Live Lecture with IGM Elisabeth Paehtz

by Kasparov Chess Foundation
5/16/2026 – KCF Academy is thrilled to announce the upcoming live lecture featuring IGM Elisabeth Paehtz, one of the most accomplished female chess players from Germany, with a distinguished career marked by numerous titles and significant contributions to the game. The online masterclass will take place on May 17, 2026, at 17:00 CET. This exclusive event offers KCF participants a unique opportunity to learn from one of the sharpest strategic minds in women's chess.
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In November 2022, at the age of 37, FIDE confirmed the grandmaster title for Elisabeth Paehtz (German: Pähtz), making her the first German woman to receive this title.

A former World Youth Chess Champion, Paehtz won the World's Youth Championship in the girls' U-18 category in 2002, and the World Junior Girls Championship in 2005. She also claimed the bronze medal at the 2017 Women's World Rapid Chess Championship in Riyadh, won the 2018 European Women's Championship in rapid chess, and entered the top ten of the women's FIDE world rankings in September 2018.

Child prodigy Elli Pähtz, and as a 14-year-old playing against Garry Kasparov at the Hannover Trade Fair. Kasparov evaluated her as unusually talented and already at the time prophesize her advance to the top of women's chess. [Photos Windhorst/TopMagazin]

Her FIDE classical rating reached a career peak of 2513 in September 2018, cementing her status among the world's leading female players. Most recently, during the 2024 2025 FIDE Women's Grand Prix series, she competed at the Monaco leg in February 2025 and the Cyprus leg in March 2025.

Beyond tournament play, Paehtz has made a significant mark as an educator and content creator. On Chessable, her course Elementary Chess Strategy teaches foundational concepts to beginners and intermediate players, and she also authored The Jobava London System, a ChessBase video course providing a complete opening repertoire for White.

This exclusive event offers participants a unique opportunity to learn from one of the sharpest strategic minds in women's chess.

April 26th, 2026, 17:00 CET - Live at KCF Academy.
JOIN us any time at www.kcfacademy.org

Embark on a complete chess training journey with KCF Academy, guided by an elite team of international Grandmasters and various guest stars, along with Garry Kasparov: Fabiano Caruana, Veselin Topalov, Levon Aronian, Peter Svidler, and many other surprise star guests. The 2026 season is the 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 special Saturday Academy lessons, designed for four skill levels and built on the legendary Botvinnik School training system. Unlike many modern programs, this 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!

Visit www.kcfacademy.org for more details.

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The 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
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