey” of the game. Now he has decided to make it into a film. Here is the first trailer – and Praful's thoughts on the enterprise.

• Chess Olympiad: Cloud power for your national squad

  Success in world-class chess is built long before the game begins. With the "Federation Package", developed specifically for national federations, players and coaches gain access to the complete professional ChessBase software, the world's largest chess database, and powerful cloud analysis – at a price that provides up to five times more computing power than individual solutions! A long-term investment that will measurably enhance the performance of the entire team.

• News on the 1896 Schiffers vs Steinitz Match

  Wilhelm Steinitz had lost his World Championship title to Emanuel Lasker in 1894, but he still retained the right to a return match. That rematch was scheduled to take place in Moscow at the end of 1896. Before that, however, Steinitz played a training match against Emanuel Schiffers. Join us on a brief journey back in time to Rostov-on-Don in 1896.