David Navara and Joanna Worek crowned Czech Republic Champions
GM David Navara and WGM Joanna Worek emerged victorious at the 2026 Czech National Championship. David claimed his 14th (!) title – a remarkable achievement – edging out rising star Václav Finěk, while Joanna captured her second national crown. The 2026 Czech Championship, held in open and women’s sections, took place at the Bowling Brno area from May 7–16, 2026, and attracted most of the country’s top players. The open event was a 10-player round-robin, while the women’s competition followed an elimination system, comprising a preliminary round followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. The open event evolved into a gripping duel between the two top seeds: Navara and Czech chess’s brightest young talent, Václav Finěk. Navara seized an early lead, but Finěk caught up with him after Round 5. The direct clash in Round 7 ended in a draw leaving them tied for the top position. Both finished strongly, winning their last two games and totaling 7.5/9 points, but the superior Sonneborn–Berger tiebreaker awarded the title to Navara. Both the champion and the runner-up completed the competition unbeaten. The bronze medal went to the experienced grandmaster Štěpán Žilka, who secured a draw against Richard Stalmach in the last round. The entire tournament was marked by uncompromising battles, with only 16 games out of 45 ending in a draw. Final standings – Open The women’s competition was arguably even more dramatic, with all medals matches decided in Armageddon tiebreak games. In the end, Joanna Worek won the gold medal, defeating WGM Kristýna Petrova. In the match for third place, WGM Tereza Rodshtein claimed bronze after overcoming WGM Olga Sikorová. Final standings – Women The PR manager of the Czech Chess Association and tournament director, Josef Bednařík, gave his thoughts on the Czech Championship during the closing ceremony: “I am thrilled with the course of this year’s Czech Championship. I would like to thank all the players for their fighting spirit and fair-play approach. The spectators certainly enjoyed the exciting games and the course of the tournaments, and I did too.” The 2026 Czech Championship was supported by the statutory city of Brno, the South Moravian Region, the Bowling Brno area, and the Hotel Velká Klajdovka. Special thanks go to the Mayor of the statutory city of Brno, JUDr. Markéta Vaňková, and the 1st Deputy Governor of the South Moravian Region, Jiří Crh, who served as personal patrons of the tournament. Photos: Czech Chess Federation (Facebook) Official website: https://www.chess.cz/
Registration opens for African Continental Stage of FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026
FIDE and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF), with the support of its general partner Freedom Holding Corp. invite all FIDE member federations from Africa to participate in the African Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 (WSTC 2026). The event will be held in the Cape Town area, South Africa, from July 6 (arrival) to July 11 (departure), 2026. The African Continental Stage will become the second continental qualifier of the new World Schools Team Championship cycle held within the framework of the Year of Chess in Education 2026 initiative. The best teams will qualify directly for the WSTC 2026 Grand Final, where the continental champions will compete for the title of FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Champion 2026. Team composition and eligibility Each team shall consist of: four main players; one reserve player; one non-playing captain Each team must include at least one boy and at least one girl, except in specific cases provided for in the Regulations for single-gender educational institutions. Players eligible to participate must be born between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2018. National federations are responsible for confirming that all players are officially enrolled in the educational institution they represent during the 2025–2026 academic year. The tournament will be played over eight rounds using the Swiss system. Participation conditions and organizer support Within the framework of the Championship, selected teams will receive organizer support, including: full-board accommodation; airport and local transfers; economy-class flight tickets for designated supported delegations Detailed participation conditions are outlined in the official Invitation Letter and General Regulations. Educational and cultural programme In addition to the tournament itself, participants and guests will take part in a special educational and cultural programme organized in line with the Year of Chess in Education 2026 initiative. The programme will include: masterclasses and lectures by leading chess players and educators; interactive workshops; side activities promoting educational exchange and intercultural dialogue The Championship aims not only to identify the strongest school team on the continent but also to promote chess as a powerful educational and social development tool. Registration The registration deadline is June 18, 2026. National federations are kindly encouraged to complete the registration process at the earliest opportunity, as the number of places in the tournament is limited, and organizer support conditions outlined in the Regulations are available only for the first 20 teams fully registered in compliance with the official requirements. Teams may register only through their respective FIDE member federations using the official online registration form. Registration form:https://worldschoolteam2026.fide.com/registration-stage-africa Full Invitation Letter, General Regulations and registration details are available at:https://www.fide.com/wp-content/uploads/WSTC-2026-Invitation-Letter-African-Stage-1.pdf Contact e-mail: worldschoolteam@fide.comOfficial website: https://worldschoolteam2026.fide.com/