Sam Shankland defends title at 2026 American Continental Chess Championship
GM Sam Shankland (USA) lived up to his status as the tournament favorite, convincingly defending his title at the 19th American Continental Chess Championship. The event was held from 1 to 11 June 2026 at the Hotel Dorados Conventions & Resorts in Oaxtepec, Mexico. The competition, an 11-round Swiss tournament, brought together 126 players from across the Americas. It also served as a qualifier for the FIDE World Cup 2027, offering four qualification spots. The event was tightly contested up to the midpoint, when top seed Shankland strung together three victories and pulled away from the pack. The American GM dominated throughout, scoring an impressive 9.5/11 and conceding just three draws. Local favorite, GM Juan Carlos Obregon Rivero, along with GM Sandro Mareco (ARG), GM Alexandr Fier (BRA), GM Yago De Moura Santiago (BRA), and FM Jose Alberto Sanchez Negreiros (PER), finished 1.5 points behind the champion, sharing second place on 8/11. Along with Shankland, Obregón Rivero, Mareco, and Fier secured the remaining three spots for the FIDE World Cup 2027 based on Buchholz tiebreaks. Second seed Jorge Cori placed only 12th in the main event but achieved a double victory in the rapid and blitz tournaments. Final standings Photos: FIDE America
FIDE World Amateur Rapid & Blitz Championships in Nigeria: Registration continues
All FIDE Member Federations and eligible players are invited to participate in the inaugural FIDE World Amateur Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2026, open to players with a FIDE rating under 2300. The event will be held in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, from August 1 (arrival) to August 8 (departure), 2026. The Championships are open to players registered by their national federations. FIDE Member Federations have the right to enter an unlimited number of players. There will be separate Open and Women’s Championships across the following FIDE rating categories: under 2300, under 2000, and under 1700. A separate Women’s Championship will be organized in each category provided that there are at least twenty players from at least two continents. The Championships will be conducted using the Swiss System, with the number of rounds determined based on the final registration numbers. The time controls: Rapid: 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment from move one Blitz: 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment from move one All participants who need to apply for a Nigerian visa must request an invitation letter no later than June 30, 2026. The registration deadline for participants and accompanying persons is also June 30, 2026. Invitation letter, regulations, schedule (PDF) E-mail: worldamateur_rb@fide.com