6/24/2025 – FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich made the ceremonial first move on Sunday at a strong open tournament in Aktobe. The event has been held since 2019 as a memorial for his father, Vladimir Dvorkovich. Top seed is Wang Hao but in his first game the Chinese grandmaster suffered a loss. | Photos: Tournament page

7/9/2023 – Kazakhstan, host of the World Championship match between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren, has a lively and thriving chess scene and continues to organise attractive tournaments. The Uralsk Open (20-29 July) and the World Schools Team Championships in Aktau (3-8 August) are in the pipeline, but below is a report on the recently concluded Aktobe Open, which took place from 19-28 June and was won by Iranian grandmaster Daneshwar Bardiya. | Photo: The main square of Aktobe | Photo: Kazakhstan Travel