ChessBase

• Friends again: FIDE and Freestyle Chess - An interview with Jan Henric Büttner

  The rift between FIDE and Freestyle Chess seemed final – and then, on Wednesday evening, a press release from both surprised the chess world: in February 2026, the first joint World Championship in Freestyle Chess is set to take place in Weissenhaus, Germany. Sagar Shah of ChessBase India conducted an in-depth interview with Jan Henric Büttner of Freestyle Chess to learn more about this remarkable turnaround.

• World Champion Gukesh plays in Prague Chess Festival

  A reigning world chess champion has not played a serious game in Czechia for exactly 95 years. That is about to change. GM Gukesh Dommaraju, also known as Gukesh D, will take part in the 8th edition of the Prague International Chess Festival. The Indian prodigy has broken numerous modern chess records. The Festival, the most prestigious chess event in central and eastern Europe, will be held from 24 February to 6 March at Hotel Don Giovanni in Prague.

• Tata Steel Chess India - Live!

  The third day of action at the Tata Steel Chess India tournament will see the rapid events decided in both the open and women's sections. Living legend Vishy Anand is tied for first place with Nihal Sarin in the open, while Kateryna Lagno is the sole leader among the women. | Follow the action live, with expert commentary starting at 15:00 local time (10:30 CET, 04:30 ET).

• Sixteen players earn the right to compete in 2026 Total Chess pilot event

  FIDE and Norway Chess are pleased to announce the first 16 players who have earned the right to receive an invitation to the 2026 Total Chess World Championship Tour pilot tournament (“Total Chess 2026 Pilot”), the new combined competition across Fast Classic, Rapid, and Blitz.

• Tata Steel Chess India: Nihal draws level with Anand at the top

  The second day of the Tata Steel Chess India tournament brought further movement in the standings ahead of the final rapid rounds. In the open section, Vishy Anand remained at the top, now joined by Nihal Sarin after the young Indian's perfect day. The women's event again produced a sole leader, as Kateryna Lagno pulled clear with an undefeated performance, leaving Carissa Yip a half point back. | Photo: Vive Sohani

• Interview with Paralympic Champion Martin Braxenthaler

  With their inclusion project Open Window, Tatiana Flores and Laura Schalkhäuser provide a forum for communication and the exchange of experiences related to living with disabilities. One of the topics they address is sport — including chess — and participation despite physical impairment. In an interview, Paralympic champion Martin Braxenthaler spoke about his personal experiences.

• ChessBase Mobile – Now with Automatic Updates and Many Improvements

  More convenience, better clarity, greater performance: ChessBase Mobile now comes with numerous improvements for even more efficient work at the chessboard — whether at home or on the go. And best of all, the app updates itself automatically, without requiring an update from the App Store. Just launch it and benefit immediately.

• The first FIDE Freestyle World Championship in Germany

  The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH have agreed to stage the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship in Weissenhaus, Germany, from February 13–15, 2026. There are eight players in the event, six qualified (Carlsen, Aronian, Caruana, Keymer, Erigaisi, and Sindarov), with one nominated (Niemann) and one to be still determined. Weissenhaus is just an hour's drive from Hamburg – in case you want to attend.

• Tata Steel Chess India: Anand and Niemann share the lead

  The opening day of Tata Steel Chess India in Kolkata delivered an entertaining start in both sections of the rapid tournament. In the open, Viswanathan Anand and Hans Niemann (pictured) share the lead with 2½ points after three rounds marked by a high number of decisive games. The women's event produced a sole leader in Carissa Yip, who also scored 2½ points. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

• Forty Years Ago: Kasparov vs. Hamburger SK

  At Christmas 2025, Stefan Löffler delighted readers of his chess column in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung—one of Germany’s leading national newspapers—with a Christmas story. Forty years earlier, Garry Kasparov, still not yet world champion, had played a clock simul against the Bundesliga team of Hamburger SK and lost. Two years later, Kasparov returned to Hamburg as world champion. This time he won the rematch, and during the visit encountered a remarkable new development that was to change the game profoundly: a chess database.