Luke McShane

The classical (slow) world championship remains the single most prestigious title in chess, but the events drawing new sponsorship to the game skew heavily towards rapid and blitz time controls. They are seen as more fan-friendly, and Magnus Carlsen’s stated preference for those faster events has had a strong influence too. But organisers wishing to fashion an identity for their new events have experimented with various new formats, and team events have become a popular choice, such as the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships, and the Esports World Cup (which also has a team element). Though the games are played between individuals, the team context amplifies the significance of each game.

Elon Musk enjoys winding up chess players. In 2022, he posted on X that chess is ‘too simple to be useful in real life’, noting ‘a mere 8 by 8 grid, no fog of war, no technology tree, no random map or spawn position, only 2 players, both sides exact same pieces, etc. Polytopia addresses these limitations.’ Facetious, of course, but still some took umbrage at a perceived slur on the game. Could chess ever be solved? Last week, Musk weighed in on X to a viral post about the game’s complexity, countering that the number of non-stupid moves is ‘tiny’ and that the game would one day be ‘fully solved’. Chess.com’s account shot back with two words: ‘skill issue’ – internet shorthand for ‘You’re just not good enough.

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa continued his formidable run of form by taking first place, and a $200,000 first prize, at the Grand Chess Tour Finals, held in St Louis in late August. Earlier in 2026, the 21-year-old Indian grandmaster won Norway Chess, and dominated the St Louis Rapid and Blitz, which he won with a round to spare. Just a few days later he was back in action at the Sinquefield Cup, also held in St Louis, where he tied for first place with Wesley So, only to miss out in the tiebreak. Those stellar results won him a place in the quadrangular Grand Chess Tour Finals, alongside Caruana, So and Keymer.     The matches were a mixture of classical (slow), rapid and blitz tiebreaks, with points weighted towards the slower time controls.

For the third time in his career, Wesley So has won the elite Sinquefield Cup tournament in St Louis, the fifth and final leg of the Grand Chess Tour. He got off to a strong start, with an early win against Jorden Van Foreest who botched a drawn rook endgame, and followed that by beating tournament favourite Caruana, in the superb counterattacking game shown below. Fabiano Caruana-Wesley So Sinquefield Cup, August 2026 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 a3 Bxc3+ 5 bxc3 c5 6 f3 Nc6 7 e4 d6 8 Ne2 O-O 9 Ng3 b6 10 Be2 Ba6 11 O-O Rc8 12 f4 cxd4 13 cxd4 Na5 14 f5 h6 (see diagram)  15 e5 After the queen exchange, Black’s position becomes easier to play. 15 Rf4!? was worth considering, to swing the rook over to h4 with an attack.

Played on computer screens at a fast pace, chess is a natural fit for the Esports World Cup. For the second year running, it took its place alongside dozens of major computer games, and Magnus Carlsen, who won last year’s event in Riyadh, was back to defend his title in Paris earlier this month. The Norwegian was undefeated throughout the event, and took home $250,000 by defeating 19-year-old Denis Lazavik, from Belarus, in the final, winning both sets 3-1. Lazavik’s presence in the final (who won $190,000 for second place) was itself a sign of how much the game has changed. He plays very little classical (slow) chess, where he is still ranked outside the world’s top 100, but is one of a growing band of players to make their mark through consistent excellence in online play.

When you’re in contention for tournament victory, the final day of a chess tournament is knotted with tension, knowing that even a brief lapse of concentration can squander a week or two of effort. The nerves splinter your sleep, and then the game usually begins early, because the organisers need time to pack up afterwards. Over the years, I’ve met with Triumph and Disaster, but one of the more painful memories was the final round of the British Championships in 2002, where, as an 18-year-old, I blew a promising position against the Indian grandmaster R.B. Ramesh, who therefore won the event outright. Last Sunday, 24 years after that debacle, I faced another pivotal final round at the British Championships, held on the campus of Warwick University.

On 24 July 2026, Arkady Dvorkovich announced that he was voluntarily suspending his duties as president of Fide, the international federation. Dvorkovich is a former deputy prime minister of Russia, so when he was named in the EU’s 21st sanctions package, there was little room for manoeuvre. Rather than let the sanctions paralyse the federation’s operations, he stepped back ‘with immediate effect’, handing over to deputy president Viswanathan Anand, the five-time world champion. This is not the first time Fide has found itself in this position.

Gukesh Dommaraju, the 20-year-old world champion from India, is in crisis. Since winning the title by defeating Ding Liren in 2024, he has suffered a catastrophic slump in form. His latest setback, at the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters tournament, saw him finish in clear last place, just as he did at the elite Norway Chess event in June. Gukesh will defend his title in a match which is provisionally scheduled to begin in November. He has plummeted to 30th place on the live rating list, barely above the symbolic 2700 level. His Uzbek challenger Javokhir Sindarov currently sits at fourth place, making him a clear favourite.

Eleven-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan is one of the world’s brightest talents in her age group. A recent jump in her international rating saw her secure the Fide Master title – an important milestone – and in April she became England’s top-rated female player (of any age). She is beginning to collect scalps from grandmaster opposition, including the former women’s world champion Mariya Muzychuk, whom she defeated in a classical game at the European Club Cup in October 2025.    Last week, she got off to a flying start at the Dole Open in Aix-en-Provence. Facing a strong French grandmaster in the first round, Sivanandan was under pressure, but turned the tables thanks to a sharp tactical eye.

The inaugural Daniel Naroditsky Memorial Rapid and Blitz took place early in July in Charlotte, North Carolina. Organised by the Charlotte Chess Center Foundation, where Naroditsky had served as resident grandmaster, the event honoured the popular streamer and commentator, known to fans as ‘Danya’, who died in October aged 29. Rapid and blitz were fitting formats, as Naroditsky was one of the world’s top blitz specialists, particularly in online play. A stellar field included Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So, as well as the Candidates winner Javokhir Sindarov. Sindarov took first place in both disciplines, and paid tribute to Naroditsky, describing him as the ‘kindest person in chess’.