ChessBase

• Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia - Live!

  The Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia is being held at the Westin Hotel in Zagreb from 1 to 5 July. The 10-player event sees three days of rapid chess (single round-robin) followed by two days of blitz (double round-robin). A young, stellar lineup features, among others, world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Vincent Keymer and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Follow the games live starting at 15.00 CEST (9.00 ET, 18.30 IST) | Photo: Lennart Ootes

• FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commission issues a decision in case involving GM Vladimir Kramnik

  The FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commission has issued its decision in proceedings involving former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, finding him responsible for multiple violations linked to public statements about David Navara, the late Daniel Naroditsky and other players. The EDC imposed a two-year worldwide ban, with the final year suspended for a three-year probationary period, as well as 12 months of unpaid service for the chess community. The decision may be appealed. | Photo: Amruta Mokal

• Zagreb: Pragg wins three games in a row, catches Firouzja

  On the third day of the rapid chess section at the Super Rapid & Blitz in Zagreb, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu managed to draw level with Alireza Firouzja. Pragg won all three of his games on Friday, defeating Ivan Saric, Bogdan-Daniel Deac and Anish Giri. Firouzja and Pragg thus go into the blitz section sharing the lead with 12 points each, while Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Nodirbek Abdusattorov stand one point back. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

• Naroditsky Memorial - Live!

  The inaugural Naroditsky Memorial Rapid & Blitz is taking place in Charlotte from 3 to 5 July, combining open tournaments with elite showcase events across a three-day festival. Friday is devoted to a seven-round rapid competition, divided into Masters and Challengers sections, with a time control of 10+5. Fabiano Caruana, Javokhir Sindarov and Wesley So are the top seeds in the Masters. | Follow the games live starting at 17.00 CEST (11.00 ET, 20.30 IST)

• Simpson's in the Strand: The home of chess

  At the end of last year, the famous chess café Simpson's-in-the-Strand reopened, and its new operator, Jeremy King, together with his friend Jason King, intends to preserve its chess tradition. To this end, a "chess menu" was recently put together. Luke McShane gave a blindfold chess exhibition - the first at Simpson's for 100 years.

• ChessBase´26 – Tips for beginners, part 21: Maximum Training Effect with the Power Tool "Replay Training" (Part 1)

  Do you know the powerful training tool in ChessBase´26? It's called "Replay Training"! This great feature lets you actively go through games move by move—sharpening your strategic and tactical understanding in a targeted way. Whether under time pressure or not, the choice is yours. Train in a realistic setting, get instant feedback, and systematically improve your play—whether you're a beginner or an ambitious tournament player. In this tutorial, we'll guide you step by step through how Replay Training works. Let's get started!

• Surrealists and chess

  The Lyon Olympique Échecs club has just sent out an alert to 17,500 chess players and 2,500 other contacts. The message reads: "Surrealists and Chess – for €40, help us save a 19th-century workshop right in the heart of Lyon!" A support committee has been set up, which comprises writers, poets, painters, photographers, gallery owners, doctors, politicians, lawyers, bankers and more. Now it's time for the chess community to join.

• A Game That Outlasted the Day (7)

  In the comments on Part 5 of the series, readers pointed out that this was not a “master game” (as stated on the Guinness page), since Arsović had an initial rating of 2200 (which by today’s standards may correspond to a rating of 1400), while Nikolić’s rating was only 15 points higher. Now in Part 7 the author examines the remaining “competitors” to the Gorkov–Golubenko game for the title of the longest game by number of moves.

• Under the Hammer

  It isn't easy to weave Sotheby’s, Queen Isabella of Spain, Fischer-Spassky 1972, Michael Caine and a vigilante killer into the same article. But that is exactly what John Henderson does, in this piece that appears in the June issue of CHESS magazine. He tells us how the vast collection of chess memorabilia of GM Lothar Schmid, considered to be the largest and most important of its kind in private hands, went under the hammer recently at Sotheby’s in London. You will not believe the prices they received.

• Upcoming tournaments and events

  Looking for an interesting over-the-board chess tournament to play, attend, or simply watch? There are plenty being staged all over the world, and we will bring you regular overviews of the most interesting of them. We do this in cooperation with MyChess.events, a global platform that helps players discover upcoming events, check dates, venues, formats, prize funds and registration details. In our selection we highlight selected events from around the world that may interest players, coaches, parents and chess fans.