1/26/2026 – The long-standing tournament in Wijk aan Zee offers a wealth of chess content, stories, images and interesting personalities. The following report takes a look behind the scenes, with background information and interviews. For example, you can meet the man behind the fantastic live experience on the Tata Steel Chess website, Menno Pals (pictured). | Photos: Nils Rhode / Interviews: André Schulz and Arne Kähler

1/23/2026 – Magnus had recently seemed somewhat weary of tournaments with classical time controls, but the organisers of the TePe Sigeman & Co Tournament (1–7 May 2026) have now rather surprisingly announced the participation of the world number one. Carlsen last played in Malmö as a 14-year-old. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

1/17/2026 – Today, on 17 January 2026, Maia Chiburdanidze celebrates her 65th birthday. For a long time, she was the best female chess player in the world, a world champion and a multiple gold medallist at Chess Olympiads. Like no other, Maia Chiburdanidze represents the golden era of Georgian women's chess, though she initially competed under the Soviet flag.

1/15/2026 – The Estonian diplomat and chess enthusiast Mart Tarmak organized a consultation game between politicians and diplomats at the Estonian Embassy in Vilnius in commemoration of Paul Keres on the occasion of his 110th birthday. Viktorija Cmilyte and Peter Heine Nielsen led the teams. | Photos: Embassy of Estonia in Vilnius

1/13/2026 – The Tata Steel Masters is the youngest Masters tournament in Wijk aan Zee history. With Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, a 14-year-old has even qualified as a participant. And in the Challengers, twelve-year-old Faustino Oro (pictured) is hoping to follow in his footsteps. Which of the young guns from ten years ago have made it to the world elite? | Photo: Tata Steel Masters/ Jurriaan Hoefsmit

1/12/2026 – The former fishing village of Wijk aan Zee is world-famous, at least in the chess world. Virtually all world-class players, including almost all world champions, have passed through here. The long-standing sponsor has always been the steelworks in IJmuiden. The chess tradition is very old. Fifty years ago, some things were different from today, but much was already much the same as it is now. | Photo: Rob Mieremet, Anefo

1/7/2026 – At Christmas 2025, Stefan Löffler delighted readers of his chess column in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung—one of Germany’s leading national newspapers—with a Christmas story. Forty years earlier, Garry Kasparov, still not yet world champion, had played a clock simul against the Bundesliga team of Hamburger SK and lost. Two years later, Kasparov returned to Hamburg as world champion. This time he won the rematch, and during the visit encountered a remarkable new development that was to change the game profoundly: a chess database.

12/30/2025 – Vladimir Kramnik has filed a lawsuit against the World Chess Federation FIDE before a Swiss civil court. The former world champion announced on his X account that he personally dropped off the opening documents of the lawsuit in the mailbox of FIDE’s headquarters in Lausanne. It is assumed that Kramnik is going on the offensive against FIDE after the World Chess Federation had initiated proceedings against the former world champion. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

12/28/2025 – Garry Kasparov has been put on a wanted list for arrest in absentia by a Russian court. The court followed an indictment against the former world champion on charges of justifying terrorism and planning a coup. The 13th world champion, who lives in the United States, has been placed on an international wanted list. | Photo: Kasparov.com

12/25/2025 – One of the world’s most famous chess cafés is Simpson’s-in-the-Strand in London, which is also among the city’s best-known restaurants. It was here that the “Immortal Game” was played. After several years of closure, the historic venue has now reopened — and chess will once again be played there on a regular basis.

12/21/2025 – In the Czech Extraliga, multiple teams from the same club have recently been allowed to compete. However, this has done nothing to diminish the dominance of record champions Nový Bor. Michal Vávra of Moravská Slavia Brno, meanwhile, continues to provide the most eye-catching support beside the boards. | Pictured: Michal Vávra and chess ambassador Karolína Sirotňuková wearing the new Moravská Slavia cap | Photos: Vladimír Jágr

12/20/2025 – Vladimir Fedoseev was one of the first Russian chess players to speak out critically against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He switched to the Slovenian association and never wants to represent Russia again. The Russian Minister of Sport has now stripped him of his Russian honorary titles. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

12/16/2025 – Last week, Vlastimil Hort found his final resting place at Prague's Vyšehrad National Cemetery. It was "Vlasti's" wish to be buried in his hometown. His family, friends and companions gave him a final send-off – with a glass of champagne, for a special reason.

12/11/2025 – 11 December 2025 marks the 120th anniversary of Ludwig Engels's birthday. He was one of the best German chess players in the 1930s. Following the 1939 Chess Olympiad, he, like many others, remained in South America due to the outbreak of the Second World War and settled in Brazil. At the height of his career, Engels defeated renowned players such as Alekhine, Bogoljubow, Keres and Maroczy. | Photo source: Friedrich-Karl Hebeker

12/3/2025 – At the second Jerusalem Chess Festival, Arseniy Nesterov and Evgeny Alekseev qualified for the Masters as the best players in the Open and faced ten invited participants there. Svidler, Anand, Nepomniachtchi and Erigaisi advanced from the round-robin tournament of the Masters to the knockout stage. The semi-finals and finals will be played today. | Photos: Tournament website/ Alon Shulman

12/2/2025 – Alongside the elite tournament, the London Chess Classic also includes a well-attended open event. The world's highest-rated junior player, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, is the favourite and is also in the lead after seven rounds - though not alone. Tied with Pragg on 5½ are Velimir Ivic, Pranav Anand, David Gavrilescu, Daniel Fernandez and Ameet Ghasi. | Photos: London Chess Classic

12/2/2025 – 145 years ago, on 1 December 1880, Akiba Rubinstein was born, perhaps the strongest player of his time who never had the chance to play a World Championship match. For more than 20 years, Rubinstein was one of the leading players in the world, but his life took a tragic turn.

12/1/2025 – FIDE has just published its new World Ranking List. Vincent Keymer, Germany’s top player, has established himself in fourth place on the Elo list and firmly among the world’s elite. Magnus Carlsen, the world’s highest-rated player, also gained Elo. The best women come from China, and the best juniors from India.