12/13/2025 – FIDE and Norway Chess have confirmed the qualification routes for the Total Chess Tour 2026, the pilot event of a new world championship concept combining Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz. The initiative, approved by FIDE, aims to identify the most versatile elite players and will lead into a full championship cycle from 2027. With places allocated through world titles, major championships and rating lists, the new Tour is set to add a distinctive pathway to the top level of competitive chess.

12/11/2025 – Today marks the end of the 2025 Freestyle Grand Slam Tour. Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian will battle it out in the final for the tournament victory, while Vincent Keymer and Javokhir Sindarov will play for third place. Arjun Erigaisi will face Fabiano Caruana in the match for fifth place, while Hans Niemann and Parham Maghsoodloo will play for seventh place. Follow the games live with commentary. | The matches start at 12.00 CET (6.00 ET, 16.30 IST)

12/7/2025 – FIDE has announced the passing of Casto Abundo, Executive Director of the Asian Chess Federation, whose five decades of service left a lasting mark on the global chess community. A respected arbiter and organiser, he played key roles in major international events and helped strengthen the institutional framework for chess across Asia. His leadership, dedication and ability to unite federations are widely recognised, and his legacy will continue to guide future generations.

12/3/2025 – Tomorrow (4 December) marks the official start of the Freestyle Finals in South Africa. The opening press conference at The Silo Hotel in Cape Town will be followed by a diving chess competition. From 8 December, the Grand Slam Finals will begin at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, featuring Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Vincent Keymer and Javokhir Sindarov, among others. | Photos: Freestyle Chess

12/2/2025 – Curious outcome: Although Alexey Sarana lost to both the runner-up and the third-placed player, he still secured victory at the KazChess Masters in Almaty by a full point. In a very strong field, the reigning World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin entered the final two rounds as the favourite: after seven of nine rounds he was leading the standings with 5 points and a half-point advantage. But he lost the direct encounter with Sarana in round 8. Murzin also failed to win his last game, allowing Sarana to pull away. | Photo: Alexey Sarana at the Tata Steel Tournament 2025 | Photo: Lennart Ootes

11/30/2025 – The European Blitz and Rapid Chess Championships are being held in Pristina, Kosovo, from 28 to 30 November. The Rapid Championship concluded on Friday and Saturday; the Blitz Championship follows on Sunday, with thirteen rounds of blitz chess (3+2) on the schedule. Vasyl Ivanchuk, Baadur Jobava, Jorden Van Foreest, Rasmus Svane and Christian Bauer are among the many top European players in the field. Follow the action live with commentary from 10:30 local time.

12/5/2025 – The XTX Markets London Chess Classic is a 10-player all-play-all tournament taking place from 26 November to 5 December at the Emirates Stadium, home to Arsenal Football Club. Four English players and six international representatives make up the lineup, which includes top seeds Alireza Firouzja and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 17.00 CET (11.00 ET, 21.30 IST)

11/28/2025 – The KazChess Masters in Almaty is coming to a close. In a strong field, reigning rapid chess world champion Volodar Murzin has the best prospects of winning the tournament: after 7 of 9 rounds, he leads with 5 points. But he faces a difficult remaining schedule. Today, he has Black against a direct rival. | Photo: Murzin at his World Championship triumph in 2024 (Michal Walusza)

11/26/2025 – Today marks the final day of the World Cup in Goa, which began on October 31. But the key question of who will play in the Candidates Tournament in March and April 2026 has already been settled: Wei Yi, Javokhir Sindarov and Andrey Esipenko are in. Now it’s “only” a matter of deciding who wins the tournament. That will be determined today in the tiebreak between Wei Yi and Sindarov. The winner takes home the title and 120,000 USD, the runner-up receives 85,000 USD. | Follow the action live with expert commentary starting at 10.30 CET (5.30 ET, 15.00 IST)

11/23/2025 – The World Women's Team Championship took place in Linares, Spain, from 18 to 23 November. The knockout stage saw Russia beating China in the semifinals, while Azerbaijan got the better of Kazakhstan. In the final, Russia (FIDE team) defeated Azerbaijan convincingly, while China grabbed third place. | Follow the games live starting at 13.30 CET (8.30 ET, 18.00 IST)

11/20/2025 – The Charlotte Chess Center and the Naroditsky family have launched the "Naroditsky Memorial and Fellowship Fund" to honour the life and work of GM Daniel Naroditsky, whose passing in October profoundly affected the chess community. The initiative aims to establish a permanent 4-million-dollar endowment supporting two projects dear to him: an annual elite blitz and rapid tournament in Charlotte and a fellowship for promising young players. | Image: Charlotte Chess Center

11/12/2025 – The World Chess Show returns with Episode 8, "The Price of the Game", premiering on 11 November across 156 markets and 53 networks worldwide. Produced by World Chess, the programme explores how chess has evolved from a niche pastime into a global industry. Featuring insights from key sponsors and innovators, it examines the commercial transformation of modern chess and the forces that continue to drive its growth and popularity. | Photo: World Chess

11/11/2025 – On November 11, 2025, the time has come: ChessBase’26 will be released and available in the ChessBase Shop. Don’t miss out — get ChessBase’26 with its many exciting new features! Look forward to the latest edition of your chess database software and order it from tomorrow in our shop. Then you can start enjoying all the new features right away.

11/10/2025 – The road to the World Chess Championship will lead to Cyprus in 2026, as the FIDE Candidates and Women's Candidates Tournaments take place side by side from 28 March to 16 April at the coastal Cap St. Georges Hotel & Resort near Paphos. Returning to Europe after Toronto 2024, the double event promises intense battles among the world's top players in one of the most prestigious and tradition-filled competitions.

11/9/2025 – FIDE has announced the winners of the 16th FIDE Trainer Awards, honouring outstanding achievements in global chess training for 2024. The recipients include Pavel Kotsur (Kazakhstan), Richard Rapport (Hungary, pictured) and Mikhail Kobalia (FIDE), recognised for their contributions to women's, open and junior competitions, respectively. The Book of the Year Award went to "Mastering Chess Endgame Calculation – Level 1" by Adrian Mikhalchishin and Tadej Sakelšek, published by Forward Chess. | Photo: Eng Chin An / FIDE

11/7/2025 – FIDE has announced that the World Women's Team Championship will take place in Linares, Spain, from 17 to 24 November. The event will feature 12 national teams, including China, India, the United States and the host nation Spain. With top players such as Hou Yifan, Carissa Yip and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh expected to compete, the championship promises a strong field in a city long associated with elite chess.

11/6/2025 – The World Amateur Chess Championship opened in Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia, bringing together around 300 players from over 50 countries across three rating categories: U1700, U2000 and U2300, in both Open and Women's sections. The ceremony at the Zepter Hotel featured addresses from local and FIDE officials, who praised the town’s growing chess tradition and emphasised the event’s role in celebrating the global community and enduring passion of amateur chess players. | Photo: Glass Pyramid in Vrnjacka Banja (Wikipedia) | All other photos: Savo Tufegszic

11/2/2025 – FIDE has announced the return of the ChessMom Project for the 46th Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan in 2026, expanding its support for professional women players who are also mothers. Building on the success of its 2024 debut in Budapest, the initiative provides financial assistance and logistical support to help mothers compete while caring for their young children. The 2026 edition will extend eligibility to players with children under two years old.