ChessBase

1. Surya Ganguly: A Grandmaster’s Training Guide Vol. 1 - Foundations

   This ChessBase course transforms calculation into a structured, trainable skill. Instead of random puzzles, it teaches practical thinking tools—how to identify forcing moves, visualize clearly, and compare positions under real game conditions. Designed for ambitious club and tournament players, this course builds lasting calculation habits that sharpen decision-making and reduce blunders.

2. Nakamura scores 5½/6 at Maritime Open in Canada

   Hikaru Nakamura continued his bid to qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament by winning the Maritime Open Chess Championship in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Playing against much lower-rated opposition, the world number two scored 5½/6 to take first place outright. Though he lost a few rating points, the event brought him closer to fulfilling the 40-game requirement for the rating qualification spot. | Photo: Hikaru Nakamura's X account

3. US Chess Championships - Live!

   The 2025 US Chess Championships are taking place on 12-24 October at the Saint Louis Chess Club. Each tournament is a 12-player single round-robin with a classical time control. Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So and Hans Niemann are the highest-rated players in the open, while Carissa Yip, Alice Lee and Tatev Abrahamyan head the women's field. | Follow the action live starting at 19.00 CEST (13.00 ET, 22.30 IST)

4. Review: 60 Minutes against the Sicilian

   The concept behind the "60 Minutes" courses is simple: one hour of video instruction for just under 10€. There are also courses on middle game and endgame topics, but most courses focus on opening variations. In the first instalment of a short series, Jochen Schwarz presents the most important "60 Minutes" courses for 1.e4 players against the Sicilian.

5. Chess Endgame Challenge

   Take a look at this position. In order to have any winning chances, White must clearly move his rook. There are nine squares it can safely occupy, but only one retains the win. Can you find it? Today we have four problems that will challenge your endgame skills. Try to solve them by moving pieces on our interactive diagrams. The video solutions will be provided in a week.

6. Master Class Band 19: Wilhelm Steinitz

   Wilhelm Steinitz, born in Prague in 1836, is regarded as the first official World Chess Champion after winning the historic 1886 match against Johannes Zukertort. He founded modern chess theory by replacing romantic, attacking chess with strategic and positional thinking, formulating numerous principles that still shape the game today. The Master Class, featuring four international experts, presents his most important openings, strategic ideas, endgames, and combinations through engaging video lessons.

7. US Championships Round 4: Anna Sargsyan one point ahead

   Hans Niemann was the sole winner in Round 4 of the Open section at this year’s U.S. Championships. Playing Black, he defeated Sam Shankland to move into a tie for second place with defending champion Fabiano Caruana and Levon Aronian, half a point behind leader Wesley So, who drew his game against Abhimanyu Mishra. In the Women’s Championship, by contrast, five players scored victories. With second-placed Alice Lee drawing against defending champion Carissa Yip, leader Anna Sargsyan extended her lead to a full point thanks to her win over Megan Paragua. Thursday is a rest day in St. Louis. | Photos: Lennart Ootes / St. Louis Chess Club

8. Creative and successful: Richard Rapport

   Richard Rapport had the best individual result at the European Team Chess Championship in Batumi. Playing on board 1 for Hungary, he scored 5.5 points from 7 games and had a performance rating of 2869, the highest of all players in Batumi. In the final round, he won a nice and theoretically interesting game against Maksim Chigaev. | Photo: Lennart Ootes (Archiv)

9. Robert Ris: The menacing Colle & Zukertort System for the Club Player!

   The Colle and Zukertort Systems offer White a simple yet powerful setup with d4–Nf3–e3–Bd3, aiming for rapid development and a strong kingside attack. The Colle-Koltanowski focuses on c3 and e4, while the Zukertort System employs b3 and a fianchettoed bishop for added strategic depth. Easy to learn and highly effective for club players, this course teaches key sacrifices, maneuvers, and attacking ideas through classical and modern grandmaster games.

10. Norway Chess Launches New World Championship – Approved by FIDE

    In a surprising move, FIDE has officially approved a new world championship format: the Total Chess World Championship Tour, organized by Norway Chess. The Tour will determine a FIDE World Combined Champion across three disciplines – Fast Classic, Rapid, and Blitz – through four global events each year. With a $2.7 million annual prize pool, the series aims to find “The Total Chess Player” and bring faster, tech-enhanced formats to a wider audience. A pilot event launches in fall 2026, followed by the first full season in 2027. | Photo: FIDE