6/29/2026 – In his new ChessBase course, IM Kostya Kavutskiy focuses on one of the most important and challenging skills in chess: calculation. Drawing on more than 15 years of coaching experience and his work with ChessDojo, he presents key concepts, patterns and practical techniques to help players calculate more clearly and objectively. The course also includes challenging assessments with instructive puzzles, encouraging students to test their skills, avoid tempting but flawed solutions and continue improving even after completing the video lessons.

6/29/2026 – It was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Kasparov Chess Foundation Friendship Festival in Radenci. Combining world-class chess education with exciting competition, the day featured the 2nd European KCF Trainers Conference, the 2nd Albin Planinc Memorial Blitz Tournament, and the Children's U10 Tournament, all attended by the 13th World Chess Champion. Photos by Jernej Borovinšek

6/29/2026 – The President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation and the founder and the majority shareholder of Freedom Holding Corp., Timur Turlov, has nominated himself for the post of the Deputy President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The next elections to the FIDE leadership team will be held on September 26-27, 2026, in Samarkand (Uzbekistan), as part of the General Assembly of the International Chess Federation.

6/29/2026 – Welcome to The Initiative – a show dedicated to the relentless battle for momentum in chess! In every game, players fight to seize control, dictate the pace and keep their opponent on the back foot. But what does it really mean to have the initiative? How do the world's best players maintain pressure and transform small advantages into crushing attacks?

6/29/2026 – The second volume of the FritzTrainer Master Class series revisits the games and career of Mikhail Tal (pictured in 1959), the eighth world chess champion, combining biographical context with training material. The FritzTrainer examines Tal's openings, strategy, endgame play and tactical imagination through video lessons by Dorian Rogozenco, Mihail Marin, Oliver Reeh and Karsten Müller. Two examples, against Antonio Medina and Boris Spassky, show how Tal's calculation and attacking instinct shaped his best-known games. | Photo: Anefo / Dutch National Archive

6/28/2026 – The inaugural Naroditsky Memorial Rapid & Blitz will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, from 3 to 5 July 2026, combining open tournaments with elite showcase events across a three-day festival. Featuring a guaranteed $50,000 prize fund and offering FIDE Circuit and US Chess Grand Prix points, the competition is open to players of all ratings, with participation limited to 300 entrants. Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura and Javokhir Sindarov headline a programme that also includes a Creator Invitational and blitz finals.

6/28/2026 – The FIDE World Youth Chess Championships 2026 concluded in Montesilvano, Italy, with six new champions crowned across the under-14, under-16 and under-18 categories. The event brought together 758 players from 84 countries and produced several close finishes, including titles decided on tiebreaks and by final-round results. Azerbaijan, whose players won two individual gold medals, received the Best Federation Trophy ahead of Canada and Poland. | Photos: Mark Livshitz and Niklesh Jain

6/28/2026 – Do you know the powerful training tool in ChessBase´26? It's called "Replay Training"! This great feature lets you actively go through games move by move—sharpening your strategic and tactical understanding in a targeted way. Whether under time pressure or not, the choice is yours. Train in a realistic setting, get instant feedback, and systematically improve your play—whether you're a beginner or an ambitious tournament player. In this tutorial, we'll guide you step by step through how Replay Training works. Let's get started!

6/28/2026 – The International Chess Federation has introduced the FIDE Excellence Awards, a biennial programme recognising achievements across the global chess community during each Olympiad cycle. The first ceremony will be held in Samarkand in September 2026, during the Chess Olympiad. Nominations are open across regular and discretionary categories, covering players, federations, events, creators and social-impact projects. The deadline to submit nominations is 30 June.

6/27/2026 – Larry Christiansen is one of the finest players in the history of American chess. He was US Champion three times, represented the United States at nine Chess Olympiads, where he won a number of medals. In the Bundesliga, he played for SG Porz for many years and was once the league's top player with 12 points from 13 games. Today he turns 70. | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Austin Fuller

6/27/2026 – Svitlana Demchenko introduces the Ukrainian Variation from the Old Indian Defence and explains why it can lead to surprisingly comfortable positions for Black, especially if White accepts an early queen trade. The featured Soviet-era game between Lev Polugaevsky and Rashid Nezhmetdinov becomes a spectacular attacking lesson, where Black keeps the white king trapped in the centre and launches a dangerous pawn and piece storm. The episode ends with a beautiful queen sacrifice, a wild king hunt, and a forced mate that makes the line both instructive and highly entertaining.

6/27/2026 – Bilel Bellahcene and Shahenda Wafa won the African Chess Championship titles in Jwaneng, Botswana, both prevailing on tiebreaks after close finishes. Bellahcene defended his open title after sharing first place with Bassem Amin on 7½/9, while Wafa claimed her fourth continental crown after tying with her sister Shrook in the women's section. Banele Mhango and Sasha Mongeli completed the podiums with bronze-medal performances. | Photos: African Chess Confederation