Chess Base

• Problem challenge: rook vs pawns

  That is an endgame that is most often seen in chess. And if you can handle it well, you can score well against opponents who falter. So today we provide you with four positions that will test your skills - and perhaps teach you how to better handle the endgame. In two positions you are asked to win against a defending diagram, in two you are all on your own. Full video solutions will be provided in a week.

• Freestyle Chess in Karlsruhe!

  The Freestyle Chess Open in Karlsruhe has begun as part of the grenke Chess Festival, which brought together nearly 4,000 players across multiple events. Led by Magnus Carlsen, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Vincent Keymer, the main Freestyle Open features nine rounds with randomly generated starting positions. The winner will secure a place in the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. | Photo: Jeroen van den Belt / ChessBase

• FIDE ratings - April 2026

  At the top three places in the world rankings, nothing has changed: Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana. Vincent Keymer has lost a few points and swapped places with Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Hou Yifan is the highest-rated female chess player in the world, and world champion Gukesh Dommaraju is the best under-20 player. Alua Nurman is the new number one in the girls' youth category.