Bluebaum Has No Coach. Gets No help. Qualifies For The CandidatesOne more thing to mention from the FIDE Grand Swiss: German GM Matthias Bluebaum. He was incredible. Here's why.September 18, 2025·3 min read
Grand Swerve! Who Missed FIDE's Grand Swiss Prizegiving?He came third, picked up $62,000 in prize money, but didn't turn up for the closing ceremony. Is it because he missed out on a place in Candidates? Photo: Michal Walusza/FIDE.September 18, 2025·3 min read
FIDE Moves To Spice Up 2025 World Rapid & Blitz. Will It Work?FIDE loves a rule-change. And this year it brought in a series of tweaks for the upcoming 2025 World Rapid & Blitz in Doha. They won't, however, prevent a repeat of last year's rule-based furore.September 17, 2025·3 min read
The Wonder Of Chess: Prodigy, 10, Takes On Golden Oldie, 92Sometimes chess just gives you a nice warm feeling inside. So it was when Bodhana Sivanandan faced U.S. Chess Hall of Famer James Sherwin at the 2025 UK Open Blitz Qualifier.September 16, 2025·3 min read
Chess Cheating Should Be A Criminal Offence, Kramnik Tells The World Chess ShowHe argues that only legal consequences will protect the integrity of the game as online chess grapples with a surge in foul play.September 14, 2025·3 min read
We Did Something Strange. We Made Our board… NormalWorld Chess is introducing a new default board — brighter, more familiar, and designed to test how players respond. Some will welcome the change, others may resist it, but everyone will notice. Here’s why we made the switch, and what it means for your next game.August 29, 2025·2 min read
A Final Worth Watching (and Remembering): The Women's World Cup Hits Peak Drama in BatumiThe World Cup is one of the most important events on the women’s calendar. It’s not just about the €50,000 prize fund (though that helps). It’s about one thing: the road to the Women’s Candidates Tournament. The two finalists already punched their ticket. The bronze match? That’s for the last open seat at the Candidates table.July 26, 2025·4 min read
The BBC Made a Chess Reality Show. Somehow It Was Both Too Dumb and Too Smart.It happened. The BBC finally aired Chess Masters: The Endgame, a highly produced, slightly deranged attempt to turn chess into a hybrid of The Great British Bake Off, Survivor, and The Queen’s Gambit — minus the pills and wigs.May 2, 2025·3 min read
Did We Just Ignore a Chess Miracle Because He’s Not Streaming?Over the past few weeks, 56-year-old Grandmaster Vasyl Ivanchuk quietly went 27 games without a loss across three international events — Reykjavik, San Vicente, and Menorca. That’s three tournaments, three time zones, and zero defeats. He beat 2600-rated players. He drew teenage prodigies. He gained enough ELO to return to the FIDE Top 100 for the first time in years. And almost no one noticed.May 2, 2025·3 min read
So, Uh, Wasn’t Christopher Yoo Banned for Assault?A teenage grandmaster hit a videographer. He got suspended in the U.S., but now he’s playing again — abroad. Here’s what we got wrong (and right).April 30, 2025·4 min read
Mr Dodgy Nearly Took Over FIDE. Eighty-Five Federations Thought That Was a Good Idea.Chess Politics·Sep 29·6 min read
Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, Becomes WGM And Scores Second IM Norm At Chess OlympiadTop players · Chess Olympiad 2026·Sep 27·4 min read
Turlov Backs Russia Suspension—As Former Russian Sports Minister Joins FIDE LeadershipChess Politics·Sep 27·5 min read
Term of the dayChess SkewerThe reverse of a pin: the valuable piece is hit first and the one behind it falls.
