International Chess Federation

🇺🇦 57-year-old Vasyl Ivanchuk plays 32 games in 33 days!

Sardinia World Chess Festival returns for third edition with strongest field yet 🔥 The third edition of the Sardinia World Chess Festival is set to begin today, bringing world-class chess to the stunning Mediterranean setting of Sardinia. Hosted at the Club Hotel Marina Beach in Orosei, the event continues its rapid ascent and now features its strongest field to date, cementing its status as one of the premier open tournaments in Italy. The 2026 edition is headlined by GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2729). He is joined by top grandmasters including: 🇮🇷 Parham Maghsoodloo, 🇭🇷 Ivan Šarić, 🇮🇳 Murali Karthikeyan, 🇩🇪 Frederik Svane, 🇦🇲 Haik Martirosyan. The field is further enriched by rising talents such as 🇦🇷Faustino Oro! Read more: fide.com/sardinia-world…

Happy 85th birthday to Nona Gaprindashvili, the first woman ever to be awarded the Grandmaster title! 🎂 🎉 Nona Gaprindashvili had a stellar career, reigning as the Women’s World Chess Champion from 1962 (age 21) to 1978. She won 25 medals in Women’s Chess Olympiads and triumphed in major open tournaments like the Hastings Challengers in 1963/4. In 1995, she became the only Women’s World Chess Champion also to win the Women’s World Senior title, which she claimed multiple times. In this photo: Nona Gaprindashvili with Vaishali Rameshbabu 📷 Anna Shtourman / FIDE #WomenInChess

Learned chess in one day at 4 years old… then lost every game 😅♟ Javokhir Sindarov on his first tournament #FIDECandidates #FIDE #Chess

🇮🇳 Gukesh D and Anna Shukhman are the top junior and top girl this month! 🔥♟️ 🌍 Presenting the top Juniors & Girls from around the world in the May #FIDERating list! (Junior = player eligible for the U-20 category)

♟🎟 Tickets now on sale for the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026 The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026 will be held at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in 🇭🇰 Hong Kong from June 17 to 21, marking the first time the event is hosted in East Asia. With 42 teams and more than 300 players confirmed, including seven of the world’s top ten male players and four of the world’s top ten female players, the championship brings the global chess spotlight to Hong Kong on an unprecedented scale. The field features World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and women’s World No. 1 Hou Yifan. You can now secure your seats through the official ticketing platform, URBTIX, and choose between single-day tickets and multi-day packages. Single-day tickets 17 June, Rapid Day 1: HK$250 18 June, Rapid Day 2: HK$250 19 June, Rapid Day 3: HK$300 20 June, Blitz Day 1: HK$300 21 June, Blitz Day 2: HK$380 Package event passes Full Rapid Pass (17-19 June): HK$688 Full Blitz Pass (20-21 June): HK$538 5-Day All-Access Pass (17-21 June): HK$1,088 Early bird offer: A discount of HK$100 is available on any package event pass purchased on or before 17 May. Terms and conditions apply. 👉 Tickets are available now at urbtix.hk/event-detail/1…. #FIDERapidBlitzTeams #HongKong

The May #FIDERating lists are out! ♟📈 Highlights 👇 🇳🇴 Magnus Carlsen and 🇨🇳 Hou Yifan continue their reigns at the top of the rating lists. 🇺🇿 Javokhir Sindarov makes history with the most dominant victory in the FIDE Candidates Tournament and gains 31 rating points, entering the Top 10 for the first time 🔥 🇮🇳 Vaishali Rameshbabu gains 26 points after winning the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament, climbing to No. 13 ♟ 🇳🇱 Anish Giri advances to No. 6 after a strong performance in the FIDE Candidates Tournament 👏 Read more at 🔗 fide.com/javokhir-sinda…

♟ Did you know? Barleycorn chess sets were very popular in England during the first half of the 19th century. They were carved not only from ivory but also from ordinary cattle bones. While cattle bones are not as suitable for fine crafting as elephant ivory, they still allowed for the creation of good pieces with key characteristics. The name “Barleycorn” comes from the pieces’ design, which includes elements resembling barley grains. The king and queen are decorated with barley heads or leaves. ℹ️ Curious fact: The third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, owned a similar set. 👉 Read more about chess history at museum.fide.com #Chess #ChessMuseum

👑♟ FIDE World Championship Match 2026 – Call for bids The FIDE World Chess Championship Match is the pinnacle of the FIDE World Championship Cycle. The 2026 edition will decide who will reign over the chess world for the next two years – the reigning world champion, 🇮🇳 Gukesh D (India), or the challenger 🇺🇿 Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan). The upcoming clash will be the youngest-ever chess world championship match. Both Gukesh and Sindarov will be 20 at the time it begins. 🗓 The World Championship Match 2026 is provisionally scheduled between November 23 and December 17, 2026. FIDE is opening a bidding procedure to host the event. Read more: fide.com/fide-world-cha… #GukeshSindarov

Team 🇮🇳 Gukesh or Team 🇺🇿 Sindarov? 👇 Who are you rooting for?

🤱♟ FIDE and the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess (@FideWomen) are inviting players, national federations, and the wider chess community to take the first step toward ChessMom 2026. Following its successful debut at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, the ChessMom Project returns for the 46th Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan. The programme provides financial and logistical support to professional women chess players who are mothers, allowing them to compete at the highest level alongside their children and a caregiver. Read more: fide.com/chessmom-2026-… #ChessOlympiad #WomenInChess #ChessMom

♟ FIDE and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF @ischoolchess) are pleased to announce the dates for the African and American Continental stages of the World Schools Team Championship 2026 (WSTC 2026). As part of the global WSTC cycle, continental events bring together leading school teams from around the world, with best teams qualifying for the Grand Final at the end of the year. 🌍 African Continental Stage 🇿🇦 Cape Town, South Africa 🗓 July 6–11, 2026 🌎 American Continental Stage 🇨🇷 San Jose, Costa Rica 🗓 August 11–16, 2026 🔗 Read more: fide.com/fide-and-iscf-… #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts / @FIDEschoolChess

♟️🔥 “I am eagerly anticipating the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Hong Kong,” said Women’s World No. 1 Hou Yifan, sharing her excitement ahead of the event. “This is more than just a matchup of minds featuring the world’s elite. It is a pivotal milestone that will elevate the profile of chess across Greater China. As a premier international city with world-class facilities and a vibrant community, Hong Kong is perfectly positioned to bring its unique vibrance to this prestigious tournament.” ℹ️ Read more about the event: fide.com/world-team-rap… 🎟 Tickets are now on sale – enjoy an exclusive early bird discount: urbtix.hk/event-detail/1… #FIDERapidBlitzTeams #HongKong

🤔 Who is this player? Write in the comments and get ready for the upcoming FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026! 🌏 Hong Kong 🇭🇰 🗓 Game days: June 17–21 ❕ Register your team! Read more: fide.com/fide-world-tea… #FIDERapidBlitzTeams #HongKong

🤔 Who is the most polite chess player? 👇 Share your opinion in the comments! #FIDECandidates #FIDEWomenCandidates #FIDE #Chess #Cyprus

Winners crowned at World Senior Team Championship 2026 in Durrës, Albania 🇦🇱 Here are the winners 👇 Senior 50+ 🏆 United States of America 🇺🇸 Senior Women's 50+ 🏆 United States of America 🇺🇸 Senior 65+ 🏆 Germany - Lasker SGK 🇩🇪 Senior Women's 65+ 🏆 FIDE Throughout the event, participants displayed exceptional fighting spirit, resilience, and sportsmanship – powerfully reaffirming that chess is a game for all ages. Read more: fide.com/winners-crowne…