On 17th October 1956, a sensational sacrificial game played in New York City by a 13-year-old chess upstart from Brooklyn shot across the globe. A game that literally took the chess world by storm – and exactly 70 years on, that stunning sacrificial onslaught has more than stood the test of time by universally being […]
Monthly Archives: October 2026
In his latest ChessBase course, Grandmaster Sipke Ernst thoroughly dispels the Benko Gambit’s poor reputation. His modern approach, featuring an early 5…e6!, revolutionises the gambit, breathes new life into it and elegantly sidesteps White’s traditional attempts at refutation. A new chapter in the history of the Benko Gambit has been written – and Christian Höthe […]
In 2027, the 54th International Dortmund Chess Days will mark a special chapter in their history spanning more than 50 years: from 8 to 15 August 2027, the Sparkassen Chess Trophy will be held for the first time in the “Salzlager” at the Hansa Coking Plant. As part of the 2027 International Garden Exhibition (IGA […]
Today, Rafael Vaganian celebrates his 75th birthday. In 1971, he became the first Armenian chess player after Tigran Petrosian to be awarded the grandmaster title by FIDE. He won numerous medals in team competitions representing the Soviet Union and Armenia, was at one point ranked fourth in the world and played for SG Porz in […]
Sixteen-year-old Andy Woodward defeated defending champion Fabiano Caruana in round five of the US Championship to join Wesley So in the lead on 3½/5. Jeffery Xiong, Ray Robson and Abhimanyu Mishra also scored victories. In the women’s tournament, Alice Lee claimed her fourth consecutive win to extend her lead to a full point. Meanwhile, Rose […]
The Atyrau Masters in Kazakhstan has attracted a strong international field, with Shamsiddin Vokhidov and Leon Luke Mendonca heading the starting list. Both top seeds suffered unexpected defeats in the opening two rounds, losing to significantly lower-rated opponents. Nguyen Duc Hoa defeated Vokhidov in round one, while Sergey Sklokin-Bagiyan overcame Mendonca in round two. The […]
The English Chess Federation has congratulated 12-year-old chess prodigy Supratit Banerjee after his International Master title was officially approved by FIDE, making him the youngest English player to achieve the prestigious title. This is another milestone for a remarkable generation of young English chess talent that includes Britain’s youngest WGM, 11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan.
The 6th Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners began on 13 October with a record 140 teams from 56 countries competing across men’s, women’s and youth sections. Organised by FIDE and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, the three-day event continues a programme that uses chess as an educational and social tool in correctional facilities. Several […]
FIDE is preparing changes to the regulations governing shorter classical time controls following a General Assembly resolution based on a proposal from the Icelandic Chess Federation. The FIDE Council plans to make 60+30 a standard classical control without special approval, while considering broader use of 45+30. Limits on games per day and title norms would […]
Fabiano Caruana defeated Ray Robson in round four of the US Championship to join Wesley So in the lead on 3/4. Awonder Liang suffered his first defeat against Jeffery Xiong, while Hans Niemann also collected a full point. In the women’s tournament, Alice Lee took the sole lead by beating 13-year-old Megan Paragua, while Irina […]