FIDE confirms dates for the 2025 Online Congress and General Assembly
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has finalized the calendar for its 2025 Congress, with the General Assembly scheduled to take place on Sunday, 14 December 2025 in an online format. The FIDE Council has approved the virtual organization of the Congress. According to FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, the event will serve as both a comprehensive review of the achievements of the international chess community over the past year and a strategic platform for shaping the FIDE’s priorities for the future. The Congress will encompass the statutory meetings of the FIDE Commissions, the FIDE Council, the FIDE Zonal Council, and culminate in the FIDE General Assembly. The timetable is as follows: FIDE Commissions meetings: 24–28 November 2025 FIDE Council meeting: 11 December 2025 FIDE Zonal Council meeting: 13 December 2025 FIDE General Assembly: 14 December 2025 The General Assembly as the supreme governing body of FIDE brings together the representatives of national chess federations to deliberate and decide upon key matters of governance, policy, statutes, and development. Member federations and affiliated organizations are reminded that proposals for inclusion on the agenda of the General Assembly must be submitted to the FIDE Office no later than 14 October 2025. FIDE Congress and General Assembly Invitation (PDF)
FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, Round 7: Bluebaum and Sarin seize the lead, as World Champion continues to struggle
Day seven of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 brought a dramatic shake-up at the top, as Matthias Bluebaum and Nihal Sarin seized the lead in the Open with 5.5/7. In the Women’s Grand Swiss, Vaishali is again the sole leader after a victory over Guo Qi and is on 6/7. The round started with Señora Auxi Del Olmo – the mayor of the Spanish city of Linares – making the first move on board one in the Women’s tournament, in the game Stefanova – Lagno. Del Olmo was accompanied by Javier Ochoa de Echaguen, the President of the Spanish Chess Federation. Linares, a city synonymous with chess history, is set to be the stage for the FIDE World Women’s Team Championship 2025, which will run from 17 to 24 November. After leading for four straight rounds, Parham Maghsoodloo suffered his first loss in the tournament. He was defeated in the Slav by Nihal Sarin, who played as White. The Iranian maintained parity roughly until move 30, when time trouble caused him to slip. White is a pawn up and has two runners on the queenside, but it’s not easy. Black has pressure along the e-file, and the queen-pawn battery pins the g3-square, leaving White’s king exposed. The best choice for White here was to play 34.Rc7 which puts pressure on Black’s seventh rank but also cuts the queen pin on g3. But Sarin was also in time trouble and instead opted for 34.Nxg6? which was met by the immediate 34…Qg3+ and now the position is even. After 35.Kf1 Nf6 36.Rxf6! gxf6 37.Nxh4 the opponents reached the final critical position: Instead of taking on h4 and proceeding with Rc3, Maghsoodloo played 37…Rxb3?? which allowed White to evict the black queen with 38.Nf5! the rest was an easy ride for Nihal. After Qf4 39.Qxd5 Rb1+ 40.Kf2 Re5 41.Qd8+ Kh7 42.Qxf6 threatening checkmate on g7, Black resigned, catapulting Nihal Sarin to the shared lead in the tournament. Things also cleared up among the other four players who – like Sarin – entered the round with 4.5 points. Arjun Erigaisi lost as White to Germany’s Matthias Bluebaum. Playing against the Catalan, Erigaisi made several unforced errors, leading to a completely lost position as early as move 26. Black’s pieces are more active and he has potential discovered attacks along the d-file. Instead of moving his d2-bishop to safety with 26.Bf4 with a slightly inferior but defendable position, Erigaisi blundered with 26.Qxa7?? which was met by a quick 26…Ba8! The rook is attacking the queen, but the real target is the d2-bishop; wherever White puts his queen, she will be attacked in the next move by the d5-knight, opening the file for the rook to capture the bishop on d2. This victory launched Bluebaum to shared first place, together with Sarin. On board three, Anish Giri split a point with Abhimanyu Mishra in the King’s Indian. Despite Giri securing an extra pawn towards the end, it was a drawn rook endgame and Mishra held it without trouble. In other notable results of the round, Alireza Firouzja won as White against Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Yakubboev. Uzbekistan’s pride was saved by another Nodirbek – Abdusattorov, who defeated Iranian Amin Tabatabaei in the Italian Game. Abdusattorov was better for most of the game, advancing his d-pawn before an effective finish: Out of many winning options Nodirbek chose the most spectacular: 36.Bd5! leaving Black paralysed, as he can either take the bishop or lose a knight on c4. Either way, the outcome was certain: 36…Bxd5 37.Rb8 and Black can’t prevent the queen promotion on c8. For his victory, Abdusattorov was declared the player of the day in the Open. In one of the most anticipated duels of the day, Hans Niemann defeated the 14-year-old Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus in a double-edged Petrov. The opponents traded mistakes in the critical position on move 13. Both sides are in attack mode. Instead of 14.Bxc6! Hans opted for the weaker 14.h3 giving a chance to Black to play sharp with 14…fxg2 and in case of 15.hxg4 then Qh4 16.Kxg2 Bd6 with a very uncomfortable position for White. But Erdogmus played 14…Bh5 allowing White to proceed with the original plan: 15.Bxc6 bxc6? 15…Qc6 was better. 16.Re5 Qg6 17.g3 Bd6 18.Nb3! Black can’t take on d5 because of 18…Bxd5?? 19.Nc5 with a threat of mate with Qa6-b7. Niemann converted this winning position with surgical precision forcing Black’s resignation on move 27. Rating favourite Praggnanandhaa and 2023 Grand Swiss winner Gujrathi both won their games today, maintaining close proximity to the top. But the World Champion, Gukesh D, continues to sink. He lost again today. A third consecutive loss for Gukesh Playing as Black against Turkey’s rising star, Ediz Gurel, the World Champion managed to gain a slight advantage in the middlegame but then blundered away. With a third loss in a row, Gukesh has completely sunk in the tournament. The Women’s tournament Vaishali R seized the top spot again, emerging as the sole leader in the tournament. Playing with the white pieces against China’s Guo Qi, Vaishali grabbed the initiative in the Petrov, opting for a sharp approach. Vaishali is attacking. Here Black had to decide where to retreat her queen. The best option was 21…Qg4 transferring her most powerful piece to the kingside and maintaining equality. Guo, however, moved her queen to a passive position with 21…Qa6? and after 22.Bxe7 (even better was 22.Nh5 immediately) 22…Nxe7 23.f4 h5? 24.f5! h4 25.Nh5 Rcc8 26.f6! White got to the black king. A few moves later Guo resigned facing the imminent checkmate. Another confident performance by Vaishali, who is on a path to defend her 2023 Grand Swiss title. The win puts her alone at the top and earns her player of the day honours. Vaishali’s co-leader from day six, Kateryna Lagno, drew with the black pieces on board one against former Women’s World Champion Antoaneta Stefanova. In the Four Knights game neither side secured any advantage throughout and a draw was agreed on move
FIDE Chess in Education Commission (EDU) courses & events September–November 2025
Dear Member Federations, FIDE’s Chess in Education Commission continues to accelerate its provision of training for Lecturers and Teachers of Educational Chess, offering a series of high-level online and in-person opportunities in autumn 2025. The Preparation of Lecturers (PoL) course leads to the FIDE titles of Lead School Instructor (LSI) and Senior Lead Instructor (SLI). It is intended primarily for those who will train teachers, helping to expand the global community of educators capable of teaching chess in an educational way. The Preparation of Teachers (PoT) course leads to the FIDE title of School Instructor (SI). This 3-day (15-hour) training equips participants with pedagogical methods, digital tools, and practical strategies for teaching chess as an educational tool. Alongside these core courses, EDU also supports events that showcase innovation and best practices in the field, such as the “Every Lesson Counts” masterclasses in London. The schedule of the FIDE EDU upcoming courses and events is below: For more details visit the Chess in Education website: edu.fide.com/ To join, please register via the following links: 29th PoT online course – Sept 26-28Register: cloud.fide.com/s/qD7RBPYYAXmMLjr First Arabic PoT online course – Oct 3-5Register: cloud.fide.com/s/gXzeznmz9Q6ZHeA French PoT online course – Oct 24-26Register: cloud.fide.com/s/SYZqgJj5yKrbaXc Every Lesson Counts Masterclasses, London – Oct 11-12 Join us in London, Mindsports Centre for a transformative weekend on October 11-12, dedicated to exploring chess as a powerful educational tool. Whether you’re already teaching chess or simply curious about its potential, this event offers fresh strategies and practical resources to enrich your teaching practice and engage students in new ways. No prior chess experience is required – just a passion for helping children learn and grow. The event is funded by FIDE and the International Olympic Committee, underscoring its global significance and commitment to educational excellence. Organised in collaboration with the FIDE Chess in Education Commission and the ECU Education Commission, the weekend will bring together teachers, tutors, and education specialists to discover how chess can foster lifelong skills. Through a series of interactive Masterclasses, participants will gain hands-on tools and insights that can be immediately applied in the classroom. You’ll also receive a booklet on all Masterclass materials and enjoy opportunities to connect with fellow educators over lunch and refreshments, which are included with your ticket. With only 60 places available on a first-come, first-served basis, this is a rare opportunity to learn from the best and bring the benefits of chess into your educational practice. Tickets: tickettailor.com/events/chessplus/1842399 Our dedicated Chess in Education website has further details: edu.fide.com/