11/12/2026 – Twenty-five years ago today, on 12 November 2001, English chess lost one of its finest players, Anthony Miles. He was the first English player ever to be awarded the title of international grandmaster by FIDE. Miles was among the world's top ten players for a time. His death came as a great surprise. | Photo: British Chess News

11/11/2026 – Opening preparation for a World Championship match was recently published on X. Gukesh and Sindarov need not worry, however. The whistleblower is Peter Heine Nielsen (pictured), and the secrets he revealed are already 15 years old. And then even older preparation came to light...

11/7/2026 – Born in Latvia, Aaron Nimzowitsch was one of the most important players and theorists of the first third of the 20th century, influencing generations of chess players with his strategic ideas. His life, however, was far from easy and sadly cut short. Today marks the 140th anniversary of his birth. | Photo: J. Graudenz

11/6/2026 – The Total Chess World Championship series is a new tournament format combining three different time controls: fast classic, rapid and blitz. The winner of the series will be crowned the FIDE World Combined Champion. Both the winner and the runner-up will then qualify for the Candidates Tournament for the classical World Championship. How did this format come about? | Photo: Michal Walusza / Norway Chess

11/4/2026 – In 1974, Eugenio Torre became the first Asian chess player to earn the grandmaster title. At his peak, the Filipino was among the world's elite and capable of beating any of the leading players. Torre also holds the record for the most appearances at Chess Olympiads, having competed in 23 editions. He was also one of the few people to maintain a close friendship with Bobby Fischer over many years. Today, Eugenio Torre celebrates his 75th birthday. | Photo: Reykjavik Open

11/2/2026 – The US Chess Championships and the European Club Cup were the most important tournaments of the past month, bringing about a number of changes in the rankings of the world's top players. Magnus Carlsen, Hou Yifan, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and Alice Lee top the rankings in their respective categories. Meanwhile, Nihal Sarin entered the world top 20 and Hans Niemann dropped below the 2700 mark.

11/1/2026 – Born on 1 November 1906, Vasily Panov was not among the leading Soviet chess players of his generation. However, he was a prominent figure as an author and theoretician. Many players know his name as the inventor of the Panov Attack, which was named after him. Yet Panov's career also had a darker side.

10/30/2026 – The London chess café Simpson's-in-the-Strand was, for a time, a meeting place for the world's leading players. Now, thanks to Jeremy King and Jason Kouchak, the historic venue is enjoying a revival not only as a top restaurant but also as a gathering place for chess enthusiasts. | Photos: Chiao Lee

10/30/2026 – Bobby Fischer fans in particular will probably be familiar with the name Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren. At the Interzonal Tournament in Sousse 1967, Fischer defeated him in a brilliant game that is still frequently cited. On 26 October, the multiple Mongolian champion, who represented his country on numerous occasions, died at the age of 88. | Foto: https://montsame.mn/

10/21/2026 – In the top clashes of round four, Alkaloid, SuperChess Romania and Novy Bor secured important victories, putting themselves in a strong position for the final stages. Alongside Cero Invest Nitra, the underdogs in the leading group, they are tied for first place with perfect records. In the Women's Cup, Monte-Carlo were defeated by Gambit Bonnevoie. | Photos: Gerd Densing

10/18/2026 – The World Championship match between Gukesh Dommaraju and Javokhir Sindarov is approaching. The contest gets underway on 24 November in Cologny, near Geneva. Who will be helping the two contenders this time? Sindarov will be able to count on the assistance of his compatriot Abdusattorov, among others, as Abdusattorov himself recently revealed. | Photo: UzChess / Yoav Nis

10/17/2026 – From 17 to 23 October, Budva in Montenegro will host the European Club Cup. With over 100 teams competing in the open section and 22 teams in the women's competition, it is a large-scale event. The favourites, in each of the sections, are teams from Türkiye and Monaco. The highest-rated players in the field are Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Wei Yi and Anish Giri. | Image: European Chess Union

10/15/2026 – Today, Rafael Vaganian celebrates his 75th birthday. In 1971, he became the first Armenian chess player after Tigran Petrosian to be awarded the grandmaster title by FIDE. He won numerous medals in team competitions representing the Soviet Union and Armenia, was at one point ranked fourth in the world and played for SG Porz in the German Bundesliga for many years. | Photo: Frank Hoppe

10/13/2026 – The German Chess Bundesliga is known for its continuity. For decades, it has operated under well-established rules, although players, spectators and arbiters have not always agreed on how to apply them. A particularly curious case arose in the 1986/87 season: A match started late, raising the question of whether a grandmaster had arrived on time. What followed was a furious battle over the rules, a series of appeals, a replayed match, a relegation play-off and repeated changes to which team would be relegated. | Photo: Dr Robert Hübner playing in the Bundesliga in the 1980s (All photos courtesy of Eising and Treppner, Schachbundesliga)

10/13/2026 – At the Shenzhen Masters, China's leading players faced young talents. The matches were contested in a knockout format, with four rapid games per encounter. In the event of a draw, blitz tiebreaks decided the matches. Defending champion Ding Liren faced Yu Yangyi in the final match. After a lengthy battle, Yu Yangyi came out on top. | Photos: Chinese Chess Association

10/11/2026 – Among all the Chess Olympiads held throughout history, the 1936 tournament in Munich occupies a special place. FIDE did not officially recognise the event as a Chess Olympiad. Nevertheless, the competition between national teams met all the requirements. Like in 2026, the German team also won the bronze medal on this occasion. | Photos: Ferenc Chalupetzky / Tournament Book

10/8/2026 – This is not an advertisement! The 'amateur move' 3.Bc4 (without a subsequent d2-d4) against the Sicilian Defence, combined with a setup resembling the Italian Game, is becoming increasingly popular. Even top professionals are now using this system successfully, first in online blitz and now also in classical over-the-board games. At the Chess Olympiad, Michael Adams used it to defeat Etienne Bacrot. | Photo: Michal Walusza

10/7/2026 – Older readers will remember. In the old days, before the invention of the internet, you actually had to meet in person to play chess. In blitz chess, you sat opposite one another, saw each other and even talked. It was a sociable affair and, at times, rather boisterous. In Hamburg last weekend, a secret gathering of veterans took place. "From Dusk till Dawn" was the motto.