Chess News

General chess-related articles and information about SparkChess development; this section is for everyone interested in chess.

President’s Cup Chess: Texas versus Missouri and YOU could be a winner!

From April 4–6, 2025, The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will host chess teams from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), Webster University, and Saint Louis University on its campus. The occasion is the 2025 President’s Cup, the national championship of college chess. With two teams from Texas and two from Missouri, college chess bragging rights will go to one of those states. Predict the winner and YOU could be a winner too! More 🡢

Open and Women’s (and Men’s) in chess

The Varsity Chess Match is in London on March 8. International Women’s Day is observed each year on March 8, making this a good day to discuss gendered terminology. More 🡢

Prague International Chess Festival: Opening Ceremony

While in Prague for the World Senior Team Chess Championship, as a member of the USA Women 50+ team, I visited the Prague International Chess Festival. A former President of the Czech Republic was one of the speakers. At a post-ceremony reception, I briefly interviewed Grandmasters Liem Le and Vincent Keymer. More 🡢

Chess or Health, Play or Forfeit

The World Senior Team Chess Championship brings together several hundred chess players in two age categories, 50+ and 65+. Along with babies younger than six months, people aged 65 and older are most at risk for hospitalization from complications from COVID-19. And large gatherings, held indoors, increase the likelihood of disease transmission. More 🡢

Chess Under Pressure: New Year’s Resolutions

During a game, a chess player may daydream about what a good result will bring. Ironically, daydreaming takes them away from that good result. Here are two New Year’s Resolutions to deal with pressures felt during chess games. More 🡢

Aleksandar Indjic wins 2024 European Individual Chess Championship

The 2024 European Individual Chess Championship was won by GM Aleksandar Indjic of Serbia. Indjic began the tournament ranked 33rd. En route to the title, he defeated the tournament’s top-ranked player, GM Vladimir Fedoseev, who plays for Slovenia. More 🡢

Sex, Murder, and Chess: Fiction Predicts Truth?

According to news stories in the mainstream media, including NBC, ABC, Newsweek, and USA Today, Amina Abakarova allegedly smeared poison on chessmen that would be touched by her rival, Umayganat Osmanova. Security cameras captured the August 2 incident, which occurred about 20 minutes before a round of the Russian Republic of Dagestan Chess Championship. That same month, New in Chess published The Sponsor: Murder at the North Sea Chess Tournament. More 🡢

To be determined: Chess in London, Paris, and Budapest

After winning his August 7–11 match against GM Anish Giri in the Netherlands, GM Hans Niemann plays against GM Nikita Vitiugov August 14–18 in London. The matches are part of “GM Hans Niemann against the World” series. The third and final match in the series is in Paris, August 20–24, against Étienne Bacrot. GM Hans Niemann against the World has a total prize pool of $100,000. More 🡢