5/2/2026 – With the results of the Candidates Tournament and several other tournaments, there was some movement in the top of the FIDE world rankings. Javokhir Sindarov is the rising star in the overall list. Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus also gained many points and extended his lead in the juniors list.

4/28/2026 – The fourth edition of the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships will take place from 16 to 22 June in Hong Kong, marking the event’s first appearance in East Asia. Top teams have already confirmed their participation, featuring some of the biggest names in the game, including world number one Magnus Carlsen, alongside the most recent FIDE Candidates and Women’s Candidates winners, Javokhir Sindarov and Vaishali Rameshbabu. | Photos: Rafal Oleksiewicz and Michal Walusza

4/3/2026 – The fourth edition of the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships will take place in Hong Kong from 16 to 22 June 2026. These tournaments are popular amongst players and fans alike, offering a unique space for top grandmasters, rising stars, and chess enthusiasts to play together and fight for World titles. Want to take part? The team registration is now open!

4/3/2026 – At the top three places in the world rankings, nothing has changed: Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana. Vincent Keymer has lost a few points and swapped places with Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Hou Yifan is the highest-rated female chess player in the world, and world champion Gukesh Dommaraju is the best under-20 player. Alua Nurman is the new number one in the girls' youth category.

3/12/2026 – A sustained run of strong tournament results has enabled Bodhana Sivanandan to secure the FIDE Master title after she crossed the 2300 rating threshold for the first time. The British prodigy, who recently turned 11, gained more than 200 rating points across appearances in the 4NCL, Graz Open and Cannes Chess Festival, consistently holding her own against titled opposition. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

3/11/2026 – Ashwin Subramanian is a technology evangelist: a software engineering manager at Intel, but also a brilliant photographer, who fortunately for us is very enthusiastic about chess. Ashwin uses his free time visiting major tournaments and sends us marvellous pictures that capture the atmosphere at the events. We will share them with you...

3/3/2026 – The new FIDE world ranking for March includes the tournaments played in Wijk aan Zee. Among the biggest gainers are Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov, as well as Matthias Bluebaum. The top of the women's world ranking remains firmly in Chinese hands. World Champion Gukesh, in his final year as a junior, is still number one on the U20 list. The (temporary) return of Sergey Karjakin caused some irritation.

2/21/2026 – Hong Kong will host the fourth edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships from 17 to 21 June 2026, marking the event's first appearance in East Asia. Organised by FIDE, the tournament features rapid and blitz competitions, with teams required to field at least one female and one recreational player. The event follows previous editions in Düsseldorf, Astana and London.

2/20/2026 – Who is your favourite chess player – we asked you recently. Whose games do you enjoy the most? We got a lot of feedback, and will show you the choices that human chess players make – and compare them with what a chess AI chooses, after it has played through and evaluated millions of games.

2/12/2026 – The FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026 will take place from 13 to 15 February at the Schloss Weissenhaus resort in Germany, marking the first jointly organised world title event in this format under an agreement between FIDE and a private organiser. Eight players, including Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, have qualified through the 2025 Grand Slam Tour and online competition, while a women's exhibition match will also be staged alongside the main event. | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes

2/3/2026 – The results of this year’s Tata Steel tournament could not yet be taken into account in the FIDE rating list of 1 February. There was, however, some movement in the women’s world ranking. With her results in the Chinese League, Hou Yifan has fallen below 2600 for the first time since 2013, but remains number one ahead of four other Chinese players. World Champion Gukesh is the top junior, ahead of Erdogmus. In the girls’ junior ranking, 15-year-old Lu Miaoyi leads.

1/7/2026 – Zhu Jiner's 2025 season marked a decisive shift in her standing within women's chess. Focusing exclusively on classical chess, this analysis traces her rise from the edge of the top ten to world number two, examining her breakthrough performances in the Women's Grand Prix, a brief mid-year dip in form and a strong finish - which included a remarkable showing at the Fujairah Superstars tournament. | Photo: Abhilash Shinde

1/2/2026 – The world elite were particularly active at the World Championships in blitz and rapid chess. There were not many changes at the top of the Top 100 and the Women's Top 100 in classical chess. Magnus Carlsen continues to lead the Top 100, and Hou Yifan remains at the top of the women's world rankings. At the top of the junior and girls' world rankings, in addition to changes in position due to tournament participation, there were also changes caused by players dropping out as a result of the age limit (under 20). The juniors are currently led by Gukesh Dommaraju, and the girls by the Chinese player Lu Miaoyi.

12/24/2025 – The Global Chess League came to an end in Mumbai with Alpine SG Pipers, led by Fabiano Caruana, claiming overall victory after beating the two-time champions Triveni Continental Kings, captained by Alireza Firouzja. The Continental Kings failed to win the final after a dominant round-robin showing. Third place was claimed by PBG Alaskan Knights, under the leadership of Gukesh Dommaraju, after winning a blitz playoff against Vishy Anand's Ganges Grandmasters. | Photo: Vivek Sohani

12/23/2025 – The Tech Mahindra Global Chess League returns for its third season from 14 to 23 December, continuing its franchise-based format that combines elite male and female players. Featuring a team structure, the league again brings together established stars and juniors, with the title to be decided through a double round-robin stage followed by a two-match final. | Follow the action live starting at 11.00 CET (5.00 ET, 15.30 IST)

12/23/2025 – The round-robin phase of the Global Chess League concluded with the finalists confirmed after a closely contested final day. Triveni Continental Kings finished well clear at the top, while Alpine SG Pipers claimed the second finals place on tiebreaks despite losing their last match. Narrow margins elsewhere shaped the final standings, with the Ganges Grandmasters and the PBG Alaskan Knights now set to contest the match for third place. | Pictured: Gukesh Dommaraju (Alaskan Knights) facing Fabiano Caruana (SG Pipers). | Photo: Official website

12/22/2025 – The round-robin phase of the Global Chess League has been decided at the top, with Triveni Continental Kings finishing first and securing a place in the Final with one round to go. The remaining berth in the final match will be determined on Monday, with the Alpine SG Pipers now the frontrunners in this battle - two wins by women's world number one Hou Yifan helped them climb to second place in the standings. | Photo: ChessBase India

12/21/2025 – Day seven of the Global Chess League produced a clearer picture at the top of the table, with the leaders, Triveni Continental Kings, opening a commanding gap over the rest of the field. A heavy defeat for one of the main challengers, upGrad Mumba Masters, reshaped the standings, while several tightly contested matches kept the battle for second place wide open. | Pictured: Continental Kings' Marc'Andria Maurizzi | Photos: Official website

12/20/2025 – The Global Chess League moved into the second half of its round-robin phase with a heavier daily schedule and immediate consequences in the standings. Teams began playing twice per day, producing mixed results for those facing the added workload. While Triveni Continental Kings remain in front, Alireza Firouzja's streak came to an end. With three days to go in the initial phase, the contest for the second spot in the final gained increased importance. | Pictured: Continental Kings' Vidit Gujrathi | Photos: Official website

12/19/2025 – The Global Chess League reached a turning point as the first half of the double round-robin came to an end in Mumbai. Triveni Continental Kings emerged as the sole leaders after defeating their closest rivals, upGrad Mumba Masters. The defending champions were again led by Alireza Firouzja, who maintained a perfect record by winning his fifth consecutive game. | Photos: Official website

12/18/2025 – The balance shifted again on day four of the Global Chess League in Mumbai, with the early front-runners moving back into clear view. Triveni Continental Kings and upGrad Mumba Masters both recorded decisive victories to separate themselves from the chasing teams. Alireza Firouzja continued his flawless start to the event, maintaining a perfect record after four rounds and playing a key role in the Continental Kings' return to the top. | Photo: Official website

12/17/2025 – Momentum changed suddenly on the third day of the Global Chess League in Mumbai, as the early leaders were brought back into a tightly packed field. All three matches produced decisive results, reshaping the standings and leaving four teams level at the top. The day featured a notable top-board victory by Vishy Anand over Gukesh Dommaraju in the battle of Indian world champions, while Alireza Firouzja maintained his perfect start, extending his run to three wins from three games. | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

12/16/2025 – The Global Chess League began with a clear early hierarchy, as two teams emerged with perfect records after the first two days of action. Defending champion Triveni Continental Kings and upGrad Mumba Masters both secured back-to-back victories, while the remaining teams experienced mixed fortunes. The top scorers for the leading teams are Alireza Firouzja (Continental Kings), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Bardiya Daneshvar (Mumba Masters), who have won both their games in Mumbai. | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

12/15/2025 – The Global Chess League began its third season in Mumbai with three matches played in succession at the Royal Opera House. Day one combined a revised time control with the league's established scoring system and immediately produced several high-profile encounters on the top boards. Defending champions Triveni Continental Knights, led by Alireza Firouzja (who defeated Fabiano Caruana), opened with a win, much like Upgrad Mumba Masters and Fyers American Gambits. | Photo: Official website