News

Khumoyun Begmuratov of Uzbekistan and Eline Roebers of the Netherlands triumphed at the FIDE World Junior Rapid Championship 2026, winning the titles in the Open and Girls sections, respectively. His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs, made the ceremonial first move in the ninth and final rapid round before crow

The FIDE World Amateur Chess Championship 2026 commenced in Klang, Malaysia on November 5. The event attracted 392 players competing across three rating sections: Under-2300, Under-2000 and Under-1700. Each section features separate Open and Women’s 9-round Swiss tournaments with classical time control. A number of disabled players from the host nation’s par

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has appointed Grandmaster Emil Sutovsky as CEO of FIDE Enterprises, a Swiss-based company wholly owned by FIDE. He will combine this role with his current position as Chief Executive Adviser to FIDE President Timur Turlov. In his new role, Sutovsky will oversee FIDE’s commercial activities, with an emphasis on buildi

FIDE is expanding its system of presidential representatives and advisers as part of the organisational changes announced on 26 October 2026. Together with the previously announced representatives, the new members will contribute to strengthening the political and institutional role of the President’s team within FIDE. They will support the Federation’s inte

FIDE President Timur Turlov held a meeting with Akaki Iashvili, President of the Georgian Chess Federation and Representative of the FIDE President for Special Projects, to discuss a wide range of strategic matters related to the development of international chess, the organisation of major competitions, and new initiatives for the coming years. The meeting

The FIDE World Senior Chess Championship 2026 commenced today in Vrnjačka Banja, the Serbian capital of chess and tourism. The event has brought together 385 players from 65 national federations, including 44 Grandmasters (GMs) and 8 Women Grandmasters (WGMs). The championship is held in two age groups – 50+ and 65+ – across Open and Women’s sections. All fo

GothamChess star Levy Rozman to lead the new Total Chess Highlight Show, while Anna Rudolf, Fiona Steil-Antoni, David Howell and Jovanka Houska anchor the tournament broadcast. Total Chess has unveiled an accomplished broadcast team and a new dedicated highlight show for its upcoming pilot event in Budapest, bringing together some of the most recognised voic

Al Ain adds a third World Championship milestone to its international chess legacy. The fourth edition of the FIDE World Junior Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships kicked off in Al Ain. Following an intense opening day, five players share the lead in the Open section, and three are tied at the top of the Girls’ standings, all with perfect scores after three ra

FIDE and the Venezuelan Chess Federation, in cooperation with the Ministry of People’s Power for Sport, invite all FIDE Member Federations to participate in the FIDE World Junior U20 Championship to be held in Caracas from November 17 to 28, 2026. Each National Federation may register up to two invited players (one per category). Additional players may be se

The Asian Seniors Chess Championships 2026 held in standard, rapid and blitz chess sections across the 50+ and 65+ age groups concluded in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. The competition wich ran from October 15 to 25, brought together 74 players from 11 countries. Held at Jannat Resort Osh, the event was organised by the Kyrgyz Chess Union together with the chess federati

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Egyptian Chess Federation are pleased to announce that the registration deadline for the 2026 FIDE World U7–U17 Rapid and Blitz Championships has been extended to 10 November 2026. The event will take place in Cairo, Egypt, from 8 December (arrival) to 15 December (departure) 2026. The participants will compe

After announcing its new organisational structure on 26 October 2026, FIDE has begun assembling the team responsible for the Federation’s daily operations. The administration will be headed by Secretary General Alina Dvoretskaya. Her team will execute FIDE’s decisions and coordinate the ongoing work of the various departments. The first stage covers four key

The World Federation for Chess Composition (WFCC) is pleased to announce that the Grand Final of the WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix 2025–2026 will take place from 27 to 30 November 2026 in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. The world’s leading chess solvers will meet in the new building of the Fujairah Chess & Culture Club, home of the WFCC Main Office, to decide the

Istanbul, Türkiye, will welcome the world’s elite chess players this December as the host city of the 2026 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships, one of the most anticipated events on the international chess calendar. Freedom Holding Corp., FIDE’s strategic partner since 2023, has become the general sponsor of the event. As part of the 2026 cooperation ag

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) announces the appointment of advisers and representatives of the President as part of the Federation’s new organisational structure, presented on 26 October 2026. The FIDE President’s Office, headed by Adil Kozhikhov, will focus on implementing the Federation’s strategic priorities and strengthening international coo

On November 12–13, Almaty will host the 4th International Scientific and Practical Conference “Chess in Education” at Narxoz University. The event is a part of the Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Chess in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023–2027, approved by the Government on the instructions of the President of Kazakhstan. The main goal of the con

Dear chess friends, Earlier this year, I publicly committed to holding another FIDE General Assembly before the end of 2026. I believe it is important to honour this commitment and provide our member federations with an opportunity to address the matters that remain outstanding following our meeting in Samarkand. In accordance with the decision of the FIDE C

Timur Turlov, President of the International Chess Federation When I announced my candidacy for FIDE President, I spoke about the need to take our organization to a new level. Today, I would like to present one of the first important steps in that direction – FIDE’s new organizational structure. Throughout its more than 100-year history, FIDE has gone throug

The 41st European Chess Club Cup and the 30th edition of the European Women’s Chess Club Cup concluded yesterday in Budva, Montenegro. Bayegan Pendik Sports Chess Club (Turkey) emerged as the winner of the Open section, while Cercle d’Échecs de Monte-Carlo successfully defended its title in the Women’s event. The competition took place at the Hotel Slovenska

GM Wesley So and WIM Rachael Li are the new U.S. chess champions. So captured his fourth American chess crown, while Li became the youngest player to win the title on her debut. The 2026 U.S. Chess Championship and the 2026 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship were 12-player, single round-robin tournaments with classical time controls, held from October 9 to 22 i