2/2/2026 – Following the recent announcement of the cooperation agreement between FIDE and Freestyle Chess, the International Chess Federation has now published the qualification paths for the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2027. The 2027 Championship will feature a compact field of eight players who will secure a seat in a cycle of events that will span from April 2026 to January 2027, featuring both online and over-the-board tournaments.

1/28/2026 – The Grand Chess Tour will return in 2026 with a full season of classical, rapid and blitz events, a $2 million overall prize fund and the Finals staged in Saint Louis. Featuring a field of leading grandmasters, including world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and recent Tour winner Fabiano Caruana (pictured), the circuit continues its established format of elite tournaments across multiple time controls, with the top performers advancing to a knockout finale. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

1/24/2026 – The grenke Chess Festival will return to Karlsruhe over Easter 2026, bringing together thousands of players for parallel classical and Freestyle opens. For the first time, the Freestyle event will serve as a qualifier for the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship, adding direct sporting stakes to the established festival format. Leading figures including Magnus Carlsen and Vincent Keymer are set to feature in one of the largest open gatherings in world chess. | Photo: Stev Bonhage

1/24/2026 – The European Chess Union has announced the creation of the European Chess Super League, a new elite club competition scheduled to debut in 2027. Featuring eight leading clubs and a substantial prize fund, the event aims to bring top-level team chess into a dedicated continental format. Organisers also confirmed plans for a corresponding Women's Super League, underlining a broader effort to expand the profile of club chess in Europe.

1/20/2026 – Norway Chess will enter a new chapter in 2026 as the tournament moves from Stavanger to Oslo after thirteen editions. From 25 May to 5 June, both Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women will be staged at Deichman Bjørvika Public Library, bringing the event to the country's capital for the first time. Magnus Carlsen has already confirmed his participation, with further players to be announced. | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

1/16/2026 – The Saint Louis Chess Club has unveiled its 2026 tournament calendar, outlining a full season of elite events in the United States and abroad. Anchored by an expanded 30,000-square-foot home campus, the schedule includes established fixtures such as the American Cup, Sinquefield Cup and U.S. Championships, alongside international stops on the Grand Chess Tour. | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club

1/16/2026 – For nearly a century, Bled has held a special place in the history chess. In 1931, Bled hosted one of the most famous international tournaments of its time, won by World Champion Alexander Alekhine. In the decades that followed, Bled’s chess tournaments welcomed numerous greats of the game, including the legendary Bobby Fischer and Mikhail Tal, who in 1961, together with a lineup of masters, created a true chess spectacle. Now, Bled revives its rich chess tradition - with the Bled Chess Festival which is for players rated below 2300 and will take place from 9th to 16th March. | Photo: Bled Chess Festival

1/15/2026 – Beers by the Bay Chess & Social has announced the launch of a women's-only beginner chess class in San Diego, created in collaboration with Let's Go Girls – San Diego. Aimed at adult beginners, the monthly class offers a relaxed, social introduction to chess in an in-person setting. Held at a local venue in Pacific Beach, the initiative seeks to address the underrepresentation of women in community chess by providing an accessible and welcoming environment. | Photo: chessandsocial.com

1/14/2026 – From 1971 to 1980, FIDE issued just one rating list per year. This gradually increased to the current standard of monthly updates—a change driven by obvious practical needs. Yet frequent rating lists can sometimes obscure the broader picture of yearly progress. In this piece, the FIDE highlights players who achieved significant rating gains over the past year. | Picture: FIDE

1/9/2026 – A reigning world chess champion has not played a serious game in Czechia for exactly 95 years. That is about to change. GM Gukesh Dommaraju, also known as Gukesh D, will take part in the 8th edition of the Prague International Chess Festival. The Indian prodigy has broken numerous modern chess records. The Festival, the most prestigious chess event in central and eastern Europe, will be held from 24 February to 6 March at Hotel Don Giovanni in Prague.

1/9/2026 – FIDE and Norway Chess are pleased to announce the first 16 players who have earned the right to receive an invitation to the 2026 Total Chess World Championship Tour pilot tournament (“Total Chess 2026 Pilot”), the new combined competition across Fast Classic, Rapid, and Blitz.

1/6/2026 – A rare family chess spectacle took place in Budapest on 28 December, as four members of the Karácsonyi family combined for a 150-board team simul. With all siblings rated above 2000, they moved in sequence across every board, relying on shared understanding of the position throughout the six-hour event. Facing a competitive field, the quartet achieved an impressive overall score, creating what appears to be a unique moment in chess history and an inspiring example of collective play at a high level.

1/1/2026 – Dutch FM Zyon Kollen won his first World Diving Chess Championship title in Groningen, emerging on top at the largest edition of the event to date. Entering the final round with a perfect score, he secured the crown with a quick draw. The oversubscribed tournament brought together a diverse field across ages and experience, underlining the growing appeal of this hybrid discipline that blends classical chess with underwater endurance and breath control. | Photo: Oscar Bos / Etan Ilfeld

12/18/2025 – The Prague International Chess Festival will be held from 24 February to 6 March 2026. As the organisers have announced, Divya Deshmukh and Jiner Zhu, two of the world’s leading women players, will compete in the Challengers tournament. The event combines high-level chess with the opportunity to enjoy Prague, one of Europe’s most attractive cultural and tourist destinations.

12/10/2025 – For a long time, Praggnanandhaa led the 2025 FIDE Circuit rankings, but in theory, other players could still have overtaken him to qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. However, his strong performance in the London Chess Classic Open, where he tied for first place with 7 out of 9, secured his victory in the FIDE Circuit and his place in the Candidates Tournament. | Photo: Yury Krylov / London Chess Classic

12/6/2025 – Next Monday, the final of the Freestyle Grand Slam 2025 will begin in Grootenbosch (South Africa). To mark the opening, a diving chess competition was organised in Cape Town, which was won by Hans Niemann. Some participants of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam showed off their skills in a simultaneous match against local chess enthusiasts. | Photo: Stev Bonhage / Freestyle Chess

12/4/2025 – FIDE’s Commission for Women's Chess has announced the inaugural Pia Cramling Cup, a new rapid tournament for girls and women to be held during the Rilton Cup in Stockholm on 2 January 2026. Created in collaboration with Pia Cramling and the Stockholm Chess Federation, the event celebrates the former world number one's legacy while supporting emerging talent. Alongside the tournament, DGT and FIDE will offer technical training seminars aimed at expanding opportunities for women in chess.

11/23/2025 – FIDE has opened its new Global Survey on Chess in Education, inviting federations, schools and partner organisations to contribute before 28 February 2026. The initiative will inform FIDE's Educational Strategy for 2027–2030, building on the findings of the 2021 survey and the rapid growth of educational chess since. With results to be shared with major international institutions, the survey aims to support policy development and prepare for the 2026 Year of Chess in Education.