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.

11/21/2025 – More than 360 players, including World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and former champion Magnus Carlsen, have confirmed their participation in the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships in Doha from 25 to 30 December. The field features leading grandmasters, rising talents and returning legends across both the open and women's events. With over €1,000,000 in prizes and strong entries in every section, this year's edition promises a highly competitive end to the chess calendar.

11/19/2025 – Greco claimed the 2025 FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship title on the final day in Goa after beating Morgan Stanley in the final match. The event moved from a demanding round-robin phase into high-stakes knockout matches, with Greco and Morgan Stanley proving the strongest of the field. After an evenly balanced opening round in the final, Greco dominated the second to secure the championship and conclude this year's corporate competition. | Photos: Michal Walusza and Eteri Kublashvili / FIDE

11/16/2025 – The group stage of the FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship 2025 concluded on Saturday, with Morgan Stanley, Deloitte 1, Greco and Google advancing to the semifinals. A visit from super-GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu added a special moment to the day, which featured the return legs of the double round-robin format. With standings settled in both pools, teams now prepare for Sunday's decisive matches that will determine this year's corporate world champions. | Photos: Eteri Kublashvili / FIDE

11/15/2025 – A new meeting place for chess fans has opened in Gothenburg, as Svarta Hästen launched its second bar on 14 November. Following the success of the original Stockholm venue, the new location offers the same mix of casual play, social atmosphere and distinctive red-and-yellow chess tables. Housed in the converted stables of the Dickson Palace, it aims to provide an inviting space for beginners and experienced players alike.

11/13/2025 – FIDE has filed a formal complaint with its Ethics & Disciplinary Commission, naming former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik (pictured) as respondent. The referral concerns his repeated, unsubstantiated public accusations of computer-assisted cheating against Daniel Naroditsky and David Navara. The EDC will now review the case under its standard procedures. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

10/15/2025 – In a surprising move, FIDE has officially approved a new world championship format: the Total Chess World Championship Tour, organized by Norway Chess. The Tour will determine a FIDE World Combined Champion across three disciplines – Fast Classic, Rapid, and Blitz – through four global events each year. With a $2.7 million annual prize pool, the series aims to find “The Total Chess Player” and bring faster, tech-enhanced formats to a wider audience. A pilot event launches in fall 2026, followed by the first full season in 2027. | Photo: FIDE

9/19/2025 – Doha gets ready to welcome the participants of the world’s fastest chess tournament for a spectacular end to the year. FIDE today announced the regulations for the 2025 World Rapid and Blitz, which will be held from 25 to 30 December and feature a one million euro prize fund.

8/29/2025 – The Global Chess League (GCL) has announced an unprecedented initiative with the launch of GCL Contenders 2025, a two-month global tournament that will open doors for amateurs and professionals alike. Three winners - one each from the Male, Female and U21 categories - will secure lifetime opportunities as ambassadors for GCL Season 3, set to begin on 13 December. Registration opens on 28 August, with the event providing a direct pathway for grassroots talent to compete alongside the world's elite Grandmasters.

8/26/2025 – The FIDE World Cup 2025 is coming to Goa! From October 30 to November 27, 2025, the world’s top players will gather on India’s west coast for one of the most exciting chess events. This knockout spectacle brings together 206 players fighting for a share of USD 2,000,000 and three coveted places in the 2026 Candidates Tournament. Every round is win-or-go-home, making the World Cup one of the most dramatic tournaments on the calendar.

7/30/2025 – The Women's Candidates Tournament 2026 is scheduled to take place in April 2026. The winner will play reigning Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun for the title. Currently, five players are qualified for the Candidates: Humpy Koneru, Tan Zhongyi, Divya Deshmukh, Zhu Jiner, and Aleksandra Goryachkina. But who has the best chances of claiming one of the three remaining spots? Here's an update from FIDE.

7/30/2025 – The traditional chess festival in Dortmund kicks off its 52nd edition this Saturday as the Sparkassen Chess Trophy. European champion Matthias Blübaum is the favourite in the A Open. On Sunday, the International Women's Tournament begins, featuring four grandmasters: Elisabeth Pähtz, Dinara Wagner, 15-year-old Chinese champion Miaoyi Lu, and Deimanté Daulyté-Cornette of France. | Photo: Elisabeth Pähtz and Dinara Wagner

7/23/2025 – The International Chess Federation has announced the venue for the 2025 FIDE World Cup. The knockout tournament will take place in India in November. The exact location is not yet known. 206 players will compete for prize money and three places in the Candidates Tournament. | Graphics and photos: FIDE

7/15/2025 – Golden State Warriors forward Quinten Post has claimed the title of first-ever NBA Chess Champion, winning the blitz tournament at the inaugural Chesstival, a unique crossover event co-hosted by Derrick Rose and Freestyle Chess at the Wynn Las Vegas. Post scored an impressive 4.5 out of 5, defeating several top basketball personalities in five fast-paced rounds. | Photo: Tania Sachdev and Quentin Post playing "Head and Hand" | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Freestyle Chess