7/11/2026 – The second edition of the Sahel Chess Festival will take place in Monastir, Tunisia, from 24 October to 1 November 2026. After attracting more than 300 players in its inaugural year, the festival will again feature several classical tournaments divided by rating category, including a section for players aged fifty and above. The organisers also aim to draw more titled players, while highlighting Monastir's appeal as a Mediterranean chess destination. | Photos: Diana Mihajlova
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.
The Sahel Chess Festival, a new chess event in Tunisia, establishes the African continent on the international chess map. Its inaugural edition took place last year, and we covered it on the pages of our news site.
FIDE also highlighted the tournament under the headline "From Norway to North Africa", referring to the victory of Norwegian grandmaster Johan-Sebastian Christiansen, Norway's second-highest-rated player after Magnus Carlsen.
Let our authors show you how Carlsen tailored his openings to be able to outplay his opponents strategically in the middlegame or to obtain an enduring advantage into the endgame.
GM Johan-Sebastian Christiansen lapping up the sun in Monastir
The Sahel Chess Festival's second edition will take place from 24 October 2026 (arrival day) through to 1 November 2026 (departure day), in Monastir, Tunisia.
A panoramic view of Monastir, showing the old town, the marina and the central beach
The Festival will feature five classical tournaments, divided according to rating categories. Full regulations and the official invitation can be found here.
One of the tournaments is reserved exclusively for players aged fifty and above, reflecting the organisers' desire to offer attractive playing opportunities for senior competitors.
Young players, however, will once again form an important part of the Festival. Thanks to its partnership with Smart Chess Academy, based in Sousse and recently expanded with a second branch in Tunis, many promising Tunisian juniors are expected to compete alongside their international counterparts.
GM Johan-Sebastian Christiansen with Dhafer Ktita, founder of Smart Chess Academy
The Festival's principal sponsor is Chess Mall, a specialist chess retailer based in Sousse. Although operating with a relatively modest prize fund, last year's inaugural edition attracted more than 300 players from around the world, which demonstrates that attractive playing conditions and an appealing destination can successfully draw an international field. The organisers are seeking additional sponsorship to support the Festival's long-term development and strengthen its contribution to chess on the African continent.
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
Hassen Abdelali, founder of Chess Mall and the driving force behind the Festival
The organisers' ambition for this year's edition is to attract a stronger field of titled players in order to create opportunities for players seeking international title norms. Invitations have already been extended to several grandmasters, while discussions with additional titled players are still ongoing.
A short, promotional video
Beyond the chess itself, the Festival benefits greatly from its location. Monastir, situated on Tunisia's central Mediterranean coast, is one of the country's best-known seaside destinations, combining sandy beaches with a rich historical heritage.
The official venue, the four-star Hotel El Habib Monastir, enjoys a particularly convenient location. Besides offering direct access to the beach and several swimming pools, it lies within walking distance of Monastir's historic centre, marina and principal cultural landmarks.
For participants, the organisers offer an eight-night full-board package, including soft drinks, for €486 per person in a shared double room, representing excellent value for an international chess festival.
Hotel El Habib Monastir | Photo: Hotel's official website
October is also an attractive period to visit Tunisia. While the intense summer heat has passed, temperatures remain pleasant and the Mediterranean Sea is often still warm enough for swimming. Players will naturally devote much of their attention to their games, but family members and other accompanying persons will have ample opportunity to enjoy both the beaches and the town itself.
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
A beach in Monastir
Monastir is served by its own Habib Bourguiba International Airport and is located a two-hour drive from the capital, Tunis.
The festival's concept revolves around Sahel (meaning 'shore' or 'coast'), one of the country's six regions. While Monastir was chosen to host the first two editions, the organisers envisage that future Festivals will rotate between several of the region's celebrated coastal and historical cities, including Sousse, Mahdia, Kairouan and El Jem.
The third edition, planned for 2027, is expected to take place in Sousse and will commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the famous 1967 Sousse Interzonal, remembered as one of the most controversial events in chess history after Bobby Fischer withdrew following a dispute with the organisers.
Diana MihajlovaDiana Mihajlova is a former university lecturer in Romance philology. For almost thirty years she has contributed to ChessBase with reports from the international tournament scene, interviews, videos and reviews. Over the past decade, alongside her chess journalism, she has devoted much of her life to rescuing stray dogs and advocating for animal welfare. Her experiences are documented on her website, Dog's Life Dog's Life. In its literary section, Their Stories, the dogs themselves narrate true episodes of their struggle for survival in a hostile world shaped by human cruelty.
6/5/2026 – The 14th edition of the Norway Chess super-tournament is taking place from 25 May to 5 June at Deichman Bjorvika in Oslo. An open event and a women's event are being played concurrently with an identical number of players, the same format and an equivalent prize fund. Wesley So, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Alireza Firouzja enter the final round with chances to take the title. Key pairings: Firouzja v. So and Pragg v. Keymer. | Follow the games live starting at 17.00 CEST (11.00 ET, 20.30 IST) | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza
9/25/2025 – Norway's GM Johan-Sebastian Christiansen emerged victorious at the inaugural Sahel Chess Festival, held in Monastir, Tunisia, from 1 to 9 September 2025. Scoring 8½/9 in the main Open, Christiansen also won the blitz event, highlighting the high level of play at a tournament that attracted 263 participants from 11 federations. The festival, hosted at the Amir Palace Hotel, showcased Tunisia's vibrant chess scene and signalled the start of a promising new tradition in the Sahel region. | All photos: Diana Mihajlova
What to do against the Pirc? Many players find it difficult to play against Black’s set-up. Try the Austrian Attack! It is a solid but dangerous weapon and guarantees White an effective attack from the very start! Learn the key tricks of this deadly line and crush the Pirc with ease!
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 Hyper-Accelerated Dragon is fast, from the very first moves, your bishop heads to g7, seizes the long diagonal, and turns into the most feared piece on the board.
It rewards players who love initiative and clear attacking plans.
The Hyper-Accelerated Dragon is fast, from the very first moves, your bishop heads to g7, seizes the long diagonal, and turns into the most feared piece on the board.
It rewards players who love initiative and clear attacking plans.
The Hyper-Accelerated dragon is fast, from the very first moves, your bishop heads to g7, seizes the long diagonal, and turns into the most feared piece on the board.
It rewards players who love initiative and clear attacking plans.
“Mate is great!” – Tactical training with Oliver Reeh, “The 8th rank” – Andy Woodward analyses his game against Magnus Carlsen from TePe Sigeman 2026, “A modern Nimzo-Indian” – Andrei Volokitin introduces readers to "his" system and much more!
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.
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.
€9.90
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.
Pop-up for detailed settings
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies, analysis cookies and marketing cookies. You can decide which cookies to use by selecting the appropriate options below. Please note that your selection may affect the functionality of the service. Further information can be found in our privacy policy.
Technically required cookies
Technically required cookies: so that you can navigate and use the basic functions and store preferences.
Analysis Cookies
To help us determine how visitors interact with our website to improve the user experience.
Marketing-Cookies
To help us offer and evaluate relevant content and interesting and appropriate advertisement.
.jpeg)
