11/1/2026 – The Grand Final of the WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix 2025–2026 will take place from 27 to 30 November in Fujairah, bringing together leading chess solvers for the conclusion of the series’ inaugural cycle. The finalists will compete across six solving rounds for a €30,000 prize fund, while an accompanying composing tournament will add another dimension, with the solvers themselves voting for the best original problems and studies used in the event. | Photo: Fujairah Chess & Culture Club / FIDE

10/31/2026 – Almaty will host the 4th International Scientific and Practical Conference "Chess in Education" on 12–13 November at Narxoz University. Organised as part of Kazakhstan's national chess development plan, the event will focus on expanding school chess, improving teacher training and integrating chess more systematically into education. FIDE President Timur Turlov and international specialists will join discussions on cognitive development, curriculum design, digital tools and the training of educators. | Image: FIDE

10/30/2026 – Istanbul will host the 2026 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships from 25 to 30 December, with hundreds of players expected to compete for four world titles in the open and women's sections. Freedom Holding Corp. will serve as title sponsor. The event marks another major international chess competition in Türkiye, which has hosted the Olympiad and several youth championships while continuing to expand chess through schools and national development programmes.

10/29/2026 – The full ten-player line-up for the 2026 XTX Markets London Chess Classic has been announced, bringing together some of the biggest names in world chess for the UK's most prestigious international tournament. Defending champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov, the Uzbek world number five, will return to London seeking to become the first player since Magnus Carlsen in 2010 to win back-to-back Classic titles. Tennis star Andy Murray makes the ceremonial first move on Nodirbek Abdusattorov's board at the 2025 London Chess Classic, while tournament director Malcolm Pein looks on and provides commentary. | Photo: London Chess Classic

10/27/2026 – FIDE President Timur Turlov has presented plans for a new organizational structure aimed at clarifying responsibilities, improving governance and strengthening the federation's international activities. The proposed changes include a stronger role for the FIDE Council, a new Advisory Board and several leadership appointments. Turlov also outlined plans to expand support for national federations, chess education and international partnerships.

10/24/2026 – The 6th Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners brought together a record 140 teams from 56 countries, highlighting the continued growth of FIDE's Chess for Freedom initiative. Beyond the competition itself, programmes in Argentina, Romania, Ghana, Australia (pictured), Nigeria and Zimbabwe show how chess is being used in correctional facilities to encourage discipline, critical thinking, emotional control and social reintegration, while giving incarcerated players opportunities for structured learning and international participation. | Photo: FIDE

10/23/2026 – Jeroen van den Berg will step down as tournament director of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament after the 2027 edition, ending a tenure that began in 1999. Dutch grandmaster Erwin l'Ami will succeed him from 2028, with the pair working together during next year’s event to ensure a gradual transition. Van den Berg will remain involved as an adviser for three further years before leaving the organisation permanently in January 2030. | Photo: Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam

10/22/2026 – The cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region will host the MOVE Cup, a new elite chess tournament, with Magnus Carlsen first in the line-up. Launched together with the MOVE Foundation and powered by BETBY, the tournament will bring eight of the world’s top grandmasters to Barcelona from 18 to 20 January 2027.

10/21/2026 – Vahap Şanal won the 2026 NATO Chess Championship in Jūrmala with a perfect 7/7 score, while Türkiye took first place in the team competition. Slovenia's Laura Unuk finished second overall and was the event's top woman, with Germany's Robert Stein claiming bronze on tiebreaks. The championship brought together 148 military players from 18 NATO countries and also featured a blitz event won by Dutch IM Mark Timmermans. | Photo: Vladimir Lionter / @the_lionter

10/21/2026 – FIDE President Timur Turlov met Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia to discuss the country's growing chess infrastructure and future cooperation with FIDE. Cyprus has hosted several major international events in recent years while also expanding domestic tournaments, youth training and permanent facilities. The meeting highlighted the island's development as an emerging European chess centre and its potential as a model for combining elite events with long-term national growth. | Photo: FIDE

10/16/2026 – In 2027, the 54th International Dortmund Chess Days will mark a special chapter in their history spanning more than 50 years: from 8 to 15 August 2027, the Sparkassen Chess Trophy will be held for the first time in the “Salzlager” at the Hansa Coking Plant. As part of the 2027 International Garden Exhibition (IGA 2027), Germany’s longest-running chess festival will thus combine top-level international sport, grassroots chess and an extraordinary venue. The new venue allows for expansion to up to 450 participants.

10/16/2026 – Three new Chess Houses have opened in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, providing public spaces where residents can play, train with coaches and take part in tournaments. Located in Abay Park, Metallurgists Park and the 17th microdistrict, the facilities were opened by FIDE President Timur Turlov and Shymkent Mayor Gabit Syzdykbekov. The launch was followed by a children’s blitz tournament involving more than 100 young players across the three venues. | Photos: FIDE

10/14/2026 – The English Chess Federation has congratulated 12-year-old chess prodigy Supratit Banerjee after his International Master title was officially approved by FIDE, making him the youngest English player to achieve the prestigious title. This is another milestone for a remarkable generation of young English chess talent that includes Britain's youngest WGM, 11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan.

10/14/2026 – The 6th Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners began on 13 October with a record 140 teams from 56 countries competing across men's, women's and youth sections. Organised by FIDE and the Cook County Sheriff's Office, the three-day event continues a programme that uses chess as an educational and social tool in correctional facilities. Several teams completed the opening stage with perfect scores before advancing to the championship rounds.

10/14/2026 – FIDE is preparing changes to the regulations governing shorter classical time controls following a General Assembly resolution based on a proposal from the Icelandic Chess Federation. The FIDE Council plans to make 60+30 a standard classical control without special approval, while considering broader use of 45+30. Limits on games per day and title norms would remain, with further consultation planned before decisions on more extensive changes to classical tournament regulations. | Photo: FIDE

10/8/2026 – Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has met newly elected FIDE President Timur Turlov to discuss the development of chess in the country and future cooperation with FIDE. Their talks covered chess in education, coach and arbiter training, youth development and the organisation of major events. Tokayev also highlighted Kazakhstan's recent progress, including the women's team'’s silver medal at the Samarkand Olympiad and the growing number of active players nationwide. | Photo: FIDE

10/6/2026 – For the first time in its history, the renowned German chess magazine SCHACH is available in English. Published under the title CHESS INSIGHT, the new edition was released on October 1, 2026, and is available digitally through Forward Chess.

10/6/2026 – On Saturday, 21 November 2026, Prague’s Hotel Don Giovanni will host the second Vlastimil Hort Tournament, a rapid chess tournament dedicated to one of the greatest Czech chess players of all time, Grandmaster Vlastimil Hort, who had a very special connection to Prague and the Hotel Don Giovanni. | Photo: Alina l'Ami