Chess Base

• Fritz 20 & Fritz Powerbook 2026

  Meet the ultimate training-and-prep bundle: Fritz 20 plus Fritz Powerbook 2026 - your personal chess trainer combined with a modern, statistics-based opening reference. With opponent-style simulation, Bullet Training, and AI voice commentary on the Fritz side, you can turn preparation into realistic practice games. And with 25 million opening positions built from 1.7 million high-class tournament games, Powerbook 2026 gives you a clear, structured picture of what actually works in today's openings.

• Women's Candidates R2: Narrow escapes for Lagno and Vaishali

  Missed opportunities remained a recurring theme in round two of the Women's Candidates, where all four games again ended in draws. Zhu Jiner obtained a clearly superior position against Kateryna Lagno but failed to convert, allowing a perpetual check to save the game. In the all-Indian encounter, Divya Deshmukh (pictured) also let an advantage slip after overlooking a tactical resource by Vaishali Rameshbabu. | Photo: FIDE / Yoav Nis

• Esports World Cup 2026: Carlsen returns to defend his title

  Chess returns to the Esports World Cup in 2026 following a successful debut at last year's event. On its biggest stage ever, chess cemented its place in the larger esports ecosystem, drawing impressive viewership numbers while packing the arenas. This year, chess expands with a 21-player pool that now includes a play-in stage prior to a reformatted group stage and playoffs.