Chess · Worth knowing

GM Grigor Grigorov is leading a six-month Repertoire Builder project focusing on the French Defense for Black, with September 2026 sessions dedicated to fundamental structures after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3. The program emphasizes understanding pawn structures, plans, and decision-making rather than memorizing theory, teaching players how opening knowledge translates into middlegame clarity. The broader project spans August through January, covering the Advance Variation, Winawer, Tarrasch and sidelines before concluding with a repertoire construction phase that combines strategic foundations into a practical, ready-to-play Black system against 1.e4.

Liem Le Quang returns to the Biel Chess Festival 2026 as a three-time Masters winner (2022–2024), aiming for a historic fourth title. The tournament features a Masters classical triathlon (rapid, classical, and blitz) running July 11–24, with six top-ranked players competing including world number 22 Levon Aronian, Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (ranked 28th and U20 number two), and German grandmaster Matthias Bluebaum, who recently achieved sixth place in the Candidates Tournament. The Generations Challenge includes strong young and women players such as Chinese grandmaster Xiao Tong (2599 classical rating, U20 ranked 17th), Czech prodigy Vaclav Finek (2593 rating), and Indian challenger Vaishali Rameshbabu, who just won the 2026 Women's Candidates Tournament and will face World Champion Ju Wenjun in a title match.

Daniel King analyzes new developments in the English Defence opening (1.c4 b6 2.d4 e6 3.e4 Bb4+), focusing on the shift from the classical 3...Bb7 line to the more modern 3...Bb4+ continuation. The analysis examines White's three main responses—4.Nc3, 4.Bd2, and 4.Nd2—demonstrating how Black achieves comfortable positions in each line, particularly through moves like 5...f5 and rapid castling that allow Black to control the centre while White's king remains exposed. This theoretical exploration is featured in ChessBase Magazine #233, alongside additional opening articles on the Slav Marshall Gambit and Barendregt Variation, with in-depth contributions from players Le Quang Liem and Anish Giri.