Teenage triumph: Roman Dehtiarov stuns field to win European Championship 2026
Eighteen year-old IM Roman Dehtiarov caused a major sensation by winning the European Individual Chess Championship 2026. The Ukrainian teenager, seeded 126th, captured the title after defeating GM David Anton Guijarro in a thrilling final round encounter. Dehtiarov finished with an impressive score of 9/11, achieving a remarkable 2781 rating performance. The 2026 edition of the European Individual Championship took place in Katowice, Poland, from 6 to 19 April, bringing together 501 players in a fiercely contested battle that went down to the wire. Heading into the final round, as many as five players shared the lead with 8/10: Dehtiarov, GMs David Anton Guijarro from Spain who was in the lead for most of the tournament, Aydin Suleymanli, Mahammad Muradli and Nijat Abasov (all three from Azerbaijan). To make things even more exciting, Dehtiarov faced Anton, while Suleymanli took on Muradli. Roman Dehtiarov (pictured above, right) scored what may be the most important victory in his career, defeating David Anton to claim the title while all his main rivals drew his games. Abasov, Suleymanli and Muradli tied for second place on 8.5/11, with Abasov taking silver and Suleymanli bronze based on tiebreaks. Among women participants, Teodora Injac, Stavroula Tsolakidou, and Nurgyul Salimova each scored 6.5/11, earning recognition as the top-performing female players. Final standings Photos: European Chess Union Official website: https://eicc2026.eu/
Invitation: 46th Chess Olympiad, 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities & FIDE Congress 2026
Dear chess Friends from across the globe, On behalf of FIDE and the Organising Committee of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation, it is our distinct honour and pleasure to invite you to the 46th Chess Olympiad and the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities, the world’s strongest and most important team chess competitions. Alongside these events, FIDE will hold its Congress and elections. The Open and the Women’s Olympiad The Chess Olympiads will take place in the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 15 till 27 September 2026. The 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest set a record for the number of participating teams – 193 in the Open and 181 in the Women’s competition. The 46th Chess Olympiad is expected to surpass that number and bring together thousands of players and fans from across the world. The Olympiad will consist of two sections, Open and Women. Both events will be played over 11 rounds, using the Swiss system, with teams of four players plus one reserve. More information about tournament regulations can be found here: https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/Olympiad2026MainCompetition.pdf Three trophies There will be three trophies: The Hamilton-Russell Cup for the winners of the Open section The Vera Menchik Cup for the winners of the Women section The Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy for the best combined federation performance across the Open and Women sections Schedule The Opening Ceremony will take place on 15 September, while the first round will be played on 16 September. After round six, there will be a day off on 22 September. Round 11 and Closing Ceremony will take place on 27 September. Team Registration and further information: The registration for the FIDE Chess Olympiad starts on 20 April 2026. Participating teams in the Open and Women’s sections are invited to register following the credentials they shall receive to their official federation’s e-mail address. More information about the FIDE Chess Olympiad can be found here: https://chessolympiad2026.fide.com/. The 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities Alongside the 46th Chess Olympiad, the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities will take place from 10 to 18 September. The international team competition is promoted by the FIDE Players with Disabilities Commission and aims to promote inclusivity and accessibility in chess. More information about the FIDE Chess Olympiad for People With Disabilities, including the schedule, can be found here: https://dis-olympiad2026.fide.com/. The FIDE Congress FIDE will also hold its Congress during the Chess Olympiad. The Congress will take place from 20 to 27 September. Bringing together the member federations at General Assembly, FIDE Council, Zonal Council, and FIDE Commissions, the Congress will include the FIDE Election on 26 September. Delegates will choose the leadership of FIDE for the following four years. The General Assembly will also decide the hosts of the 2030 Chess Olympiad. Honouring the FIDE Year of Chess in Education, an Educational Summit will be hosted during the Congress. The program and details about the Congress are available here: https://congress.fide.com/. We look forward to seeing you all in Samarkand for another important step forward for chess. The invitation and event guide booklet for the Chess Olympiad, Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities and Congress is available here: https://doc.fide.com/docs/2026_Olympiad/Invitation_Olympiad_Congress_2026.pdf