2/19/2026 – A 12-game match between Ediz Gürel and Jorden van Foreest was held in Ankara from 11 to 17 February under the auspices of the Turkish Chess Federation and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Combining classical, Freestyle and blitz formats with a weighted scoring system, the encounter tested versatility across time controls. Van Foreest established control in the classical section and maintained his advantage through to the final day.

2/19/2026 – The 15th Women's Grandmaster Chess Festival – Krystyna Hołuj-Radzikowska Memorial – has brought leading female players to Poland for a team match between Poland and the Rest of the World. After three rounds, the hosts hold a narrow lead, while Austria's Olga Badelka tops the individual standings. The event honours nine-time Polish champion Krystyna Hołuj-Radzikowska and combines elite competition with a broader festival programme. | Image: Official website

2/18/2026 – FIDE has confirmed the qualification routes for the 2026 FIDE Women's Freestyle Chess World Championship, establishing a structured pathway into the 8-player event. Bibisara Assaubayeva (pictured) has already secured her place after winning an exhibition match in Weissenhaus. The remaining spots will be decided through the Grenke Freestyle Open, rating-based invitations, an online qualifier for titled players and designated over-the-board qualifying events. | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes

2/18/2026 – Chess has long been treated as more than a game. With its fixed rules and opposing sides, it offers a compact model of conflict, balance and choice. The board becomes a space where order and unpredictability meet, and where every move carries consequence. This article considers chess not simply as strategy, but as a reflection of the tensions that shape thought, action and the wider world. | Photo: Magnus Carlsen | Photo: Lennart Ootes (Archive)

2/18/2026 – I have a look the game Mamedyarov-Ibrahimli from the second round of the Azerbaijan Championships. Interestingly, the two players followed for a very long time my game against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave from Reykjavik 2013! In a Flohr-Mikenas System, White voluntarily accepted to play with isolated doubled pawns on the c-file in order to develop a lot of play with its major pieces through the center. The similarities between both games is simply striking and are absolute modelgames from White's perspective. Still, a well-prepared Black player should be able to neutralize this concept, but when caught by surprise I can tell you from my own experience that these positions are highly unpleasant to play with Black!

2/17/2026 – US grandmaster Awonder Liang travelled to Sharjah to face Saleh Salem in the 12-game "Battle of the Minds", a mixed-format match held from 7 to 12 February. Combining rapid, classical and blitz chess, the contest remained closely balanced throughout. An early lead in the rapid segment ultimately enabled Liang to secure a narrow 8½–7½ victory. | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Saint Louis Chess Club

2/14/2026 – In this episode of Svitlana’s Smart Moves, Svitlana introduces the concept “move first, think later,” encouraging players to start with concrete candidate moves based on intuition and pattern recognition, and only afterward justify them with general principles. Through several tactical examples, she shows how strong moves arise naturally from experience rather than abstract reasoning about positional features. The key takeaway is that in practical play, it’s often more effective to trust your instincts, calculate actively, and refine your logic afterward, rather than getting stuck searching for rules before finding a move.

2/14/2026 – The rapid round-robin on the opening day of the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship determined the four semifinalists for the 2026 title. Magnus Carlsen finished first on 4½/7, followed by Vincent Keymer, Fabiano Caruana and Nodirbek Abdusattorov on 4 points. Qualification was only settled in the final round, setting up Saturday's knockout matches: Carlsen chose to play Abdusattorov, which meant Caruana and Keymer will face off in the other semi. | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes

2/14/2026 – With ChessBase '26, ChessBase presents a new version of its long-standing database software, which is less about minor improvements and more about a strategic further development of the entire system. For decades, ChessBase has been the benchmark for professional chess databases, opening preparation, opponent analysis, and game management at the highest level. In this review, Lukas Köpl focuses on the new features of the current version and examines them from the perspective of a player and trainer.

2/13/2026 – Robert Ris presents 14-year-old prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, who impressed at Tata Steel Masters and scored 7/13 against elite opposition. In a sharp English Opening battle against Arjun Erigaisi, Erdogmus demonstrates deep preparation, fearless play, and precise calculation, including dynamic piece activity and strong strategic decisions. The game eventually transforms into a complex endgame where his bishop pair and powerful passed pawns take over, sealing a remarkable victory for the young talent.

2/13/2026 – The Kasparov Chess Foundation Academy will host a live online lecture by Polish GM Mateusz Bartel on February 15, 2026. The event is part of KCF Academy’s ongoing program dedicated to providing world-class chess education to the chess community around the globe. Keep February 15, 18:00 CET free to listen to him – and learn all about prophylaxis in dynamic positions.

2/13/2026 – To mark March as a month celebrating women, the FIDE Commission for Women's Chess is inviting federations, clubs and organisers worldwide to join the 2026 Chess Women's Day Celebration under the theme "Visible, Connected, Worldwide". Following last year's global initiative, the campaign encourages tournaments, workshops and community events that promote women and girls in chess, linking local activities into a shared international network throughout the month. | Image: FIDE