1/29/2026 – Today is a rest day in Wijk aan Zee. A good opportunity to revisit some of the finest games played in the tournament’s long history. Robert Ris helps. The popular Dutch IM, author, and trainer has selected and annotated seven outstanding games from Wijk aan Zee. As a gift, for free!

1/25/2026 – Manuel Petrosyan and Anahit Mkrtchyan won the Armenian National Championships in Yerevan, earning national titles and places in future international team events. The parallel round-robin tournaments were closely fought, with the open section decided in the final round and the women's title emerging from a sustained duel at the top. The event reflected the depth and competitiveness of Armenia's domestic chess scene. | Photos: Armenian Chess Federation

1/25/2026 – The grenke Chess Festival returns to Karlsruhe at Easter 2026, bringing together thousands of players for one of the world's largest chess gatherings. Alongside the traditional classical Open, the festival will stage a Freestyle Chess Open that serves as a qualifier for the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. With leading grandmasters expected and substantial prizes at stake, the event combines large-scale participation with direct international sporting significance.

1/23/2026 – Judit Polgár is a name that still electrifies today. This goes back to her meteoric rise – and that of her sisters – in the 1980s and 1990s. She climbed as high as eighth place in the world rankings – note, the open rankings, not the women’s list – and even defeated Garry Kasparov. Without doubt, this career offers more than enough material for a TV series. The planners at Netflix thought the same, and so Queen of Chess will appear on the streaming platform in February. Not only chess fans are likely to be curious. | Image material: Netflix

1/18/2026 – The FIDE Commission for Women's Chess co-organised the inaugural Pia Cramling Cup in Stockholm, combining a new women’s rapid tournament with a DGT Board Operator Certification Seminar during the Rilton Cup. Held in collaboration with Pia Cramling and the Stockholm Chess Federation, the event brought together players and professionals from several countries, highlighting both competitive opportunity and technical education as part of a broader effort to expand women’s participation across all levels of chess. | Pictured: Pia Cramling and Anastasia Sorokina

1/12/2026 – From February 13 to 15, 2026, the first official Freestyle World Championship will take place in Weissenhaus, Germany. One spot is still open, and it will be decided in an online qualification tournament organised by FIDE on chess.com. The two-day event, which will determine the coveted final available place, begins on January 14 at 16:00 CET (10:00 ET / 20:30 IST).

1/11/2026 – The final day of action in Kolkata sees the last nine of 3-minute blitz games in both sections. Wesley So and Carissa Yip entered the day as the sole leaders in the open and women's categories, respectively. | Follow the action live, with expert commentary starting at 15:00 local time (10:30 CET, 04:30 ET).

1/10/2026 – The Social and Educational Chess Conference will take place in Bhubaneswar from 14 to 16 January 2026, marking the launch of the FIDE Year of Chess in Education. Organised by FIDE in partnership with KIIT and the All India Chess Federation, the event will bring together educators, researchers and practitioners to examine how chess can be used as a structured tool for learning, inclusion and social development. The programme combines research, case studies and practical initiatives from around the world.

1/8/2026 – FIDE has revised the FIDE Circuit, a qualification pathway for participation in the Candidates Tournament. Among other changes, the number of tournaments taken into account has been increased, and the FIDE Circuit has been extended to cover a two-year period.

1/6/2026 – Five national federations, including the German Chess Federation, have filed a lawsuit against FIDE with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Through the legal action, the federations are challenging the decisions adopted by the General Assembly of the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) on 14 December 2025 concerning the participation of Russian and Belarusian national teams in international chess competitions.

1/5/2026 – The two-part Réti course by Austrian GM Felix Blohberger is an opening FritzTrainer aimed primarily at conveying knowledge that can be applied in practical games. The player, coach and YouTuber offers in-depth insights into his own repertoire and the thinking that led him to the variations recommended there. One of his students, Peter Balint, managed to win an excellent game just a few days ago, naturally opening with the Réti. Blohberger presents the game in video format.

1/4/2026 – The Kenya National Chess Championship 2025 concluded in Nairobi with new champions crowned after six demanding days of classical play. Thirteen-year-old Jadon Simiyu claimed the open title, becoming the youngest national champion in the country's history, while Jully Mutisya secured the women's crown with a decisive final-round victory. Beyond the results, the event marked a significant step forward for Kenyan chess, combining strong organisation, equal prizes and qualification places for the 2026 Chess Olympiad. | Photos: Chess Kenya

1/3/2026 – The 2025 Hong Kong International Open Chess Championship, organized by the Hong Kong China Chess Federation, concluded successfully at Wan Chai's Queen Elizabeth Stadium. The event attracted over 400 players from 30 regions, including Australia, the United States, Germany, Korea, India and Southeast Asia. The total prize fund was boosted by nearly 20% from the previous edition, with over 80 titled players competing for the title.

1/2/2026 – The Kakuma Chess Club continued its steady growth in 2025, reaching more than 2,300 children and young people across the Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee camps. Supported by FIDE and international partners, the programme combined structured chess training, girls' empowerment initiatives and competitive opportunities, while focusing on life skills, wellbeing and social cohesion. This report outlines the year's activities, achievements and partnerships, highlighting how chess is being used as an educational and protective tool in challenging environments. | Photos: FIDE

1/2/2026 – The year 2026 will once again be a major year for chess, with a wide range of top-class tournaments. Here is a list of the dates of the major tournaments, as far as they have already been confirmed. The list will be continuously updated as new dates are announced.

12/30/2025 – Tuesday marks the final day of the World Blitz Championships in Doha. Both the open and the women's sections will be decided in four-player knockouts once the first stage (Swiss opens lasting 19 and 15 rounds respectively) come to an end. The time control throughout is 3+2. | Follow the action live with expert commentary starting at 12.00 CET (6.00 ET, 16.30 IST)

12/27/2025 – Only 13 of FIDE's 201 member federations are currently led by women, but that number reflects a gradual shift in chess governance. In this feature, Milan Dinic speaks with four women presidents of national chess federations, exploring how they reached leadership roles and what women can contribute to chess beyond competition. Their stories highlight different paths into administration and reflect broader changes in how the game is organised, governed and represented worldwide.

12/25/2025 – We wish all chess friends and readers a merry and peaceful Christmas. For a musical accompaniment, Grandmaster Jonathan Levitt provides a special Christmas song. | Photo: Buffy