ChessBase

• Bodhana: youngest female IM ever

  The English Chess Federation hailed her as a ‘generational talent.’ Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, shattered yet another world record, this time becoming the youngest female player in history to qualify for the International Master title. In doing so, she eclipsed a record set 38 years ago by chess great Judit Polgar, widely regarded as the greatest female chess player of all time. | Photo R Oleksiewicz

• Bayegan Pendik and Monte-Carlo are 2026 European Club Cup champions

  Bayegan Pendik and Cercle d'Echecs de Monte-Carlo won the European Club Cup titles in Budva, both finishing level on match points with their closest rivals and prevailing on tiebreaks. Novy Bor took silver in the open section, while Gambit Bonnevoie finished second in the women's competition. Meanwhile, 11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan completed her final international master norm, becoming the youngest female player to fulfil the requirements for the title. | Photo: Gerd Densing

• Review: My favourite FritzTrainer courses

  For Jochen Schwarz, club player from Bremen, FritzTrainer courses have become an essential part of his hobby. Over the past ten years, he has studied numerous courses and now shares some of the favourites that have impressed him most.

• The global impact of the Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners

  The 6th Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners brought together a record 140 teams from 56 countries, highlighting the continued growth of FIDE's Chess for Freedom initiative. Beyond the competition itself, programmes in Argentina, Romania, Ghana, Australia (pictured), Nigeria and Zimbabwe show how chess is being used in correctional facilities to encourage discipline, critical thinking, emotional control and social reintegration, while giving incarcerated players opportunities for structured learning and international participation. | Photo: FIDE

• Wesley So beats Fabiano Caruana in tiebreaks, wins fourth US Chess Championship title

  In the end, Wesley So did it! Following his bitter defeat to Sam Sevian in the final round of the 2026 US Championship - which ended his 48-game unbeaten run at the event - he defeated Fabiano Caruana 1½–½ in the rapid playoff for the title. It was a thrilling encounter, not without mistakes, but full of interesting moments. | 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 of the final round live with expert commentary starting at 14.00 CEST (8.00 ET, 17.30 IST) | Pictured: Anish Giri | Photo: Gerd Densing

• European Club Cup: Three co-leaders in both sections going into final round

  Three teams share the lead in both sections of the European Club Cup ahead of Friday's final round. In the open, SuperChess and Novy Bor drew their direct encounter, allowing Bayegan Pendik to catch up with a narrow victory over Tuxera Aquaprofit Nagykanizsai. In the women's competition, Gambit Bonnevoie suffered their first defeat, leaving Monte-Carlo and Odlar Yurdu level with the Luxembourg club. | Pictured: Bayegan Pendik's Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus | Photo: Gerd Densing

• Rachel Li wins US Women's Championship on her debut

  Going into the final round of the 2026 US Women’s Championship in St Louis, Rachael Li was the sole leader with 8 points from 10 games, one point ahead of Alice Lee. Li therefore needed only a draw against Anna Zatonskih in the final round to win the tournament. Li secured both the draw and the title, becoming US Women's Champion at just 16 years of age. She also collected $45,000 in prize money, qualified for the next Women's World Cup and earned her first IM norm. | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Saint Louis Chess Club

• US Championship 2026: Tiebreak!

  The 2026 U.S. Championship came to a dramatic conclusion: Wesley So lost to last-placed Sam Sevian in the final round, ending his 48-game unbeaten streak at the U.S. Championships. Fabiano Caruana, meanwhile, won on demand against Awonder Liang to catch So at the top of the standings. The title will now be decided in a playoff, beginning with two rapid games at 15+10. If the scores remain level, another two rapid games will follow, then up to two two-game blitz matches at 5+2. If the players are still tied, the arbiter will decide how to proceed. | Live with commentary from 12.00 CDT / 18.00 BST / 19.00 CEST | Photo: Crystal Fuller

• All new releases in September!

  The latest releases offer fresh ideas for opening preparation and regular chess training. In two volumes, Michael Kotyk presents a practical repertoire for Black after 1.e4 e5, while Fabien Libiszewski introduces the dynamic Chigorin Defence against the Queen's Gambit. ChessBase Magazine 233 rounds off the selection with up-to-date opening ideas, annotated games by top players and a wide range of training material. The products combine practical recommendations for tournament play with suggestions for independent analysis. | All photos: ChessBase