FIDE extends bidding deadline for World Championship Match 2026
FIDE has received several letters of intent from the potential organizers of the FIDE World Championship Match 2026. At the same time, providing formal guarantees takes more time than expected due to significant budget requirements. FIDE has therefore extended the formal bidding procedure until June 21, 2026. This provides sufficient time for bidders to supply all the required documentation for hosting the most prestigious event on the chess calendar. The Applicant shall fill in the Bidding Form. The Applicant must indicate the exact breakdown of the budget by item, including proposals for payments to FIDE for the commercial and sponsorship rights, payment for the broadcasting rights, and the distribution of sponsorship and broadcasting rights between FIDE and the Organisers. A signed copy shall be submitted via email to the FIDE Secretariat at office@fide.com.
Final FIDE launches Excellence Awards
FIDE has launched the FIDE Excellence Awards, a new biennial awards programme established to recognise outstanding achievements, individuals, events, federations, teams, creators, and initiatives across the global chess community. The awards recognise excellence over the previous two-year cycle, beginning after each Chess Olympiad and culminating at the next Olympiad. The inaugural FIDE Excellence Awards ceremony will take place in September 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, during the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad. Nominations are now open, and members of the global chess community are invited to submit candidates through the official FIDE Excellence Awards website. “The FIDE Excellence Awards give the global chess community an opportunity to recognise the people, organisations, and projects that help our game grow and thrive,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. “Chess excellence is reflected not only in sporting achievement at the highest level, but also in tournament organisation, federation work, education, innovation, media, and initiatives that create meaningful impact around the world.” Award categories Awards will be presented across six regular categories and five discretionary categories, celebrating excellence both on and off the board. Nomination and selection process Nominations must relate to achievements and contributions made during the current Olympiad cycle. Multiple nominations may be submitted across different categories, provided each submission includes supporting information explaining the candidate’s achievements and impact. The selection process will take place in three stages: Stage one, running from June 1 to June 30, 2026, invites the chess community to submit nominations online. Following this, the FIDE Excellence Awards Working Group will review submissions and compile longlists. During stage two, from July 1 to July 15, 2026, the FIDE Excellence Awards Jury will review the longlists and select the official shortlist in each category. The shortlists, consisting of ten nominees per category, will be published on July 15, 2026. In the final stage, the FIDE Excellence Awards Panel will vote to determine the winners, who will be announced during the official ceremony in Samarkand in September 2026. The FIDE Excellence Awards recognise world-class players, breakthrough creators, outstanding federations, and projects that use chess to create a positive impact in society, celebrating excellence across the global chess community. Submit your nominations here: Nomination deadline: June 30, 2026 Official website: https://excellence.fide.com/
FIDE June 2026 rating list published
The top echelon of the FIDE June 2026 rating list was shaped by the Super Chess Classic Romania, TePe Sigeman 2026, Sardinia World Chess Festival, Open International de Lecci, and other open tournaments around the world. While women’s top 10 remained intact, the open upper tier saw several changes. Fabiano Caruana reclaimed second place on the list after finishing second at the 2026 Super Chess Classic Romania, while World Championship Challenger Javokhir Sindarov reached his career-high fourth position in the top 10 Open. Photo: Michal Walusza Arjun Erigaisi returned to the top 10 Open, following his runner-up finish at the TePe Sigeman 2026 (+10 points), where he was edged out by Magnus Carlsen in a tiebreaker. Biggest rating gains in top 100 Open and Women Shubhi Gupta WFM IND 2426 (+184) Atwell, Rose FM USA 2410 (+27) Vantika Agrawal IM IND 2388 (+21) Yan, Tianqi WIM CHN 2378 (+18) Kurmangaliyeva, Liya FM KAZ 2362 (+16) Martirosyan, Haik M. GM ARM 2651 (+15) Karthikeyan, Murali GM IND 2661 (+13) Svane, Frederik GM GER 2657 (+12) Pranesh M GM IND 2644 (+12) Milliet, Sophie IM FRA 2373 (+12) Shubhi Gupta (pictured below) became the undisputed winner in this category following her impressive run in two tournaments in Germany – Munich – Muenchner Normenturniere and Wolfgang-Unzicker-Normenturnier – earning her a whopping 184 rating points. The Indian teenager debuts in the top 100 Women list, soaring right to the 32nd position – a remarkable achievement. Photo: Shahid Ahmed Meanwhile, Rose Atwell continues her rapid ascent in the rankings. In May alone, she added 27 points to her rating tally after finishing second in the Southern California State Championship. Notably, over the last five months the American teenager has increased her rating by 120 points. Liya Kurmangaliyeva overperformed in the Kazakhstan Women’s Chess Championship and Turkic Women’s Team Championship, while the newly crowned Chinese Women’s champion, Yan Tianqi (pictured below), not only won her maiden national title but also earned 18 points, reaching her career-high 63rd position on the women’s list. Photo: Chinese Chess Association Frederik Svane’s victory at the Sardinia World Chess Festival translated into 12 rating points, while Pranesh’s shared second place at the Open International de Lecci brought him an identical gain. Vantika Agrawal of India, her compatriot Murali Karthikeyan, and Haik Martirosyan from Armenia delivered solid results in both aforementioned competitions, collecting 21, 13 and 15 rating points, respectively. Visit: https://ratings.fide.com/