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The 2026 European Chess Championship begins in Katowice.
The 2026 European Chess Championship Begins in Katowice. A Tournament That Brings New Names to the Surface Sometimes it is exactly tournaments like this that become the beginning of great stories. Not a world title match, not a closed elite event, but a large-scale open competition where dozens of the continent’s strongest players face each […]
Read articleYesipenko stopped Sindarov
Esipenko Drew with Sindarov in the Candidates Tournament. A Game Without a Winner — But Not Without Meaning There are no “routine” games in the Candidates Tournament. Even a draw here can say more than a win in another event. That was exactly the case in the meeting between Andrey Esipenko and Javokhir Sindarov — […]
Read articleLagno’s victory over Goryachkina at the start of the second round
Lagno Defeated Goryachkina at the Start of the Second Half of the Women’s Candidates Tournament. A Game That Could Change Everything Sometimes, in chess, a single round carries more weight than several previous ones combined. That is exactly what happened at the start of the second half of the Women’s Candidates Tournament, where Kateryna Lagno […]
Read articleNew Checkmat update
Checkmat Has Released a New Update: Now You Can Play with Friends and Create Private Rooms Sometimes a single update changes more than just the interface — it changes the entire philosophy of the game. That is exactly what has happened with Checkmat. Until recently, it was a convenient way to play a game online, […]
Read articleLagno and Goryachkina share third place
After Half of the Women’s Candidates Tournament, Lagno and Goryachkina Share Third Place. Why That Decides Nothing Yet — and at the Same Time Decides a Great Deal After the first half of the Women’s Candidates Tournament, the standings already stop looking random. Seven rounds are not a sudden burst and not a short opening […]
Read articleWhy isn’t Magnus Carlsen at the Candidates Tournament?
The World’s Strongest Chess Player Is Not Playing in the Candidates Tournament. Where Is Magnus Carlsen Now? Whenever the Candidates Tournament begins, almost every fan ends up asking the same question: why is Magnus Carlsen not in the main qualifier for the world championship match? After all, for many people he still formally remains the […]
Read articleEsipenko fails the Candidates Tournament
Esipenko Keeps Making Mistakes Again and Again. A Russian Player’s Disaster at the Candidates Tournament Things fall apart very quickly at the Candidates Tournament. One bad day can still be survived. Two already become a warning sign. But when, round after round, you fail both to latch onto a winning streak and to change the […]
Read articleNakamura spent 67 minutes thinking about his move.
“That Was a Big Mistake.” Nakamura Spent More Than 67 Minutes on a Move — and Lost After It At the Candidates Tournament, every mistake is seen especially clearly. But sometimes a game produces a moment that stands out even by the brutal standards of this event. In round five, Hikaru Nakamura spent almost 67 […]
Read articleThe Russian chess player’s third draw
The Russian Chess Player Drew for the Third Time in the Candidates Tournament. Half a Point That No Longer Looks Like a Coincidence At the Candidates Tournament, draws quickly begin to split into two categories. Some help you stay in the race, while others gradually turn into a worrying background. It is increasingly the second […]
Read articleA stunning victory for the Russian chess player
A Russian Chess Player Claimed a Magnificent Victory. Look How She Outsmarted Her Opponent At the Women’s Candidates Tournament, beautiful victories are valued especially highly. The price of every mistake is enormous, the standings are crowded, and games in which one player does not just score a point but truly outplays, outsmarts, and psychologically breaks […]
Read articleA selfie with Carlsen resulted in a complaint to a judge at a chess tournament.
Carlsen Complained to the Arbiter After a Selfie With a Kazakh Chess Player. Why This Story Spread So Quickly Through the Chess World Big stories in chess are not born only over the board. Sometimes one short moment before a game is enough to ignite a storm of discussion around a tournament. That is exactly […]
Read articleYesipenko stumbled again at the Candidates Tournament
Esipenko Lost Again in the Candidates Tournament. What Have You Done, Andrey?! You cannot afford a slow start in the Candidates Tournament. This is not the kind of event where you can quietly survive a couple of bad days and then slip unnoticed back into the race. Here, every round either lifts you toward the […]
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