At a rapid tournament in the 2024/25 season, I had one of those runs you remember: game after game held together, until the field thinned and the pairings got spicier. The first time I went down was against an International Master (IM) — a fair reminder of how sharp rapid chess gets when title …

In spring 2024 I played in the Grenke Chess Open, one of the largest classical open tournaments in Europe, held in Karlsruhe, Germany. Long time controls, a huge field, and rounds against motivated opponents from many countries make it a great benchmark if you want serious tournament practice beside …