10/11/2025 – After six rounds of play at the European Team Chess Championship in Batumi, Ukraine have strengthened their position at the top of the open standings, while Poland have taken firm control of the women's competition with a commanding victory over their closest rivals. The final three rounds of the championships in Batumi will take place from Sunday to Tuesday. | Photos: European Chess Union

10/10/2025 – Garry Kasparov increased his advantage over Viswanathan Anand to 8½–3½ after the second day of their chess960 match in Saint Louis. The 13th world champion capitalised on Anand's time forfeiture in the first game and later added another win in the blitz section. The day's results left Kasparov firmly ahead, though twelve points remain at stake in the final session of the exhibition match. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

10/10/2025 – The fifth round of the European Team Chess Championship in Batumi brought a major shift in both leaderboards. In the open section, Ukraine defeated the defending champions from Serbia to take the sole lead, while in the women's tournament, Poland continued their remarkable run, becoming the only team still on a perfect score after overcoming Germany in the day's top match. | Photos: European Chess Union

10/9/2025 – Garry Kasparov leads Viswanathan Anand 2½-1½ after the opening day of "Clutch Chess: The Legends" in Saint Louis. The two former world champions contested four games from the same Chess960 starting position, with Kasparov taking the only win in a dramatic third game. The day featured two rapid and two blitz encounters, with both players showing flashes of their trademark resilience throughout. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

10/9/2025 – Defending champions Serbia took the sole lead in the open section of the European Team Chess Championship after defeating Greece in round four, their fourth consecutive 2½–1½ victory. Ukraine moved into clear second place by beating top seeds Germany, while seven teams now share third. In the women's event, Poland and Germany remain perfect on 8/8 match points, with Bulgaria, Georgia, Ukraine and France two points behind. | Photos: European Chess Union

10/8/2025 – Two former world champions, Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov, will face each other in "Clutch Chess: The Legends", a 12-game Chess960 exhibition match held from 8 to 10 October at the newly expanded Saint Louis Chess Club. The event will feature rapid and blitz games with increasing point values and prize stakes each day, marking the official reopening of the club's renovated campus and celebrating its role as a global centre for chess. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

10/8/2025 – After three rounds at the European Team Chess Championship in Batumi, clear leaders have begun to emerge in both sections. Serbia and Greece share the lead in the open event, while Poland, Bulgaria and Germany top the standings in the women's tournament, with Germany scoring an upset victory over top seeds Georgia in Tuesday's third round. | Photos: European Chess Union

10/7/2025 – Team USA claimed a 5-0 victory over Team India in "Checkmate: USA v. India", a new-format exhibition held at Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event combined top-level chess with a live sports-style presentation, featuring unconventional rules such as no resignations and active audience participation. Hikaru Nakamura sealed the clean sweep by defeating world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, capping an evening that tested how far chess can be taken as a stadium spectacle. | Photo: Ashwin Subramanian

10/6/2025 – The European Team Championships began in Batumi with a number of early surprises. Denmark upset top seeds Germany in the open section thanks to Mads Andersen's win over Dmitrij Kollars, while Georgia edged Hungary and Switzerland held Spain to a draw. In the women's event, Georgia and Poland started strongly, though Ukraine were held by Austria and Slovakia defeated Spain to produce the day's biggest shock. | Photos: European Chess Union

10/4/2025 – The 2025 European Team Chess Championship takes place from 4 to 15 October in Batumi, Georgia, featuring 40 national teams in the open and 36 teams in the women's section. The German team leads the starting list ahead of the Netherlands and Hungary in the open, while host nation Georgia tops the women's field. Notably, Hungary will include both Richard Rapport and Peter Leko in their lineup. | Image: European Chess Union

10/4/2025 – Fabiano Caruana won the 2025 Grand Chess Tour Finals in São Paulo after defeating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a tense match that was decided in the blitz phase. After losing the opening rapid game, Caruana responded with three straight wins in blitz to secure the title, holding a draw in a dramatic final game to clinch overall victory. Levon Aronian beat Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu 20–8 in the third-place match, earning a place in next year's Grand Chess Tour. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

10/3/2025 – The second classical games of the championship match and the third-place playoff both ended drawn in São Paulo, keeping both duels level at six points each. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave pressed Fabiano Caruana in a Sicilian that led to a rook endgame, but Caruana defended accurately. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, meanwhile, tested Levon Aronian in a queenless position, though Black's well-placed minor pieces ensured the balance. The event now moves to rapid and blitz. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

10/3/2025 – On 4 October, Arlington becomes the setting for "Checkmate: USA v. India", an evening of chess presented as a live arena spectacle. Esports Stadium Arlington will see Hikaru Nakamura take on world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Fabiano Caruana face Arjun Erigaisi, and further clashes featuring women stars, prodigies and leading chess streamers. With fast-paced games, unusual rules and a sports-style atmosphere, the event seeks to redefine how elite chess is staged and experienced.

10/2/2025 – The first classical games of the final and the match for third place in São Paulo both ended drawn, though in contrasting ways. Levon Aronian and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu quickly simplified their Sicilian Defence encounter into a level ending after queens left the board on move 15. Meanwhile, Fabiano Caruana pressed for more than five hours against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a lengthy queen endgame, but despite holding an extra pawn, he could not convert his advantage into a win. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

10/1/2025 – After the classical portion of the Grand Chess Tour Finals had concluded with all games drawn, the semifinals were left to be decided in rapid and blitz play. With six games to follow - two rapid encounters worth four points each, and four blitz games worth two points each - the margins for error became smaller and the intensity greater. The two matches followed different paths: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave defeated Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu with a convincing score, while Fabiano Caruana overcame Levon Aronian only in the final stages. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

10/1/2025 – After the first weekend of the 2025/26 Chess Bundesliga, three clubs share the lead on maximum points. Promoted Schachfreunde Wolfhagen joined established contenders SC Viernheim and OSG Baden-Baden at the top, each securing two victories. Defending champions Düsseldorfer SK dropped ground after being held to a draw by Bayern München in round two, while Deizisau were twice held to 4–4. The season is set to resume in December. | Photo: Reinhard Ahrens / Hamburger SK

9/30/2025 – The second classical games of the Grand Chess Tour Finals in São Paulo ended quickly, with both semifinals producing draws in under two hours. Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana exchanged pieces early after Caruana's 2...g6, while Maxime Vachier-Lagrave failed to challenge Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in a short Caro-Kann encounter. With all four players now on six points, the focus shifts to rapid and blitz. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

9/29/2025 – The Grand Chess Tour Finals opened in São Paulo with the first classical games of the semifinals, both ending in draws after moments of tension. Fabiano Caruana introduced a rare line in the French Defence against Levon Aronian but failed to maintain his advantage. Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu missed a winning continuation in time trouble, allowing Maxime Vachier-Lagrave to simplify into a tricky pawn-up endgame, which he failed to convert into a victory. | Photo: Lennart Ootes