Chess Base

• Emil Sutovsky: Candidates plans unchanged amid regional tensions

  With the Candidates Tournament set to begin later this month, FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky has addressed concerns about security, travel logistics and organisational preparations in an interview with Sagar Shah. While acknowledging regional tensions, Sutovsky stressed that plans for the event in Cyprus remain unchanged, with contingency measures in place and close coordination with local authorities. | Pictured: Sutovsky at the 2024 World Corporate Chess Championship in New York. | Photo: FIDE / Rafal Oleksiewicz

• Liang scores 6-4 victory over Nakamura in training match

  Hikaru Nakamura was defeated 6–4 by Awonder Liang in a three-day training match in Saint Louis held as preparation for the Candidates Tournament. After two drawn classical games, all eight encounters in the rapid and blitz sessions ended decisively, with Liang ultimately prevailing. The match provided Nakamura with competitive practice ahead of a demanding event, for which several of his future rivals have recently been active. | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Lennart Ootes

• Can you handle pawns?

  Were you able to solve the challenge positions we gave you last week? Were you able find the way to promote the pawns to win? Today we bring you all solutions, with very instructive video explanations by Jared Modica, a chess content creator from Austin, Texas. He shows us how to solve tatical lines of play, and how to handle pawns in endgames.