Chess News

1. Behind the scenes in Samarkand: Inside the Expo
   Arne Kähler sets off by golf cart from the entrance gate to the exhibition area at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. He shows the stands of WR Chess, DGT and ChessBase, while also passing the ChessBase India workspace, the food court and the souvenir shop. Arne then visits the press area and the game zone before meeting a special guest at the ChessBase stand - elite grandmaster Levon Aronian! | Photo: ChessBase
2. WSTC 2026 European Stage begins in Tsaghkadzor
   The European Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship has begun in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia, with 27 school teams from 25 countries competing for places in the December Grand Final. After two rounds, five teams remain on maximum match points, with Gymnasium No. 50 of Minsk leading on game points. The opening day also featured messages from the previous continental champions and an Armenian carpet-weaving workshop.
3. Bodhana Sivanandan: Youngest-Ever WGM at 11
   The eleven-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan played on top board for England at the Women's Olympiad, was the best player on her team and one of the best performers on board one. With this result, she earned her third WGM norm and is now the youngest Woman Grandmaster (WGM) in history. | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz/FIDE
4. Interview with the Olympic winners from Uzbekistan: "We have many more victories to come!"
   Uzbekistan are Olympiad champions again! They finished two match points clear of Germany and India. After the celebrations, ChessBase India caught up with the Uzbek team to talk about the games, the pressure, and what this win means to them. Do not miss what the newly crowned champions had to say! | Photo: Nils Rohde / ChessBase
5. Vincent Keymer: Relaxed, light-hearted and funny
   Anyone playing for medals at a Chess Olympiad takes chess seriously. In Samarkand, Vincent Keymer won bronze with the German team, Germany’s first team medal since silver in Istanbul in 2000. But after the final round, Keymer took time for a short interview with Arne Kähler and handled his not entirely serious questions with ease and humour – while also revealing quite a bit about his likes and dislikes, both in chess and away from the board.
6. The dark side of the online world: Hannah Sayce's story
   Over the past four years, Australian chess streamer Hannah Sayce has attracted considerable attention with her chess streams on Twitch, though not all of it was welcome. A stalker followed her activities, harassed her online and, after falsely accusing her of drug smuggling, caused her to be imprisoned twice.
7. XTX London Chess Classic returns
   The XTX Markets London Chess Classic (LCC) returns to the capital between 24th November and 6th December 2026. The event will begin with an opening ceremony and drawing of lots at the iconic Tower of London, with the majority of games taking place alongside the LCC Festival at London Novotel West in Hammersmith.
8. Clear win for China in Women's Chess Olympiad, while Kazakhstan and India complete the podium
   In the final round of the Women's Chess Olympiad, China, led by top board Zhu Jiner, defeated Vietnam 3–1 to secure first place outright with 20 match points. Their rivals did not fare as well. Kazakhstan drew with Poland, while India drew with Georgia. As a result, Kazakhstan's 18 points were enough for second place, while India took third on tiebreak ahead of the United States, Poland, Armenia and Mongolia, all of whom finished on 17 points. | Photo: Nils Rohde / ChessBase
9. Uzbekistan triumph on home soil, collect second Olympiad gold
   Uzbekistan secured their second Chess Olympiad gold by beating Ukraine 2½–1½ in the final round in Samarkand. India took silver after drawing Hungary, while Germany claimed bronze and their first team medal since 2000 after beating the Netherlands. Nodirbek Abdusattorov won individual gold on board one, Frederik Svane repeated his individual success (also gold) from 2024, while Hungary's Gleb Dudin finished with five consecutive wins. | Photo: Nils Rohde / ChessBase
10. Inaugural FIDE Excellence Awards celebrate the people and achievements shaping chess worldwide
    The inaugural FIDE Excellence Awards were presented in Samarkand during the 46th Chess Olympiad, recognising achievements across the chess world during the 2024–2026 cycle. Honours went to players, teams, tournaments, federations, creators and social initiatives, with recipients including Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, Levon Aronian, India’s Open and Women’s teams and ChessBase India. The remaining Best Chess Player awards will be presented separately at the Olympiad closing ceremony. | Photos: KNZO Photography
11. Chess Olympiad - Live!
    The 46th edition of the Chess Olympiad is taking place on 16-27 September at the Silk Road EXPO in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. A record 208 teams in the open and 191 in the women's category are fighting for collective and individual medals. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 12.00 CEST (6.00 ET, 15.30 IST) | Pictured: Alexandra Kosteniuk from Switzerland by Michal Walusza / FIDE
12. Samarkand R10 (open): Uzbekistan enter final round with one-point lead over India
    Uzbekistan will enter the final round of the Chess Olympiad with a one-point lead after beating Armenia 3½–½ in round ten. India remain their closest challengers following a clear victory over Uzbekistan 2, while Germany, Ukraine and Hungary are two points back. Ukraine will face the hosts directly on Sunday, with India meeting Hungary and Germany taking on the Netherlands. The decisive round will begin four hours earlier than usual, at 8.00 CEST. | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz / FIDE
13. Timur Turlov elected President of FIDE
    Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, was elected President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The elections were held on 26 September at the FIDE General Assembly, alongside the 46th Chess Olympiad, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Turlov won in the second round, with 110 votes. At 38, he becomes the second youngest FIDE President ever elected. | Picture: ChessBase
14. Samarkand R9 (open): Uzbekistan retake sole lead after beating the US
    Uzbekistan regained sole first place in the Chess Olympiad by beating top seeds United States 2½–1½ in round nine, with Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Nodirbek Yakubboev again providing the decisive points - like they did against China in round seven. India, Armenia and the over-achieving Uzbekistan 2 are one match point behind, the latter after a striking 3½–½ victory over the Netherlands. Two rounds remain in Samarkand. | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz / FIDE
15. On the Superfluity of Words (3)
    In his essay Christian Hesse - professor of mathematics and, no less importantly, a passionate lover of chess - brings together mathematical and chess problems that are complete and self-contained, problems that explain themselves and need no lengthy verbal instructions. Helmut Pfleger, grandmaster and medical researcher, tells us what he thinks of the subject.
16. 7/7 points, rating performance 2955!
    We have seen a lot of great performances at the Olympiad in Samarkand – many great players have lived up to their high standards. But it is especially pleasing to see chess prodigies you have known and looked after since their early teens deliver the goods. Like this batch, who have been surging. One has scored in absolutely record-breaking style. You'll never guess who.
17. Samarkand R8 (open): Germany stun Uzbekistan, join them in the lead
    Germany ended Uzbekistan's perfect run in round eight of the Chess Olympiad, beating the hosts 2½–1½ to join them on 14/16 match points. Brothers Frederik and Rasmus Svane (pictured) collected wins for Germany on the bottom boards for a second day in a row. Eight teams now sit only one point behind, including China, India, the United States and the Netherlands. With three rounds remaining, the standings have tightened considerably ahead of another set of direct clashes among the leading teams. | Photo: Michal Walusza / FIDE
18. Bodhana Sivanandan: Chess and other passions
    Bodhana Sivanandan is only eleven years old, but in Samarkand she is already playing in her second Olympiad. And with considerable success: after seven rounds, she has scored six points on top board for the England women’s team, corresponding to an Elo performance of 2504. But when she spoke to Arne Kähler, chess was not the only passion they discussed.
19. Samarkand R7 (open): Uzbekistan continue dominating run, extend lead
    Uzbekistan opened a two-point lead in the Chess Olympiad after defeating China 3–1 in round seven, with Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Nodirbek Yakubboev scoring the decisive wins. The hosts remain the only team unbeaten on every individual board. Armenia, India, Germany, the Netherlands and Azerbaijan form the chasing group. On Wednesday, Armenia drew the United States, while the remaining four chasers all won their round-seven encounters. | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz / FIDE
20. Behind the scenes in Samarkand: The playing hall
    The ChessBase crew continues its coverage from the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, moving from the exhibition stand to the playing hall and capturing some of the atmosphere around the event. The latest vlog features reactions to the forthcoming ChessBase for Mac, behind-the-scenes work by the team, new guests in the "Off the Board" interview series and the celebrations that follow a victory by the Uzbek team.
21. Total Chess World Championship Tour announces six more stars for pilot
    The 24-player field for the Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot in Budapest is now complete, with Levon Aronian, Le Quang Liem, Jorden van Foreest, Abhimanyu Mishra, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Andrew Hong joining the lineup. The FIDE-approved event, scheduled for 10–20 November, will combine Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz in a single competition and serve as the pilot for the global Total Chess World Championship Tour launching in 2027.
22. Samarkand R6 (women): China and Kazakhstan remain perfect
    China and Kazakhstan reached the rest day as joint leaders of the Women's Chess Olympiad with perfect 12/12 match scores. Kazakhstan edged Azerbaijan 2½–1½, while China beat Poland 3½–½ after the latter had defeated defending champions India in round five. India responded by overcoming the United States 3–1, while second seeds from Georgia also moved into the chasing group with a convincing win over Uzbekistan. | Pictured: China's Zhu Jiner | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz / FIDE
23. Samarkand R6 (open): Uzbekistan beat India to take the sole lead
    Uzbekistan reached the rest day as the sole leaders of the open Chess Olympiad after edging defending champions India 2½–1½ in round six. Nodirbek Yakubboev (pictured) scored the decisive win from what had been an inferior position against Nihal Sarin. China and Armenia moved into joint second on 11/12 match points after beating Germany and Iran, respectively. Uzbekistan, China and Armenia remain unbeaten on individual boards. | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz / FIDE
24. John Donaldson: New insights into Bobby Fischer
    Bobby Fischer remains one of the most fascinating and enigmatic figures in chess history. IM John Donaldson, captain of the US team at the Chess Olympiad and the author of numerous books on famous and lesser-known chess personalities, is one of the leading experts on Fischer. He recently published a new book on the 1972 World Champion, "Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer". In the interview, Donaldson talks about his research, previously unknown material and how he views Fischer after years of studying his life and work.
25. ChessBase´26 – Tips for Beginners, part 32: Training with style
    It’s once again time to think about aesthetics in ChessBase´26 training: Have you ever noticed the “Style” option? If not, in this episode we’ll explain briefly and concisely how you can better adapt your screen display to your own taste.