6/26/2026 – In the diagram position White has the octopus knight d6, control of the c-file - and after 28.Be4! f5?? suddenly everything he needs to win! Can you guess what followed?

6/26/2026 – FIDE has opened its new Shenzhen Office in Qianhai, following an inauguration ceremony attended by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and Chinese sports official He Fengxiang. The two sides discussed further cooperation in event organisation, youth training, cultural exchange and chess development, with Shenzhen set to serve as a hub linking FIDE's work with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and broader chess activity across China. | Photo: Liang Ziming

6/25/2026 – In the ChessBase training course "The Bulletproof 1.b3 Repertoire", GM Andy Woodward explains how White can meet King’s Indian setups after 1.b3. He presents two practical systems: a sharper setup with e3, Be2 and d4, where White challenges Black’s central play, and a quieter positional approach with c4 and a double fianchetto. The lesson shows the course’s main idea well: giving players a simple, practical and venomous repertoire that avoids heavy theory while still creating uncomfortable problems for Black.

6/25/2026 – From 25 to 28 June 2026, the Sheraton in Lima, Peru becomes the stage for one of the most unusual chess festivals of the year. Eight tournaments, elite simultaneous exhibitions, a top showdown, US$100,000 prize fund and a clock that essentially never stops for four days and nights for chess. Here is everything you need to know about the World Record Chess Marathon.

6/25/2026 – Peter Dankert was one of Hamburg's best players in the 1970s. He was Hamburg junior champion, German Cup winner, competed in German championships, played in the Bundesliga and was invited to international tournaments. His life came to a tragically premature end. Memories of a wonderful player and a great person. | Photos: Private collection

6/25/2026 – This week we'll have a look at the spectacular miniature played between two GMs at the UzChess Cup. Brandon Jacobson is known for his creative opening play, and he definitely surprised his opponent Jakhongir Vakhidov, by playing the Closed Sicilian with g2-g3. This variation used to be a very popular choice for White players avoiding loads of theory compared with the Open Variations. In this episode I'll bring an update on the latest trends in this variation and explain White's thematical ideas building up a kingside attack. Caught by surprise, the Uzbek GM failed to respond adequately and soon found himself in big trouble. White's pieces were flowing over the board and reached natural squares to contribute to the attack. An absolute modelgame for White how to play these positions as the thematical attacking ideas and sacrifices were perfectly carried out by the American GM.

6/23/2026 – Chola Chess is building a dedicated space for India's strong chess players to train and improve. It is led by R. B. Ramesh and Aarthie Ramaswamy, and supported by a committed team. With consistent camps and serious training, it has already impacted over 1300 players across the country. In this article, we take a look at some of the positions studied during a Chola Chess camp. Take your time and see if you can solve them. | Pictured: GM Debashis Das | Photo: Chola Chess

6/22/2026 – The Lyon Olympique Échecs club has just sent out an alert to 17,500 chess players and 2,500 other contacts. The message reads: "Surrealists and Chess – for €40, help us save a 19th-century workshop right in the heart of Lyon!" A support committee has been set up, which comprises writers, poets, painters, photographers, gallery owners, doctors, politicians, lawyers, bankers and more. Now it's time for the chess community to join.

6/22/2026 – Were you able to solve the problems we gave you last Sunday? Find the absurd-looking key 1.Kh3 to solve the position shown here? We brought you four tricky mating positions, with the diagrams defending – refuting any bad moves you played. Today we bring you all the solutions, with full video explanations. And a full replayer which allows you to go through all the lines. Learn and enjoy.

6/22/2026 – Cape Town will host the African continental stage of the World School Team Chess Championship from 6 to 11 July 2026, marking the next step in the new FIDE and ISCF cycle. The event, part of the Chess in Education Year initiative, will bring together national school teams from across Africa, with the leading sides qualifying for the Grand Final in December. Further continental stages will follow in the Americas and Europe.

6/21/2026 – Dragon Chilling completed a double triumph at the World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships in Hong Kong, adding the blitz title to their rapid victory. Led by Ding Liren, the Chinese squad defeated Endgame.AI in the final with two 5-1 wins, after surviving tiebreaks in the previous rounds. Uzbekistan took bronze after beating Hexamind in the consolation match, while WR Chess recovered from their quarterfinal exit to finish fifth. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

6/21/2026 – On World Refugee Day 2026, FIDE has highlighted the continued development of its Chess for Protection project, created with UNHCR and partner organisations to support displaced communities through chess. The initiative, active in Kakuma and Kalobeyei, has trained thousands of children and will now expand to Bangladesh. A further milestone will come in September, when Refugee Olympic Teams make their first appearance at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. | Photos: Stev Bonhage, Denis Burko and Rawful Alam