9/26/2026 – Welcome to The Initiative – a show dedicated to the relentless battle for momentum in chess! In every game, players fight to seize control, dictate the pace and keep their opponent on the back foot. But what does it really mean to have the initiative? How do the world's best players maintain pressure and transform small advantages into crushing attacks?

9/26/2026 – Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, was elected President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The elections were held on 26 September at the FIDE General Assembly, alongside the 46th Chess Olympiad, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Turlov won in the second round, with 110 votes. At 38, he becomes the second youngest FIDE President ever elected. | Picture: ChessBase

9/26/2026 – In the endgame, the king is considered a powerful piece and often joins the action to support his side. In the opening and middlegame, however, it rarely moves unless under attack. In a nice game from round 9 of the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, GM Alexei Sarana, European Champion 2025, showed that there is an exception to every rule and went walkabout with his king. | Picture: Alexei Sarana (left, with White) shares ideas with Bahne Fuhrmann (right)

9/26/2026 – The Olympiad in Samarkand has started and basically everyone is playing, including Gukesh and Sindarov. The Olympiad remains a most impressive event, with all these countries participating. In the first round there are many 4-0 results, but also the usual upsets. It looked like Erigaisi was going to easily beat IM Prin Laohawirapap from Thailand, but the position remained more tricky then you would think at first view and eventually turned into a complete mess, which is our Game of the Week.Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

9/26/2026 – The 46th edition of the Chess Olympiad is taking place on 16-27 September at the Silk Road EXPO in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. A record 208 teams in the open and 191 in the women's category are fighting for collective and individual medals. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 12.00 CEST (6.00 ET, 15.30 IST) | Pictured: Jan-Kzysztof Duda from Poland by Michal Walusza / FIDE

9/26/2026 – Eleven rounds, 206 teams in the Open, 185 in the Women's event – thousands of games are played at the Chess Olympiad. Most attention goes to the games on the top boards, while many entertaining and interesting games go unnoticed. But at the ChessBase booth in Samarkand, ChessBase invites Olympiad players to show us their best games. Colin Pace from Malta (right in the photo) used the chance. | Left in the photo: ChessBase author Bahne Fuhrmann

9/26/2026 – China moved two match points clear at the top of the Women's Chess Olympiad after beating Armenia 3–1 in round nine. India kept pace with a 3–1 victory over Uzbekistan, while Kazakhstan recovered from a 2–0 deficit to draw Mongolia. With two rounds remaining, China lead on 17/18, followed by India, Kazakhstan and Mongolia on 15/18. | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz / FIDE

9/26/2026 – Uzbekistan regained sole first place in the Chess Olympiad by beating top seeds United States 2½–1½ in round nine, with Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Nodirbek Yakubboev again providing the decisive points - like they did against China in round seven. India, Armenia and the over-achieving Uzbekistan 2 are one match point behind, the latter after a striking 3½–½ victory over the Netherlands. Two rounds remain in Samarkand. | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz / FIDE

9/25/2026 – In his essay Christian Hesse - professor of mathematics and, no less importantly, a passionate lover of chess - brings together mathematical and chess problems that are complete and self-contained, problems that explain themselves and need no lengthy verbal instructions. Helmut Pfleger, grandmaster and medical researcher, tells us what he thinks of the subject.

9/25/2026 – We have seen a lot of great performances at the Olympiad in Samarkand – many great players have lived up to their high standards. But it is especially pleasing to see chess prodigies you have known and looked after since their early teens deliver the goods. Like this batch, who have been surging. One has scored in absolutely record-breaking style. You'll never guess who.

9/25/2026 – In the diagram position, White calmly waited with the discovered check until it lead to checkmate by force. I hope you share his anticipation!

9/25/2026 – After round eight, China lead the women's section outright with 15 out of a possible 16 match points. Kazakhstan, who had previously shared the lead with China, drew with India, while the Chinese team defeated Georgia. Kazakhstan, Armenia and Mongolia are China's closest pursuers. The Netherlands, led by Eline Roebers, lost to hosts Uzbekistan, whose team is headed by Afruza Khamdamova. | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz / FIDE