7/23/2026 – The Biel International Chess Festival is taking place on 11-24 July. Following the Chess960 tournament on Saturday and the rapid chess stage on Sunday, the players in the Masters and Generations Challenge Triathlon face off in the final stage of the classical section on 21-23 July. | Follow the games live starting at 14.00 CEST (8.00 ET, 17.30 IST) | Photo: Biel Chess Festival
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Triathlon Final Stage
On Sunday, 12 July, the Masters and Generations Challenge Triathlons began, with the rapid chess section.
After a rest day with a social programme on Monday, the classical games of the qualifying phase of the two tournaments are being played between 14 and 18 July. The Triathlons will continue with blitz chess on 19 July. After another rest day on 20 July, the final rounds of the Masters and the Generations Challenge will follow, with classical games from 21 to 23 July among the four top players in each section.
In the classical chess section, the time control is 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment per move from move 41.
Meanwhile, the Masters Open, a 10-player Swiss format tournament, is being played concurrently on 13-23 July. The time control is 100 minutes for the first 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game plus 30 seconds increment per move.
This compact course is designed specifically for practical play. Instead of overwhelming you with endless theory, it focuses on the critical lines, typical plans, and recurring tactical ideas. Looking for an opening that gets your opponents thinking on move one? Grandmaster Andy Woodward has relied on 1.b3 for years in blitz and bullet, using it to defeat strong masters and grandmasters who underestimated its hidden venom. While many players dismiss the opening as harmless, they often find themselves caught in unfamiliar positions, tactical traps, and uncomfortable middlegames. This compact course is designed specifically for practical play. Instead of overwhelming you with endless theory, it focuses on the critical lines, typical plans, and recurring tactical ideas that matter most when the clock is ticking.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: King's Indian Setup
Triathlons: Masters and Generations Challenge
Date
11-24 July 2026
Format
Chess triathlons with 6 participants each
System
Classical: 5 rounds (first legs) + 3 rounds (final: return games with the top four players). Rapid: 5 rounds (with colours reversed from the classical first legs). Blitz: 10 rounds
Time control
Classical: 120' for the first 40 moves, then 30' for the rest of the game, with a 30'' increment per move from move 41. Rapid: 15'+5'' per move. Blitz: 3'+2'' per move
Scoring
Classical: win 4 points; draw 1.5 points; loss 0 points. Rapid: win 2 points; draw 1 point; loss 0 points. Blitz: win 1 point; draw 0.5 points; loss 0 points.
Tiebreak
The final standings are determined by adding together the points scored in the three sections (classical+rapid+blitz). In the event of a tie, the final standings of the ACCENTUS Chess960 decide the ranking for the prizes.
Schedule
10 July
20:00
Reception of participants - toast at the Congress Centre
11 July
11:30
Opening ceremony at the Congress Centre
11 July
14:00
ACCENTUS Fischer Random rapid tournament
12 July
14:00
Rapid games of the Masters & Generations Challenge
13 July
14:00
Visit to Omega with the Masters & Generations Challenge participants
14-18 July
14:00
Classical games of the Masters & Generations Challenge
19 July
14:00
Blitz games of the Masters & Generations Challenge
20 July
Rest day
21-23 July
14:00
Final rounds of the Masters & Generations Challenge (classical games)
24 July
10:30
Closing ceremony with prize-giving and apéritif at the Congress Centre
Chess is a concrete game. There is no way around training your calculation skills. Improve your visualization, pattern recognition and learn calculation techniques such as reciprocal thinking with this course. Calculation is at the heart of practical chess. Every chess concept builds on proper calculation technique. Therefore, all chess players should continuosly train the fundamental techniques, concepts and patterns this course will present. The goal isn't only to teach you to calculate, but to give you the tools and insights to keep improving long after the final lesson.
Free sample video: Introduction
7/9/2026 – The 59th edition of the Biel International Chess Festival begins on the weekend of 11 July. Participating are chess greats such as Levon Aronian, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and Matthias Bluebaum in the Masters Triathlon, as well as Vaishali Rameshbabu and Alexandra Kosteniuk in the Generations Challenger. In both invitational events, games will be played in a triathlon system featuring blitz, rapid and classical games. | Photo: Nils Rohde / ChessBase
5/6/2026 – For the 59th consecutive year, Biel/Bienne will host its prestigious International Chess Festival. From 11 to 24 July 2026, over the course of two weeks, more than 500 participants — ranging from ambitious amateurs to the world’s elite — will showcase their creativity, tactical finesse and strategic depth across a variety of formats. Below is an overview of the twelve tournaments, offering the chance to play alongside living chess legends such as Levon Aronian and Alexandra Kosteniuk, as well as rising star Lu Miaoyi (pictured). Matthias Blübaum and Candidates Tournament winner Vaishali Rameshbabu will also play. | Photos: Biel Chess Festival
The Elephant Gambit (1.e4.e5 2.Nf3 d5!?) has never really been given the attention it deserves. It is a very useful surprise weapon. Let us list the advantages of playing this particular opening: 1) Shock value 2) It is very aggressive. Black can take over the initiative early. 3) Many tricky lines 4) Unorthodox. Black is basically taking the game to the opponent as early as move two. Not many openings do that! It's a perfect opening for young players and club players to adopt. Let Andrew Martin select a repertoire for you on this 60 mins, which, if used with discretion, will rack up the points. I am sure that you will enjoy this unusual tour of the Elephant Gambit.
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
The Italian Four Knights is the ideal choice. It combines the solid foundation of classical openings like the Ruy Lopez or the Italian Game with an active, initiative-driven style of play.
IM Andrew Martin shows why this 19th-century opening weapon still is a fantastic choice for club players. The Evans produces exciting chess and teaches the art of attack.
The major part of the material on which the Petroff Defence Powerbook 2026 is based comes from the engine room of playchess.com: 357 000 games. This imposing number is supplemented by another 17 000 from Mega and from correspondence chess.
Petroff Defence Powerbase 2026 is a database which contains 6475 high class games from Mega 2026 and the Correspondence Database 2026, of which 682 annotated.
Videos: Felix Blohberger presents the surprise weapon 4…a6 in the Four Knights Game. Mihail Marin analyses the English Opening with 1.c4 e5 2.g3 g6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.Bg2 Nc6. Plus the ‘Lucky bag’ featuring 37 analyses by Berg, Radjabov and others.
€14.90
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