6/16/2026 – FIDE launched a revised championship cycle for the under-8, under-10 and under-12 age groups in 2026, with the first World Cadets Cup U8-U12 scheduled for 15-28 June in Batumi, Georgia. The event serves as a qualifying stage ahead of the World Cadets Championships, with separate boys' and girls' tournaments in three age categories, under-8, under-10 and under-12.

6/16/2026 – The World Youth Chess Championships 2026 are taking place in Montesilvano, Italy, from 14 to 27 June. Organised by FIDE, the Italian Chess Federation and UniChess, the event features under-14, under-16 and under-18 sections, with open and girls' tournaments in each category. The 11-round Swiss competitions take place at the Congress Center Pala Dean Martin. | Photo: FIDE

6/15/2026 – Mukhiddin Madaminov won the UzChess Cup in Tashkent after defeating Shamsiddin Vokhidov in blitz tiebreaks. The 19-year-old Uzbek player, the lowest-rated participant in the Masters section, had entered the field only after Javokhir Sindarov's withdrawal. Madaminov and Vokhidov finished level after drawing their final-round games with the black pieces, before Madaminov won both blitz games to take first place. | Photo: Official website

6/15/2026 – In this episode of ChessBase Tips for Beginners, viewers learn several practical ways to add games to their own chess databases. The video explains how to create a new database, transfer games with drag and drop, manually enter games from scoresheets, and save them with all relevant details. It also demonstrates how to build opening research databases by copying annotated reference games from similar positions, making it easier to organize training material and improve chess understanding.

6/15/2026 – Felix Blohberger defeated David Navara 3½-2½ in a six-game match held at the offices of the Austrian Chess Federation in Vienna. Five games were drawn, with Blohberger's win in game three proving decisive. The Austrian grandmaster organised the match as part of his effort to approach the 2600 Elo mark, while also providing post-game analysis of each encounter on his YouTube channel. | Photo: Emilia Castelao

6/15/2026 – The third edition of the UzChess Cup is taking place on 7-15 June in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Four Uzbek representatives face six international grandmasters in a single round-robin with a classical time control. Shamsiddin Vokhidov and Mukhiddin Madaminov are tied for first place after seven rounds. | Photo: Official website | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 12.00 CEST (6.00 ET, 15.30 IST)

6/12/2026 – The lineups for the 2026 World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships have been confirmed, with 43 teams and more than 300 players set to compete in Hong Kong. Previous front-runners WR Chess, Hexamind and Team MGD1 return with strong squads, while Dragon Chilling, led by Ding Liren, adds further interest. With many of the world's leading rapid and blitz players involved, the fourth edition features considerable depth across the field.

6/12/2026 – This event takes place from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 June 2026. Coming to Lyon – and in particular to the Lyon Olympique Échecs club – are a World Vice-Champion and European Champion, one French champion and one World Chess Champion! The hosts are delighted to announce the visit of Anna Ushenina, 2012 Women's World Chess Champion, for the event!

6/12/2026 – Strictly speaking White's winning combination from the diagram requires calculating five moves ahead. Otherwise, just start with three – and look forward to a beautiful finish!

6/12/2026 – Shamsiddin Vokhidov took the sole lead at the UzChess Cup after scoring his third consecutive win in Tashkent, defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi with the white pieces. The 24-year-old Uzbek grandmaster now stands on 3½/5, half a point ahead of Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Arjun Erigaisi and Mukhiddin Madaminov. Madaminov also won in round five, beating Shakhriyar Mamedyarov with the black pieces. | Photo: Official website

6/11/2026 – Jon Speelman returns to the importance of seeing the whole board when calculating, using a series of positions in which small changes far from the main action transform the evaluation. Examples include back-rank motifs, a double bishop sacrifice inspired by Emanuel Lasker v. Johann Bauer and an adjourned game involving Alexander Kotov and Glenn Lambert. The focus is on tactical awareness, pawn moves, quiet resources and the need to continue variations until the position becomes stable.

6/11/2026 – Svitlana Demchenko explores the fascinating concept of attacking a king castled on the same side, using a brilliant classic game by former world champion Alexander Alekhine as the main example. She explains how strong attacks do not always require reckless pawn storms, but can instead be built slowly through piece improvement, central control, and restricting the opponent’s counterplay before striking at exactly the right moment. The episode culminates in a stunning tactical finish beginning with a central breakthrough and ending in a beautiful double check mating pattern, while also teaching important attacking concepts such as identifying hooks near the king, preparing attacks patiently, and coordinating pieces before launching the final assault.