1/22/2026 – We are thrilled to announce that GM Antoaneta Stefanova, former Women’s World Chess Champion, and one of the most distinguished figures in modern chess, will deliver a live lecture at the Kasparov Chess Foundation Academy. Keep January 25, 18:00 CET, free to listen to her.
new: Fritz 20
Your personal chess trainer. Your toughest opponent. Your strongest ally. FRITZ 20 is more than just a chess engine – it is a training revolution for ambitious players and professionals. Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of serious chess training, or already playing at tournament level, FRITZ 20 will help you train more efficiently, intelligently and individually than ever before.
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. FRITZ is more than just a chess engine – it’s a training revolution! 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.
In this course, IM Nico Zwirs presents the Reversed Sicilian as a powerful and practical weapon for White
€39.90
In January 2026, KCF Academy is proud to offer members of its community exclusive lectures by World Champions Garry Kasparov, Veselin Topalov, and Antoaneta Stefanova.
Antoaneta Stefanova is one of the most distinguished figures in modern chess. A true prodigy, she won the World Under-10 Championship in 1989 and the European Under-14 Championship in 1992. She became a grandmaster in 2002 and claimed the Women’s World Chess Champion title in 2004.
Over more than two decades at the top level, Stefanova has represented Bulgaria in elite international competitions, earned victories in numerous prestigious tournaments, and built a reputation for fearless, dynamic play and deep positional understanding. In 2012, she added the World Women’s Rapid Championship title to her achievements, and she has also triumphed in several strong open tournaments traditionally dominated by men. In 2023, she captained the Bulgarian women’s team to victory at the European Women’s Team Championship and was awarded the prestigious FIDE Senior Trainer title.
Beyond her chess career, Antoaneta Stefanova has been active in public life. In 2021, she became a Member of Parliament in Bulgaria and was nominated as a candidate for Prime Minister. Antoaneta is very active in the Bulgarian National Federation. She was nominated as ECU Women's Commission Chairman in 2025. KCF Academy cooperates actively with the ECU Women's Commission and encourages girls to participate in KCF Academy Programs by offering scholarships.
This live lecture at KCF Academy promises to be highly interactive, insightful, and inspiring. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from one of the legends of the game!
In January, KCF Academy hosted exclusive community lectures by World Champions Garry Kasparov and Veselin Topalov. Join anytime to gain access to the full recordings. Get a sneak peek at Garry Kasparov’s live lecture and Q&A session:
JOIN us any time at www.kcfacademy.org
Don´t forget that the new season at KCF Academy features a rich program of training sessions and lectures from renowned chess stars, designed to develop strategic thinking, deepen understanding of the game, and foster a strong community of passionate learners.
Embark on a complete chess training journey guided by an elite team of international Grandmasters and various guest stars, along with Garry Kasparov: Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian, Peter Svidler, and many other surprise star guests. The 2026 season is our most comprehensive yet, featuring weekly workshops, four progressive training levels, and a dedicated Expert Group designed for advanced players (2200+ FIDE or Level 4 graduates).
As a member of the KCF Academy, you’ll join a global chess community, train with some of the best minds in the game, and gain exclusive benefits for our flagship in-person event - the Kasparov Chess Foundation Friendship Festival in Slovenia (June 25 – July 5, 2026), where students, trainers, and chess enthusiasts from around the world come together.
Join our Saturday Academy lessons, designed for four skill levels and built on the legendary Botvinnik School training system. Unlike many modern programs, our approach preserves the timeless, systematic teaching of classical chess principles. The Botvinnik School shaped nearly all the great champions of the 20th century, including Karpov, Kasparov, Yusupov, Beliavsky, Shirov and many other grandmasters. Now, you can train in that same world-class tradition and meet chess stars online!
Don´t miss your chance to join now – Visit www.kcfacademy.org for more details.
Kasparov Chess FoundationThe vision of the Kasparov Chess Foundation is primarily to use the many benefits of chess to help children worldwide. KCF does this through a variety of different programs, which you can find at KasparovChessFoundation.org
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.
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.
Slav and Semi-Slav Powerbase 2026 is a database and contains a total of 11 766 games from Mega 2026 or the Correspondence Database 2026, of which 1136 are annotated.
For the Slav and Semi-Slav Powerbook 2026 the ratings average was set again at 2400. 2.24 million games from the engine room of playchess.com met this threshold, to which were added over 130 000 games played by humans.
In this volume, we dive into core aspects of chess technique. Smyslov taught the principle of tactical hierarchy, “checks, double attacks, and unprotected pieces”, and Mikhalchishin demonstrates how this method of calculation is vital.
Videos: Nico Zwirs examines two Petroffs from the 2026 Candidates. Robert Ris has a tip against the Caro-Kann Advance Variation with 3…c5. Fiona Sieber reveals a surprise weapon against the Najdorf. ‘Lucky Bag’ with 40 analyses by Ganguly, L'Ami et al.
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.
€49.90
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