4/10/2026 – Bodhana Sivanandan comes across as an exceptionally calm, self-driven young talent whose love for chess seems to grow naturally from curiosity, beauty, and enjoyment rather than pressure or ego. In the interview, she talks about her admiration for Capablanca, her instinctive feel for endgames, and her practical approach to improvement, often learning simply by playing, spotting mistakes, and correcting them for next time. She also reflects with striking maturity on losses, fame, expectations, and long-term goals, showing that she prefers to focus on steady progress instead of forcing milestones or assumptions about the future. Overall, the conversation paints a picture of a rare chess prodigy who is already highly accomplished, yet remains grounded, thoughtful, and fully focused on becoming the best player she can be.

4/10/2026 – The Polish Chess Federation is hosting the 2026 European Championship in Katowice. The tournament runs on 7-19 April with 501 players competing for the Continental title, prize money and one of the 20 qualifying places for the next edition of the World Cup. Igor Kovalenko (Ukraine), David Anton (Spain) and Bogdan-Daniel Deac (Romania) are the highest-rated participants. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 15.00 CEST (9.00 ET, 18.30 IST)

4/10/2026 – 40th move In the diagram position Black wins through passed pawn power and not least good nerves - enjoy!

4/10/2026 – Vaishali Rameshbabu moved into sole first place in round ten of the Women's Candidates Tournament after drawing with Anna Muzychuk, as former co-leader Zhu Jiner was defeated by Bibisara Assaubayeva (pictured). Aleksandra Goryachkina also scored an important win, as she got the better of Divya Deshmukh. With four rounds to go, the standings remain closely packed and several players still have realistic chances. | Photo: FIDE / Niki Riga

4/10/2026 – Javokhir Sindarov extended his lead at the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus by defeating Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in a sharp game to reach six wins in ten rounds (with no losses). Anish Giri, who remains in sole second place, was held to a draw by Hikaru Nakamura, while Fabiano Caruana also drew. With four rounds remaining, Sindarov now leads by two points. | Photo: FIDE / Niki Riga

4/9/2026 – Following the hugely successful miniseries "The Queen's Gambit" and the documentary on Judit Polgar "The Queen of Chess", Netflix is bringing another chess-themed story to the screen. The documentary "Untold: Chess Mates" focuses on the controversy involving Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann. It premiered this week. | Photo: Screenshots from the series / Netflix

4/9/2026 – The Candidates Tournaments form the final qualifying stage of the FIDE World Championship cycle. Each tournament features eight of the world's strongest players competing in a double round-robin format over fourteen rounds of classical chess. Sole leader Javokhir Sindarov plays white against Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in Thursday's tenth round. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 14.30 CEST (8.30 ET, 18.00 IST) | Photo: Michal Walusza

4/9/2026 – In the course “Mastering the London System,” Grandmaster Elisabeth Pähtz presents the classical London System with an early Bf4 and explains the dynamic structures and ideas that arise from it. She systematically covers Black’s main responses and compares the classical London with the Neo London to build a complete and modern repertoire. The focus is on practical understanding, enabling players of all levels to use the London System confidently and flexibly in tournament play.

4/9/2026 – Head-to-head records between the participants of the Candidates Tournaments provide useful context for each pairing. Drawing on data compiled via Mega Database 2026, the key statistics from past encounters highlight imbalances and trends. While such figures are not decisive, they offer an additional perspective on how rivalries have developed before a tournament that will determine the next challenger for the world title.

4/9/2026 – Vaishali Rameshbabu and Zhu Jiner are sharing the lead after round nine of the Women's Candidates Tournament, following wins over Divya Deshmukh and Kateryna Lagno, respectively. Anna Muzychuk drew her game against Tan Zhongyi despite holding a positional advantage and now stands in sole third place, half a point behind. Deshmukh and Lagno trail by another half point, with five rounds remaining and the contest for first place still closely contested. | Photo: FIDE / Niki Riga

4/9/2026 – Anish Giri moved into sole second place at the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus after defeating Fabiano Caruana with the black pieces in Wednesday's ninth round. Leader Javokhir Sindarov was held to a draw by Matthias Bluebaum after missing winning chances, leaving him 1½ points ahead of Giri. The remaining two games were drawn, including a tense encounter in which Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu failed to convert a clear advantage against Wei Yi. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

4/8/2026 – Together with his brother Robert, Donald Byrne was among the best players in the United States in the 1970s. He won many games, but he became best known for a loss — against the then little-known Bobby Fischer. Donald Byrne died 50 years ago from an autoimmune disease. He was only 45 years old.