Freestyle Chess aka Chess960 – The Future of Chess?

Freestyle chess board

Discover Freestyle Chess, a thrilling new take on chess backed by Magnus Carlsen, blending strategy and unpredictability to reshape the future of the game. There is a football tournament in Spain called the Kings League, founded by former center-back Gerard Piqué and famous streamer Ibai Llanos in late 2022. To date, the tournament has raised … Read more

Lu Miaoyi: A Young Chess Prodigy Lighting Up the Board in 2025

Lu Miaoyi - A Young Chess Prodigy Lighting Up the Board in 2025

Lu Miaoyi is not your everyday teenager. Born in February 2010, this Chinese chess star is already an International Master (IM) with a peak FIDE rating of 2449. At just 15 years old, she ranks as the No. 2 junior girl in the world—only behind Divya Deshmukh—and is the reigning Chinese women’s national champion. Her … Read more

How to Play in Unbalanced Endgames in Chess

A man playing chess against a group of people, with the text how to play imbalance endgame

Endgames are where the magic happens in chess. When the board is stripped down to just a few pieces, every move counts. But what do you do when you’re in an unbalanced endgame? You know, those tricky situations where you’ve got a rook, and your opponent has two knights. Or maybe you’ve got an extra … Read more

Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour: Is This a Revolution?

Magnus Carlsen, Hans Niemann and Hikaru Nakamura in a swimming pool

Chess has witnessed many transformations over the centuries, but few innovations are as thrilling as Freestyle Chess, also known as Fischer Random or Chess960. This chess variant shakes up the traditional setup by randomizing the back rank’s pieces, creating 960 unique starting positions. Now, this variant is taking center stage in the form of the … Read more

Xue Haowen: The Inspiring Journey of China’s Newest Grandmaster

Xue Haowen beside a chess board

Follow Xue Haowen’s journey from a passionate chess student to Shenzhen’s first Grandmaster, guided by GM Zeng Chongsheng, with stories of perseverance, triumph, and unwavering dreams. In the final round of the historic 98th Hastings Open in the UK, Xue Haowen secured the championship with an impressive performance: 5 wins, 4 draws, and 7 points … Read more

Faustino Oro: The Messi of Chess

Faustino Oro fighting Lionel Messi

When Faustino Oro moved from Argentina to Spain, the parallels with Lionel Messi were hard to ignore. Just like the football legend, Oro made the leap to pursue his dreams on a bigger stage. But instead of football fields, his arena is the chessboard. At just 11 years old, Faustino isn’t merely following in Messi’s … Read more

Gukesh Becomes World Chess Champion at 18, Defeats Ding Liren

gukesh vs ding in world chess championship 2024

Gukesh Dommaraju, an 18-year-old chess player from India, dethroned defending champion Ding Liren on December 12 to become the 2024 World Chess Champion. The match was decided in the final classical game, where Gukesh clinched victory with a score of 7.5-6.5, avoiding the need for a rapid tiebreak. This win makes Gukesh the youngest World … Read more

Behind Gukesh’s Success: The Sacrifices That Built a Chess Prodigy

Gukesh

Gukesh Dommaraju’s journey to the 2024 world chess championship was a testament to huge dedication and sacrifice, both from him and his family. With no external financial support during his formative years, his parents relied almost entirely on their income, even taking on loans to fund his participation in tournaments. *Please note that the following … Read more