Chess Base

• Lilit Mkrtchian’s Best Games of 2025 - Learning positional pressure

  In this “Best Games of 2025” episode, Lilit Mkrtchian takes us through a deeply instructive win from the Tegernsee tournament, showing her full ChessBase-style preparation workflow and how she chose an offbeat setup to get her opponent out of comfort early. The lesson then turns into a masterclass on positional pressure: exploiting the weakened d5-square, improving pieces step by step, and using concrete calculation to avoid tempting but incorrect tactics. The game finishes with clean technique—converting a queenside advantage and a dangerous passed a-pawn—while the big takeaway is clear:...

• The chess elite (of the future) meets in Prague

  The Futures tournament at the Prague International Chess Festival 2026 brings together ten of Europe’s most promising young female talents. Held under the patronage of Czech First Lady Eva Pavlová and with chess legend GM Pia Cramling (pictured) as ambassador, the event provides top-level junior chess and inspiration within one of Europe’s most attractive chess festivals. | Photo: Prague Chess Festival

• Bundesliga: Viernheim still perfect, Baden-Baden one match point back

  Eight rounds into the 2025/26 Chess Bundesliga season, SC Viernheim and OSG Baden-Baden occupy the top two places in the standings. Viernheim remain on a perfect 16/16 match points, while Baden-Baden trail by a single match point after drawing once. Schachfreunde Wolfhagen stay within reach on 13/16. The latest weekend saw both leaders collect two further victories, with Fabiano Caruana (pictured) making his debut for Baden-Baden. | Photo: Sven Noppes