2/19/2026 – Dutch grandmaster Jan Timman, an elite player from the 1970s, a nine-time national champion and former world number two, has passed away at the age of 74. He was known for his imaginative and attacking style of play, and his creative writings as a chess author. Timman was twice married and had two children. He will be sorely missed. | Photo: Lennart Ootes (2019)

2/19/2026 – Following a review of applications, a panel appointed by the FIDE Council has selected seventeen players, coaches and organisers for inclusion in the 2026 support programme for chess veterans. A total of €37,000 will be distributed among the beneficiaries. Since its launch twelve years ago, the programme has provided nearly €500,000 in assistance, recognising long-standing contributions to the game through individual profiles and career summaries.

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

2/17/2026 – Deep Blue was the first computer to win a match against the reigning World Champion. In May 1997, Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov in a six-game match by 3½–2½. Deep Blue was also the first computer ever to win a game under classical time control against a reigning World Champion - the first game of the first match between Deep Blue and Kasparov. In light of these successes, it is easy to forget that Kasparov won the first match 4–2 and at times made the supercomputer, which calculated an average of 126 million positions per second, look like little more than a competent beginner. Kasparov recognised the computer's potential at an early stage. | Photo: ChessBase

2/17/2026 – Were you able to solve the challenge positions we gave you last week? Were you able to defeat the diagrams, which defended tenatiously? Today we bring you all solutions, with very instructive video explanations by Jared Modica, a chess content creator from Austin, Texas. He shows us how to solve tatical lines of play, and how to handle pawns in endgames.

2/17/2026 – Miracle move: Usually rook endings have a large drawish tendency. But pawn races are different. But here Black is saved by a miracle as queen and g-pawn vs queen is often drawn: Black to move and draw.

2/16/2026 – On 16 February 1906, Vera Menchik was born. After the Russian Revolution, her family lost their property, her parents separated, and Vera Menchik moved to England with her mother. As she did not have a good command of the English language, she devoted herself to chess. In this way, she became the first woman to be invited to top tournaments. Today marks the 120th anniversary of her birth.