Flamenco, speeches, and chess: Linares hosts 2025 FIDE Women’s Team Championship
El Pósito, a fully restored 18th-century building, now serves as an exhibition space where visitors can explore the essence of Linares, in the province of Jaén (Spain). The center brings together the city’s history and cultural heritage, giving special prominence to mining and the art of flamenco. It was therefore fitting to enjoy a vibrant performance of Spanish flamenco, which delighted an audience of over two hundred players, officials, and guests, interwoven with inspiring speeches from dignitaries and chess leaders. Olivia Aranda, presenter of the opening ceremony, welcomed everyone promptly at 7 p.m., noting that Linares, with its rich history and heritage, provides the perfect setting for the 2025 FIDE World Women’s Team Chess Championship. After the audience stood for the Spanish and FIDE anthems and enjoyed a promotional video about Linares, they were treated to a spectacular fifteen-minute flamenco performance featuring José Manuel Cuenca on piano, Nazareth Romero singing, and Rosa González dancing. Immediately afterward, Auxi del Olmo Ruiz, the Mayor of Linares, took the floor. In an inspiring three-minute speech, she greeted the authorities, players, and guests, reminding everyone of the city’s deep chess history – a tradition that began in 1978 with the first Linares Tournament. She also highlighted that last year the Ibero-American Championship, along with several other Spanish national championships, was held in the city. In addition, she announced that Linares and the Spanish Chess Federation had signed a three-year sponsorship agreement to host numerous events. Next, Javier Ochoa de Echagüen, President of the Spanish Chess Federation, and Gorka Lerchundi Rebollo, Director General of Events and Sports Facilities for the Regional Government of Andalusia, gave uplifting speeches, emphasizing the city’s strong commitment to chess. Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International Chess Federation, then took the stage. He impressed everyone with his excellent command of Spanish during a two-minute speech, expressing his gratitude to the Government of Andalusia and the city of Linares for hosting the tournament in a city with such a remarkable chess tradition. In a moment of great tenderness, Dvorkovich shared that it was his first visit to Linares, but that his father had visited the city many times, serving the Linares Tournament in various capacities, leaving him with fond memories. He concluded by officially opening the championship. Following the speeches, the ceremony continued with the drawing of lots to determine the pairings for each round. Viswanathan Anand, Deputy President of the International Chess Federation, and Jesús Mena Sarasola, Chief Arbiter of the championship, invited the team captains onto the stage. Anand greeted the audience and fondly recalled his first visit to Linares thirty-five years ago, sharing how meaningful it was to return. By selecting a bottle of olive oil numbered from one to six, each captain determined the starting number for their team in their respective pool, and the ceremony concluded with a group photo of each pool. With the drawing of lots complete, the Mayor of Linares and the FIDE President returned to the stage to exchange gifts, followed by a final group photo with all authorities. To close the ceremony, Olivia Aranda thanked everyone for attending, expressed her hope that the championship would run smoothly, and wished the chess players the best of luck. Round 1 begins on November 18 at 1:30 PM local time. The action can be followed live on the FIDE YouTube Channel, featuring expert commentary by GMs Antoaneta Stefanova and Ivan Cheparinov. Official website: worldwomenteams2025.fide.com/ Written by IM Michael (Linares, España) Photos: Raúl Martínez
FIDE World Cup: Tight starts in quarterfinals as only Yakubboev strikes
The quarterfinals have arrived at the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa, and the stakes could not be higher. Eight players remain, none of whom have qualified for the FIDE Candidates before. The field is a mix of seasoned super grandmasters and inspired underdogs, all of whom have battled tiebreaks on their journey here. Today, with no easy matchups and everyone hungry for a breakthrough, the questions were simple: Who would strike first? Who would hold their nerve? Some players opted for safety from the start: Wei Yi vs Arjun Erigaisi saw lightning-fast preparation and 99% accuracy from both sides, ending in a draw within an hour. Whereas Nodirbek Yakubboev vs Alexander Donchenko saw a chaotic game, and the only decisive one of the day. The atmosphere was calm but charged. The ceremonial first moves, 1.Nf3 d5, were played on Board 2 (Wei Yi vs. Arjun Erigaisi) by Shri Alok Kumar, IPS, Director-General of Police of Goa, and Gourav Rakshit, Global Chess League Commissioner. Quarterfinals Game 1 results: Javokhir Sindarov ½–½ José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara Wei Yi ½–½ Arjun Erigaisi Sam Shankland ½–½ Andrey Esipenko Nodirbek Yakubboev 1–0 Alexander Donchenko Nodirbek Yakkuboev (2689) vs Alexander Donchenko (2641) According to GM Peter Leko, this was “the game of the day,” and indeed, it could have gone in multiple directions. Nodirbek Yakubboev entered the round fresh, having not dropped a single game, but without facing a player rated above 2650. Alexander Donchenko, on the other hand, the lowest seed remaining, has been fighting giants all event, eliminating Candidates-qualifiers Anish Giri (2769) and Matthias Blübaum (2680), and surviving a nerve-wracking tiebreak against Lê Quang Liêm (2729). When asked about his choice to play the Alekhine Anti-Grünfeld setup (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3), Yakubboev said he wanted a “complicated but solid central structure.” Early on, Donchenko overoressed instead of completing development. In this early position, the safe retreat 11…Ng7 would have been best, but Donchenko went for the aggressive 11…Qh4? Black prevented White from castling but at unacceptably high price. White’s king found a safe heaven on c2, while Black’s pieces were awkwardly misplaced. Things went from bad to worse for Doncheko as he had no active plan, while Yakubboev gradually improved his position and secured the decisive advantage by move 20. The final blow occurred right after the time control. White finished off nicely with 42.Qb8+ Re8 43.Rg8+ Kxg8 44.Qxe8+ and Black resigned. In the post-game interview, Yakubboev exuded confidence, not just about qualifying for the Candidates but going all the way to win the World Cup. Tomorrow he has the black pieces and will need only a draw against the German Grandmaster to seal his spot in the semi-finals. On paper, this task seems simple enough, but the stress brought on by the World Cup can drastically alter that at any point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCIutOPMjWQ Javokhir Sindarov (2721) vs José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara (2644) Jose Martinez has had an incredible World Cup run, eliminating multiple top players in his wake – Nodirbek Abdussatorov (2750), Alexey Sarana (2675), and most recently, Pentala Harikrishna (2690). His momentum has been fueled by confidence, incredible preparation, and belief that his current strength is much more than his rating suggests. I think few players in the field could match this ambition as much as his opponent today – Javokhir Sindarov, the 19-year-old Uzbek star who earned his title at the mere age of 12, and is just a handful of points away from becoming Uzbekistan’s number one – overtaking Nodirbek Abdussatorov. A difference between the two, which could influence their approach to the classical segment, is their view of the faster time controls. Martinez thrives in the adrenaline of fast-paced chess, having even recently won Chess.com’s first edition of 3+0 Thursdays. Sindarov, on the other hand, had stated in his first interview with me that blitz is not his “type of chess”. Their first encounter featured a Queen’s Gambit Accepted line that has historically favoured White. Both players appeared to be well versed until Sindarov, playing with the white pieces, offered an early queen trade, which got Jose thinking – a rare occurrence for the Peruvian-Mexican grandmaster in the opening stage. Perhaps a sign of leaving his preparation and knowledge of the position. Despite the queenless middlegame, there was still a lot of play for both sides. Martinez, who at some point seemed more passive with the black pieces, and all pieces tied to the 6th-8th ranks, finally managed to break through with some space and simplifications. The resulting endgame saw both sides with four pawns each, white two knights and black a knight and a bishop. Then, a critical moment arose, when Martinez, with less than two minutes on his clock played incorrectly, giving White a chance: Here, Black has just played 33…f5, leaving the h6-pawn hanging. Sindarov however opted for 34.Ne5 – a nice-looking move if there hadn’t been a free pawn to capture (albeit at the expense of a somewhat awkward knight trapped on the rim after 34.Nxh6 Bc8 35.g4 Kf8 36.b6 Kg7 37.g5). A few moves later, the game was drawn. Wei Yi (2752) vs Arjun Erigaisi (2773) The heavyweight clash of the round featured two of the tournament favorites, both world-class talents with an eye on qualification. The downside: only one will progress. Both players arrived early at the board and looked relaxed. Their game followed a solid line of Closed Ruy López. Erigaisi, playing Black, blitzed out every single move and finished the entire game with more time on his clock than when he started – clear evidence of deep preparation. Both players showed perfect control: 99% accuracy, zero mistakes or inaccuracies, and a draw by repetition on move 31. A quiet start, but as the commentators noted, this match has all the ingredients for a fierce fight in Game 2. Sam Shankland (2654) vs Andrey Esipenko (2693) Between them, these players have appeared in ten World Cups. Both had their best runs in 2021: Shankland reached the quarterfinals before losing to
Commonwealth Championship 2025: Daniel Howard Fernandez lifts crown; India shines across categories
English Grandmaster Daniel Howard Fernandez was crowned Commonwealth Champion as the 2025 Commonwealth Chess Championship concluded on Sunday. Organized by the Malaysian Chess Federation under the auspices of the Commonwealth Chess Association and FIDE, the event brought together 373 players from 17 nations, making it one of the most vibrant editions in recent years. Howard’s steady and confident performance earned him the title with an impressive 7.5/9 points, after he drew his final-round game against India’s FM Adireddy Arjun. The race for second place was fiercely contested, with four Indian players finishing on 7 points. Tiebreaks awarded FM Adireddy Arjun (pictured below) the silver medal and GM Lalit Babu M R the bronze, followed by IM Neelash Saha and GM Deepan Chakkravarthy in fourth and fifth place, respectively. In the Women’s category, which was integrated with the Open event, India demonstrated overwhelming dominance by sweeping the podium. Srija Seshadri captured the gold medal with an impressive performance, while Mary Ann Gomes secured silver and Nisha Mohota claimed bronze. Category highlights The tournament featured a wide range of categories, each showcasing spirited battles and outstanding performances from emerging talents across the Commonwealth. Junior categories: Under-20 (Junior): Singapore’s Goh Zi Han (Gold), Bangladesh’s Tashriq Saihan Shan (Silver), Malaysia’s A’qil A’lauddin Bin Abd Aziz (Bronze). Junior Girls: Sri Lanka’s Sandula K M Dahamdi (Gold), India’s Mrittika Mallick (Silver), Singapore’s Liew Tze Chi (Bronze). Senior: Malaysia’s Ismail Ahmad (Gold), Kenya’s John Mukabi (Silver), India’s IM Sekhar Chandra Sahu (Bronze). Open youth categories: Under-08: Malaysia’s Muhammad Aariz Daniel Bin Mohd Shah (Gold), India’s Prayank Gaonkar (Silver), Sri Lanka’s Basnayake Kevon Dulkith (Bronze). Under-10: Sri Lanka’s CM Karunasena A P Chenitha Sihas Dinsara (Gold), India’s Parv H Hakani (Silver), India’s Nidhish Shyamal (Bronze). Under-12: India’s CM Madhvendra Pratap Sharma dominated with a perfect 9/9 points (Gold), Singapore’s AFM Aaradhya Suyog Bagul (Silver), Sri Lanka’s CM Wijerathna Vinuka Dihain (Bronze). Under-14: India’s AIM Adhiraj Mitra (Gold), Sri Lanka’s Wickramasinghe V W A Vinuda Vidmal (Silver), India’s FM Reyan Md. (Bronze). Under-16: India’s IM Borgaonkar Akshay (Gold), Sri Lanka’s Induwara T H D Thisarindu (Silver), India’s CM Velavaa Ragavesh (Bronze). Under-18: India’s IM Sriram Adarsh Uppala delivered a dominant performance with 9 points (Gold), India’s Borkhetariya Devarsh M (Silver), Singapore’s Lee Tsuen Jin Aiesec (Bronze). Girls’ youth categories: Under-08: An Indian sweep with Anaya Sharma (Gold), Anvi Deepak Hinge (Silver), and Teesha Byadwal (Bronze). Under-10: India’s Vanshika Rawat (Gold, 8/9 points), Malaysia’s Maha A/P Nathan (Silver), India’s Kiyanna Parihaar (Bronze). Under-12: India’s WCM Divi Bijesh (Gold), Singapore’s Liew Tze Yu (Silver), Australia’s Daniel Suria (Bronze). Under-14: India’s Aditri Shome (Gold, 8.5/9 points), Sri Lanka’s De Silva B P Chanthuli Thanishka (Silver), India’s WFM Saranya Devi Narahari (Bronze). Under-16: Another Indian sweep with FM Prishita Gupta (Gold), Ananya Raman (Silver), and Aswinika Mani R (Bronze). Under-18: India’s Sagar Siya (Gold), India’s WCM Anupam M Sreekumar (Silver), Bangladesh’s WCM Omnia Binta Yusuf Lubaba (Bronze). The championship concluded with a vibrant closing ceremony, where Bharat Singh Chauhan, President of the Commonwealth Chess Association, and Akhramsyah Muammar, President of the Malaysian Chess Federation, presented the awards. The 2025 edition not only celebrated exceptional individual talent but also highlighted the growing depth and competitive spirit across Commonwealth nations, reaffirming the event’s status as a landmark festival of chess. Complete results are available on chess-results.com.
FIDE launches Global Survey on Chess in Education
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has announced the launch of its Global Survey on Chess in Education, inviting federations, schools, and partner organizations worldwide to participate before February 28, 2026. This initiative aims to gather essential insights to guide FIDE’s Educational Strategy and Action Plan for 2027–2030, ensuring that chess continues to grow as a powerful tool for learning and inclusion. In his official message, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich emphasized the importance of this effort, recalling the success of the 2021 survey which revealed that more than 25 million children and 237,000 teachers and trainers were already engaged in educational chess. Since then, FIDE has expanded training courses, launched certification systems, organized international conferences, and facilitated research projects worldwide. The new survey will: Identify global trends in educational chess and strengthen FIDE’s policies. Support visibility and recognition at the highest international levels, with results to be shared with UNESCO, UNICEF, ministries of education, universities, and NGOs. Encourage participation by confirming that survey responses will be taken into account when awarding Chess in Education grants in 2026. Prepare the ground for a landmark initiative: 2026 has been declared the Year of Chess in Education, celebrating and expanding chess as a medium for learning and growth. FIDE warmly invites all federations, schools, and partner organizations to contribute to this important effort. By participating, stakeholders will help demonstrate the global power of chess as an educational catalyst, attract new sponsorship opportunities, and empower millions of children, teachers, and communities worldwide. The survey is available in English, Spanish, and Russian. Please read the Presidents s letter and access the Global Survey [HERE].