Wadim Rosenstein proposes moving the Candidates to Germany 🇩🇪 The WR Chess founder says safety must come first amid growing concerns around Cyprus 🇨🇾, noting that 🇮🇳 Koneru Humpy is already reconsidering participation. Rosenstein confirmed WR Chess has informed FIDE of its

Sergey Sklokin switches federation to Armenia 🇦🇲 One of the world’s top young talents will now represent Armenia after previously playing under Russia 🇷🇺. The move reflects his strong ties to the country, with his mother being Armenian and his connection to the Kaissa chess

Gelfand: “Luck can decide the Candidates” In a FIDE interview, former winner Boris Gelfand shared his view on the 2026 Candidates in Cyprus 🇨🇾, calling it one of the most exciting events in chess. He stressed that luck plays a major role, not just in games but in pairings and

Gukesh is meant for great things” 🌟 WestBridge Capital co-founder Sandeep Singhal shared a long-term view on World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in a recent ChessBase India interview. Backed by WestBridge (which also supports Vaishali and WACA talents), Gukesh is seen as a

Chess at the Olympics by 2036? It’s starting to feel real 🏅 If India 🇮🇳 wins the bid to host the 2036 Games, chess could finally enter the Olympic program. Host nations can propose additional sports, and chess is expected to be high on India’s list. Ahmedabad is one of the

🇷🇺 Nepomniachtchi questions 🇺🇸 Caruana’s prep ahead of the Candidates On stream, Ian Nepomniachtchi said he doesn’t fully understand Fabiano Caruana’s approach — playing blitz, online events, and major tournaments right before the Candidates. While he praised Caruana’s

Candidates 2026 shaping up to be one of the weakest by rating in over a decade 📉 The average rating sits around ~2749, lower than every modern edition except 2024 (2744). For context: 2013 — 2786 (strongest ever) 2016 — 2777 2018 — 2785 2020 — 2773 2022 — 2766 Despite stars

🇷🇺 Esipenko on 🇮🇳 Gukesh: “His level really depends on his form” Ahead of a potential clash, Andrey Esipenko shared a nuanced view on World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju. He described Gukesh as a hard player to evaluate, saying his level fluctuates with form. At his best, he’s an

🇺🇸 Nakamura raises concerns ahead of Candidates With just one week to go, uncertainty remains around the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus 🇨🇾. After earlier doubts from 🇮🇳 Humpy Koneru, Hikaru Nakamura also weighed in, pointing to issues on the ground: “It’s not a good sign when

Jan Gustafsson on Matthias Blübaum: “A bit of a Cinderella story” 🇩🇪 In his Candidates 2026 preview, Jan Gustafsson shared his thoughts on Matthias Blübaum, calling him one of the most intriguing outsiders in the field. Having worked with him before, Gustafsson described

Alexander Grischuk wins 1 Bitcoin at the Bitcoin Chess 960 Championship 🪙♟️ 🇷🇺 Grischuk took first place at the Bitcoin Chess 960 Championship in Honduras, a unique Fischer Random event with a 2 BTC prize fund. After losing his first game, he bounced back in style with 5

Blübaum on the “Great Blubaum Sweep” 🇩🇪 Ahead of Candidates 2026, Matthias Blübaum was asked about the viral #GreatBlubaumSweep trend: “I have no idea who started it or where it came from. Apparently people are posting fake comments saying I’ll score 14/14. I take it with

🇫🇷 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave on the Candidates 2026 In a recent interview, MVL shared his thoughts ahead of the FIDE Candidates in Cyprus 🇨🇾 He called it one of the most exciting events in chess, where only 1st place matters. No safety net - just risk, deep prep, and fighting

🇩🇪 Matthias Blübaum secures €86,000 for Candidates preparation The German GM has received major backing ahead of the FIDE Candidates: • €36,000 from the Federal Chancellor • €25,000 from the German Chess Federation • ~€21,000 via crowdfunding • + additional support from

On this day, Viktor Korchnoi was born (1931) ♟️ One of the greatest fighters in chess history, Korchnoi’s career was defined by resilience, longevity, and an unbreakable will to compete. He challenged for the World Championship twice vs. Karpov (1978, 1981) after winning the

Take on GM Harshit Raja this Sunday at the Endgame Sunday Showdown 🔥 $2,000 in prizes on the line 💰 🕚 11 AM ET / 8:30 PM IST Step into the arena and prove it. Sign up now: endgame.ai/tournament/ab0…