ChessBase

• Total Chess proposes unified rating system

  Total Chess has proposed a new rating system that combines players' classical, rapid and blitz ratings into a single figure. Developed by researcher Mehmet Mars Seven in collaboration with Norway Chess, the formula uses existing FIDE ratings to assess overall playing strength across the three formats. Magnus Carlsen (pictured) tops the inaugural ranking, followed by Hikaru Nakamura and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The system will undergo testing and public consultation before potential revisions. | Photo: Nils Rohde / ChessBase

• US Championships: So wins again, now a full point ahead

  Wesley So defeated Andy Woodward in round eight of the US Championship to extend his lead to a full point over Fabiano Caruana, who drew against Sam Sevian. The two will meet in Monday's ninth round. In the women's tournament, Alice Lee and Rachael Li remain tied for first place on 6/8, while Thalia Cervantes moved within half a point of the leaders by defeating four-time national champion Carissa Yip. | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Saint Louis Chess Club

• European Club Cup - Live!

  The European Club Cup is taking place on 17-23 October in Budva, Montenegro, bringing together 108 teams in the open section and 22 teams in the women's competition. The seven-round event features a number of elite players, including Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Wei Yi, Alexandra Goryachkina and Humpy Koneru. | Follow the action live with expert commentary starting at 14.00 CEST (8.00 ET, 17.30 IST) | Pictured: Amin Tabatabaei | Photo: Mark Livshitz / European Chess Union

• The hour of the seconds

  The World Championship match between Gukesh Dommaraju and Javokhir Sindarov is approaching. The contest gets underway on 24 November in Cologny, near Geneva. Who will be helping the two contenders this time? Sindarov will be able to count on the assistance of his compatriot Abdusattorov, among others, as Abdusattorov himself recently revealed. | Poto: UzChess / Yoav Nis

• European Club Cup: Comfortable wins for the favourites

  The European Club Cup began on Saturday in Budva, Montenegro, with 108 teams competing in the open section and 22 in the women's tournament. The leading clubs secured comfortable victories, although there were a couple of individual upsets. Defending champions SuperChess Romania and Monte-Carlo both started with wins, while Novy Bor's Nils Grandelius suffered a surprising defeat against Serbian CM Slobodan Filipovic. The women's competition saw seventh seeds Crvena Zvezda held to a draw. | Pictured: Alkaloid's Arjun Erigaisi | Photo: Mark Livshitz / ECU

• My 70th Memorable Game

  On 17th October 1956, a sensational sacrificial game played in New York City by a 13-year-old chess upstart from Brooklyn shot across the globe. It was a game that literally took the chess world by storm. It contains a stunning sacrificial onslaught and is regarded as one of the most famous games of chess that has ever been played. In the October issue of CHESS magazine John Henderson recalls the game that made 13-year-old Bobby Fischer famous. It was played seventy years ago, today.

• US Championships: So comes from behind to beat Robson, becomes sole leader

  Wesley So defeated Ray Robson in round seven of the US Championship to take the sole lead on 5/7, half a point ahead of Fabiano Caruana and Andy Woodward. Awonder Liang suffered his second defeat, as he lost to Grigoriy Oparin. In the women's tournament, Alice Lee and Rachael Li share first place on 5½/7, followed closely by Irina Krush, while Thalia Cervantes suffered her first defeat of the event, against Anna Sargsyan. | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Saint Louis Chess Club

• The European Club Cup kicks off in Budva

  From 17 to 23 October, Budva in Montenegro will host the European Club Cup. With over 100 teams competing in the open section and 22 teams in the women's competition, it is a large-scale event. The favourites, in each of the sections, are teams from Türkiye and Monaco. The highest-rated players in the field are Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Wei Yi and Anish Giri. | Image: European Chess Union

• Review: The Modern Benko Gambit - A Full Repertoire Against 1.d4 by GM Sipke Ernst

  In his latest ChessBase course, Grandmaster Sipke Ernst thoroughly dispels the Benko Gambit's poor reputation. His modern approach, featuring an early 5...e6!, revolutionises the gambit, breathes new life into it and elegantly sidesteps White's traditional attempts at refutation. A new chapter in the history of the Benko Gambit has been written – and Christian Höthe takes a close look!

• Dortmund Sparkassen Trophy 2027

  In 2027, the 54th International Dortmund Chess Days will mark a special chapter in their history spanning more than 50 years: from 8 to 15 August 2027, the Sparkassen Chess Trophy will be held for the first time in the “Salzlager” at the Hansa Coking Plant. As part of the 2027 International Garden Exhibition (IGA 2027), Germany’s longest-running chess festival will thus combine top-level international sport, grassroots chess and an extraordinary venue. The new venue allows for expansion to up to 450 participants.