“People really love chess in our country. I’m proud to be Uzbek and play for this nation.” - Javokhir Sindarov 🇺🇿 #ChessOlympiad

🇹🇷 Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and 🇺🇸 Alice Lee are the top junior and top girl this month! 🔥♟️ 🌍 Presenting the top Juniors & Girls from around the world in the October #FIDERating list! (Junior = player eligible for the U-20 category)

♟ From Tsaghkadzor to Grand Final: European Schools Chess Champions crowned amidst cultural celebration The curtain fell on the World Schools Team Championship Europe 2026. After four days of intense competition, brilliant sacrifices, and unparalleled teamwork, the young chess champions were crowned in 🇦🇲 Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. 🇧🇾 Gymnasium No. 50 of Minsk (Belarus) established their dominance from the opening round. Starting with back-to-back 4–0 clean sweeps, they held a firm grasp on the number-one spot. Led by Board 1 star Damir Bulgak and Board 4 standout Katrina Yakovleva, the Belarusian squad never let their grip slip, successfully turning away all challengers to finish with a flawless, undefeated record. Their first-place finish officially secures their slot in the prestigious global Grand Final this December. Coming into the event as the top-seeded team by average rating, 🇱🇻 Riga State Gymnasium No. 1 (Latvia) confidently navigated eight rounds, losing only to the champions and winning all their other encounters. Powered by Daniel Beniosev’s unbeaten run on Board 2, the Latvians easily defended their position down the stretch to lock up the silver medals. 🇬🇪 LEPL Georgia, Kutaisi Andria Razmadze Physico secured the third position in a tough competition with the local team from Armenia. Read more: fide.com/from-tsaghkadzor-to… @ischoolchess

🔥 The tension was already in the air! From the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand to the Salesforce FIDE World Championship Match 2026 in Geneva – the story continues. 🇮🇳 Gukesh D and 🇺🇿 Javokhir Sindarov will meet again, this time with the world title at stake. ♟ Salesforce FIDE World Championship Match 2026 📍 Geneva, Switzerland 🇨🇭 🗓 Game dates: November 24–December 12 📷 Michal Walusza, Rafal Oleksiewicz/FIDE #GukeshSindarov

♟ Road to Weissenhaus 2027: Freestyle Friday is back The race to the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship is back on. Freestyle Friday, the weekly online tournament on Chess.com, returns this Friday, October 2, streamed live on the Freestyle Chess YouTube channel, Chess.com and DAZN, with a direct ticket to Weissenhaus on the line in both the Open and the Women’s fields. Read more: fide.com/road-to-weissenhaus…

♟ WSTC Europe Day 3: Competitions, tactical masterclasses and high-altitude adventures in 🇦🇲 Tsaghkadzor The third day of the European Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 elevated the competitive intensity to new heights in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. With the tournament crossing into its critical second half, Rounds 5 and 6 delivered a captivating blend of strategic competition on the top boards and heartfelt camaraderie off them. As the top players continued their unstoppable runs, the race for the Grand Final slots became an absolute thriller. Read more: fide.com/wstc-europe-day-3-c… @ischoolchess

♟ “Theory and Practice of Chess Education” conference begins in 🇦🇲 Tsaghkadzor Alongside the 2026 World Schools Chess Championship – Europe, the International Scientific Conference “Theory and Practice of Chess Education” officially commenced in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia, running from October 1–2, 2026. Serving as a cornerstone event during this pivotal year for chess education, the conference brought together experts to discuss cutting-edge tools and methodologies. The primary objective is to explore innovative approaches and establish strategies for implementing chess across various educational settings globally. Read more: fide.com/theory-and-practice… @ischoolchess @FIDEschoolChess

♟ Main Decisions of the FIDE General Assembly 2026 The FIDE General Assembly was held on 26–27 September 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, during the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad and the FIDE Congress 2026. The Congress brought together representatives of FIDE Member Federations, as well as members of the FIDE Council, Zonal Council and FIDE Commissions. The General Assembly agenda included elections, reports and financial matters, membership issues, administrative matters, changes to the FIDE Handbook, the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2030, and other matters. Read more: fide.com/main-decisions-of-t…

The October #FIDERating lists are out! The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand has had a major impact on the rankings. 🇺🇿♟️ Here are just a few notable highlights 👇 🇺🇿 Nodirbek Abdusattorov gains 18 points and jumps to World No. 5 with a rating of 2780. 🇹🇷 Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş gains 15 points and enters the world top 20 for the first time. 🇺🇿 Nodirbek Yakubboev gains 27 points and crosses the 2700 mark. 🇨🇳 Zhu Jiner gains 9 points and moves up to World No. 2 in the women’s rankings. 🇺🇸 Alice Lee gains 14 points and enters the women’s world top 20 for the first time. 🇦🇲 Mariam Mkrtchyan gains 47 points and reaches 2400. 🇮🇳 Savitha Shri B gains 23 points after an amazing 9/10 performance. Which player made the biggest impression on you this month?

♟ WSTC Europe Day 2: Bright smiles, brilliant moves, and cultural rhythms in 🇦🇲 Tsaghkadzor The second day of the European Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 brought an incredible mix of high energy, team spirit, and pure chess magic to Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. With school teams cheering each other on, Rounds 3 and 4 turned into a wonderful celebration of young talent. While the games on the top tables grew increasingly intense, the friendly handshakes at the end of each round remained as warm as ever. Read more: fide.com/wstc-europe-day-2-b… @ischoolchess

🇺🇿♟ President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with members of the national teams that represented the country at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad and the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities, together with their parents and coaches. At a special ceremony, the champions and medalists received state awards and gifts from the President in recognition of their achievements. #ChessOlympiad

The 2026 winners are now part of Olympiad history 🔥 #ChessOlympiad

♟ FIDE President Timur Turlov (@TurlovforChess) on the Future of Chess | Exclusive Interview Timur Turlov, the newly elected President of FIDE, shares his vision for the future of chess and the direction of FIDE under his leadership. Watch the full interview here: youtu.be/COeCSpP1miI

👏👏👏 Following a review of the nominations for the 2026 Svetozar Gligoric Trophy, the FIDE Gligoric Trophy Award Commission has decided to award the trophy to two recipients: Sebastian Poltorak (Poland) – For his exemplary sportsmanship during the 2025 European Chess Club Cup. In his game against Aleksandar Inđić, when his opponent became unwell and had to leave the playing hall for medical reasons, Poltorak agreed to a draw rather than seeking a competitive advantage from the situation. GM Tin Jingyao (Singapore) – For his exemplary fair play during the 2025 Almaty Region Open (Qonayev Cup). In Round 6, his opponent arrived after the default time due to heavy traffic. Although Tin Jingyao was entitled to claim a win by forfeit, he graciously chose to allow the game to be played. The Commission considers both cases to be exceptional examples of fair play and sportsmanship, where respect for the opponent prevailed over the immediate competitive result.

♟ WSTC 2026 European Stage begins in Tsaghkadzor The European Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 commenced on 29 September in 🇦🇲 Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. 27 school teams from 25 nations are competing in the final qualifying stage for places in the Grand Final in December. Read more: fide.com/wstc-2026-european-… @ischoolchess @TurlovforChess

What a brilliant move! 🤯 #ChessOlympiad

At just 11 years old, Bodhana Sivanandan has become the youngest player in history to fulfil the requirements for the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title. 🔥 Representing England on board one at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad, Bodhana secured her third and final WGM norm to achieve the historic milestone. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Congratulations, Bodhana! 👏