Σκακιστικά νέα

Bodhana Sivanandan crowned Britain’s youngest-ever Women’s champion at 11 years old. Records tumbled at the biggest-ever British Chess Championships as the nine-day event in Coventry ended with two record-breaking young superstars of the game winning the two top prizes.

Grandmaster (GM) Praggnanandhaa won his first Rapid & Blitz title at the 2026 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club as the first U.S. leg of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT). The Indian grandmaster built his victory by topping the rapid section with 12 of a possible 18 points before sealing the overall title in the blitz, winning $50,000. His rapid performance also lifted him into the live top 10 of the world rapid rankings for the first time in his career.

David Llada has announced his candidacy for one of the four Vice President positions on the FIDE Council, the 15-member body responsible for most major decisions between the Management Board and General Assembly. Llada, who served as FIDE’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer from 2019 to 2023 and later as Director of Communications at the Internet Chess Club, says he is running to bring greater commercial expertise, professional management and fresh thinking to FIDE’s decision-making.

The European Junior U20 Chess Championship 2026 is set to take place from 5-16 August at Hotel Grand, in Cetinje, Montenegro.

The event will be played in two categories: Open U20 and Girls U20, with 9 swiss rounds in each competition, and the time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment per move, starting from the move one.

The 2026 Sinquefield Cup, the signature classical event of the Grand Chess Tour, begins in St. Louis on August 8, bringing together ten of the world’s strongest grandmasters for the final regular-season tournament of the 2026 GCT. The event runs through August 21, with tournament play scheduled for August 10–19.

Magnus Carlsen will return to the Esports World Cup (EWC) in 2026 as the reigning Chess champion, once again representing Team Liquid in the second edition of the tournament.

Carlsen, widely regarded as the greatest chess player of his generation, dominated the inaugural EWC Chess competition in 2025. The Norwegian defeated every challenger on his way to the title, losing just three individual games throughout the playoffs while remaining unbeaten in every match series.

Magnus Carlsen will return to the Esports World Cup (EWC) in 2026 as the reigning Chess champion, once again representing Team Liquid in the second edition of the tournament.

Jan Henric Buettner sent an Open Letter and Cease and Desist Legal Notice to the FIDE Council and officers, alleging that FIDE resources and personnel have been used to support the presidential campaign of Timur Turlov. Buettner cited what he described as active involvement by FIDE employees in campaign-related activities in Cape Town, Bucharest and Addis Ababa, as well as planned events in Costa Rica, Aruba, Panama and New York City.

The European Youth Team Chess Championship 2026 concluded yesterday in Pardubice, Czech Republic, after seven days of intense battles across four categories: U12, GU12, U18, and GU18.

The Esports World Chess Cup Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) will offer one final opportunity for players to earn a place in the next stage of the competition through a demanding multi-stage format. The event begins with eight separate 7-round Swiss tournaments, giving participants multiple chances to secure qualification.