Players

Discover insights into the world of chess players, from legendary masters to rising stars. Explore their strategies, notable games, playing styles and personal lives.

Ding Liren, the Machine Dreamer: In a Game of Precision, a Man Who Feels

Ding Liren, the Machine Dreamer: In a Game of Precision, a Man Who Feels

XB
July 21, 2025

In April 2023, the chess world watched in silence as Ding Liren, a quiet law graduate from Peking University with...

Hans Niemann vs. the Modern Chess Mafia: “I’m Not a Victim—I’m a Fighter”

Hans Niemann vs. the Modern Chess Mafia: “I’m Not a Victim—I’m a Fighter”

XB
July 16, 2025

When Hans Niemann sat down with ChessBase India in the quiet luxury of Weissenhaus during the Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge,...

Ian Nepomniachtchi’s Playing Style: The Dynamic Intuitionist

Ian Nepomniachtchi’s Playing Style: The Dynamic Intuitionist

XB
July 10, 2025

Ian Nepomniachtchi is one of modern chess’s most enigmatic grandmasters, a player whose style defies neat categorization. While many call...

The Relentless Improviser: Hikaru Nakamura’s Unique Playing Style

The Relentless Improviser: Hikaru Nakamura’s Unique Playing Style

XB
July 10, 2025

Hikaru Nakamura is one of the most electrifying figures in modern chess, not just because of his bullet-speed reflexes or...

Magnus Carlsen’s Playing Style: The Perfect Storm of Logic, Instinct, and Will

Magnus Carlsen’s Playing Style: The Perfect Storm of Logic, Instinct, and Will

XB
July 10, 2025

Magnus Carlsen doesn’t play chess. He absorbs it, reshapes it, and makes it bend to his will, usually with a...

Hans Niemann’s Playing Style: Unstable Genius, Relentless Pressure

Hans Niemann’s Playing Style: Unstable Genius, Relentless Pressure

XB
July 10, 2025

Hans Niemann might be the hardest player to define in modern chess. Ask David Howell and he’ll give you numbers,...

The Ice-Cold Assassin: Gukesh Dommaraju’s Playing Style, Dissected

The Ice-Cold Assassin: Gukesh Dommaraju’s Playing Style, Dissected

XB
July 10, 2025

At just 19 years old, Gukesh Dommaraju is already chess royalty – the reigning World Chess Champion, a prodigy whose...

Vidit Gujrathi’s Playing Style: The Methodical Risk-Taker Who Rebuilt His Game

Vidit Gujrathi’s Playing Style: The Methodical Risk-Taker Who Rebuilt His Game

XB
July 10, 2025

If you tried to pin down Vidit Gujrathi’s playing style a few years ago, you’d probably come up with labels...

Understanding Praggnanandhaa’s Playing Style: The Rise of a Relentless All-Rounder

Understanding Praggnanandhaa’s Playing Style: The Rise of a Relentless All-Rounder

XB
July 10, 2025

At just 19 years old, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, better known as Pragg, has already become India’s top chess player and climbed...

Anish Giri’s Playing Style, Rated FIFA-Style by David Howell

Anish Giri’s Playing Style, Rated FIFA-Style by David Howell

XB
July 10, 2025

“Take away my attacking points, just don’t touch my strategy.” What happens when you give chess stars FIFA-style ratings? A...