Chess Base

• Starting Wednesday: Caruana star participant at Saint Louis Masters

  The Saint Louis Masters will take place from 25 February to 1 March as a nine-round Swiss invitational, bringing together a competitive international field. The event features a $100,000 prize fund and classical time controls, with 69 players taking part. World number three Fabiano Caruana is set to participate, ahead of a demanding schedule in March, which includes the American Cup and the Candidates Tournament. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

• Nico Zwirs: Reversed Sicilian Power - Win with 1.c4 e5!

  IM Nico Zwirs presents the Reversed Sicilian as a dynamic and practical weapon for White, especially suited to players who already use the Sicilian with Black and want to build on their existing understanding. Instead of a rigid, move-by-move repertoire, the course offers a flexible framework that helps you choose structures matching your style while learning how to deviate into less familiar setups when needed. Covering major Sicilian systems such as the Closed Sicilian, Najdorf, and Dragon, it explains how the extra tempo for White reshapes typical plans, strengthens attacking chances, and...

• Second national title for Deac, thirteenth for Peptan at Romanian Championships

  The 2026 Romanian Chess Championships were held in Timișoara from 14 to 22 February, concluding after nine rounds of classical play across the Open, Women's and Amateurs sections. In the open event, Bogdan Deac claimed his second national title with a clear first-place finish. The women's championship was won by Corina Peptan (pictured), who secured her record-extending thirteenth national crown. | Photo: Romanian Chess Federation