2/25/2026 – The eighth edition of the Prague International Chess Festival was officially opened at the Don Giovanni Hotel in Prague, launching the Masters, Challengers and Futures tournaments. The event features the reigning World Champion, Gukesh Dommaraju, who played a symbolic opening duel with Czech beach volleyball world champion Ondřej Perušič. The game was part of the festival's ceremonial start ahead of play through 6 March. | Photo: Petr Vrabec

2/25/2026 – From 25 February to 6 March 2026, the eighth Prague International Chess Festival is taking place at the Don Giovanni Hotel, bringing together elite competition and a wide programme of side events. In the first round on Wednesday, the Masters section kicks off with several attractive match-ups: top seed Vincent Keymer (pictured) has Black against Jorden van Foreest; World Champion Gukesh has White and faces Hans Niemann, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, winner of the Tata Steel Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, also plays White against Aravindh Chithambaram, winner of the Chess Festival Prague 2025. | Follow the action live starting at 15.00 CET (9.00 ET, 19.30 IST)

2/25/2026 – 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?

2/25/2026 – Netflix has announced "Untold: Chess Mates", a new documentary examining the controversy surrounding Hans Niemann's victory over Magnus Carlsen at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup. The film revisits Carlsen's withdrawal, the subsequent allegations of cheating and the intense public reaction that followed. It also places the dispute within the broader context of modern chess, including the growth of online play and the challenges it has created for trust and governance at the elite level. | Photo: Netflix

2/24/2026 – The Saint Louis Masters will take place from 25 February to 1 March as a nine-round Swiss invitational, bringing together a competitive international field. The event features a $100,000 prize fund and classical time controls, with 69 players taking part. World number three Fabiano Caruana is set to participate, ahead of a demanding schedule in March, which includes the American Cup and the Candidates Tournament. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

2/24/2026 – IM Nico Zwirs presents the Reversed Sicilian as a dynamic and practical weapon for White, especially suited to players who already use the Sicilian with Black and want to build on their existing understanding. Instead of a rigid, move-by-move repertoire, the course offers a flexible framework that helps you choose structures matching your style while learning how to deviate into less familiar setups when needed. Covering major Sicilian systems such as the Closed Sicilian, Najdorf, and Dragon, it explains how the extra tempo for White reshapes typical plans, strengthens attacking chances, and creates new strategic opportunities.

2/24/2026 – Dutch chess legend Jan Timman passed away earlier this week at the age of 74. In this week's show I'd like to pay tribute to his amazing chess career and share my personal experiences with Jan. I have a look at his spectacular victory in Hilversum, 1985 against the Garry Kasparov. It was Kasparov's first loss as a World Champion, and although it was perhaps not Jan's best game one could see the creative and adventurous attitude which were characteristic for him and brought him so many successes.

2/24/2026 – Racing rook's pawns: Should Black run or should he try to stop White's pawn majority?: Black to move and win.

2/24/2026 – The 2026 Romanian Chess Championships were held in Timișoara from 14 to 22 February, concluding after nine rounds of classical play across the Open, Women's and Amateurs sections. In the open event, Bogdan Deac claimed his second national title with a clear first-place finish. The women's championship was won by Corina Peptan (pictured), who secured her record-extending thirteenth national crown. | Photo: Romanian Chess Federation

2/23/2026 – From 24 February to 6 March 2026, the eighth Prague International Chess Festival will take place at the Don Giovanni Hotel, bringing together elite competition and a wide programme of side events. Headlined by world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, the festival features strong Masters and Challengers tournaments, a youth Futures event, alongside numerous opens and alternative formats for players of all levels. | Photo: Official website

2/23/2026 – What 106,000 young chess players reveal about gender gaps in education is revealed by an extensive study of youth chess ratings. This article is distilled from a panel discussion at the Mindsets Chess in Education Conference, produced by the National Scholastic Chess Foundation (NSCF) and the Kasparov Chess Foundation, and held in New York City in December 2025. It uncovers the challenges chess girls face in chess competitions.

2/23/2026 – Grandmaster Denis Kadrić has won his first national title at the Montenegrin Chess Championship, scoring 9/11 in a closely contested event decided in the final round. Held in Podgorica and organised by the Chess Federation of Montenegro, the championship saw Nikola Đukić take silver and Jovan Milović bronze. | Photos: Chess Federation of Montenegro