Vladyslav Bakhmatskyi and Tetyana Skarbarchuk crowned Ukrainian Champions
IM Vladyslav Bakhmatskyi and Tetyana Skarbarchuk emerged as the winners of the 2025 Ukrainian Championship, each claiming their maiden national title. The championship was held in Lviv from December 15 to 22, 2025. Both the Open and Women’s tournaments, running simultaneously, followed a 9-round Swiss system with classical time controls. The Open event brought together 125 participants and featured a fierce battle for the title from start to finish. Andrii Trushko seized an early lead, but several players caught up with him in the following round. Defending champion Roman Dehtiarov took the lead after Round 6, only to face one of his closest rivals – IM Vladyslav Bakhmatskyi, the top seed – in Round 7. Bakhmatskyi scored a crucial victory, took the sole lead, and never relinquished it. Heading into the final round half a point ahead of four rivals, he drew with Trushko and secured the title with 7.5/9, as none of his closest pursuers managed to win their final games. Four players tied for second place with 7/9. Dehtiarov and Trushko earned silver and bronze, respectively, based on superior Buchholz tiebreak scores. Final Standings – Open The Women’s Championship, which attracted 31 players, followed a different script. Tetyana Skarbarchuk dominated the field, clinching the title with a round to spare, and finishing with an impressive 8.5/9. Lyudmyla Ivanytska secured the silver medal with 7/9, thanks to a crucial final-round victory over last year’s bronze medalist and top seed, Anastasia Hnatyshyn. The 2024 Women’s Champion, Yevgeniya Toroptseva, completed the podium with 6.5/9. Final Standings – Women Photos: Ukrainian Chess Federation Facebook Official website: ukrchess.org.ua/
Applications open for 2026 Freedom Asian Chess Initiatives (FACI)
The Kazakhstan Chess Federation is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for the Freedom Asian Chess Initiatives (FACI) 2026. FACI is an international project implemented by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation with the support of Freedom Holding Corp., in partnership with FIDE and the Asian Chess Federation (ACF). The Project aims to support the sustainable development of chess by strengthening national chess federations, developing chess education, and promoting international cooperation. In 2025, the FACI Project supported seven national chess federations: Oman, Cambodia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Jordan, and Pakistan. Participating countries achieved strong results, including prize-winning places at international tournaments. Selected countries also received grants to take part in the FIDE World Cadet Chess Championships in Almaty, providing young players the opportunity to compete at the highest level. A key focus of the FACI Project is the organization of training camps for national teams, conducted with the participation of Kazakhstan’s leading coaches. National chess federations interested in participating in FACI 2026 are invited to submit their applications via the official website: faci.kazchess.kz/. Deadline: January 12, 2026, 12:00 PM Astana time (UTC+5). All applications will be processed in accordance with the FACI Project Regulations. The results of the selection process will be announced in early February 2026. Federations that participated in 2025 are invited to submit a new application to be considered for support in 2026. Decisions will be made by the FACI Working Group and the President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation. Please carefully review the FACI Project Regulations posted on the official website: faci.kazchess.kz/ For more detailed information about the FACI Project, you can watch our video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMYLo4rCK24
2025 FIDE General Assembly and 4th FIDE Council Meeting: Key decisions
The fourth FIDE Council Meeting of 2025 and the 2025 FIDE General Assembly took place online on December 11 and December 14, respectively. These meetings addressed a range of significant topics, including membership matters, budget and audit issues, electoral rules, the FIDE calendar, and more. New Member Federations The FIDE General Assembly approved the admission of three new Member Federations: Guinea Chess Federation Marshall Islands Chess Federation Kiribati Chess Federation These federations are now officially part of FIDE, further expanding the global reach of the organization. Re-establishment of the FIDE Chess Oscar Award The FIDE Assembly approved the re-establishment of the FIDE Chess Oscar Award, which will be presented annually to recognize exceptional achievements in the world of chess. The awards will honor Best Male Chess Player of the Year, Best Female Chess Player of the Year, Best Tournament of the Year, Best Federation of the Year, and more. The reintroduction of this prestigious award reflects FIDE’s commitment to celebrating the outstanding contributions and achievements in the chess community. Decisions regarding the limitations on the Russian and Belarussian Chess federations The FIDE General Assembly approved two resolutions regarding this matter. For more details on this decision, see the official FIDE release: fide.com/fide-general-assembly-decisions-regarding-russia-and-belarus/ Threat to Mexican Chess Federation Membership The FIDE Council has placed the Mexican Chess Federation under serious scrutiny, warning that failure to meet debt repayment deadlines could result in its suspension from FIDE. Mexico’s membership is at risk after two previous deadlines (November 2024 and July 2025) were violated, despite the federation submitting letters of guarantee. The FIDE Council’s decision outlines that if the Mexican Chess Federation fails to meet any of the upcoming repayment deadlines — January 31, 2026, March 31, 2026, and May 31, 2026 — its membership will be automatically suspended. This would prevent Mexico from hosting FIDE tournaments and delegating teams to FIDE and CCA events. For further details, you can check out the full lists of decisions: 4th FIDE Council Meeting, 11 December 2025 – List of Decisions (PDF) FIDE General Assembly, 14 December 2025 – List of Decisions (PDF) FIDE General Assembly – Voting Report (PDF) Voting Responses – Grid View (PDF)