Chess Base

• An interview with Ding Liren: Sports, engines, rest

  In early March, Jonathan Zhi had the chance to do a written interview with Ding Liren. His answers are translated from Chinese - the original answers are available here. The questions draw heavily from previous interviews, articles, podcasts and TV shows that Ding has given. Jonathan started following professional chess during college. At some point, he realised that many interesting players don't get to fully express themselves in the media. He started doing interviews to highlight those players and help them share their thoughts, stories and personalities. | Photo: Amruta Mokal / ChessBase...

• Alice Lee beats Carissa Yip, claims third consecutive American Cup title

  The women's title at the American Cup was only decided after the Grand Final Reset on Thursday, as Alice Lee defeated Carissa Yip to claim the title. Lee won the first rapid game with the black pieces and then secured a 117-move draw to clinch her third consecutive triumph in the event. The victory capped another strong campaign for the 16-year-old, who also made significant rating gains across both classical and blitz formats. | Pictured: Alice Lee and Maurice Ashley | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Lennart Ootes

• Bodhana Sivanandan gains 200+ rating points in a month to secure FIDE Master title at 11

  A sustained run of strong tournament results has enabled Bodhana Sivanandan to secure the FIDE Master title after she crossed the 2300 rating threshold for the first time. The British prodigy, who recently turned 11, gained more than 200 rating points across appearances in the 4NCL, Graz Open and Cannes Chess Festival, consistently holding her own against titled opposition. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza