Non-FIDE EDU Course Certification announced
FIDE EDU is pleased to announce the approval of certification for non-FIDE courses. Recognizing the development of many high-quality educational programs suitable for teachers, FIDE EDU aims to support professional growth and facilitate license renewal for FIDE EDU titles through this new certification initiative. The EDU Course Certification is a four-year credential awarded to courses offered by federations, organizations, or individuals that apply and meet the established criteria. Course content may range from a focus on chess skill development to a broader blend of skill development that includes chess skills, teacher methodologies, and curriculum connections (including transversal and interdisciplinary applications) for chess. Online, in-person, and blended formats (combining online sessions with in-person or self-study components) are all welcome. Benefits of course certification for vendors: Assistance in marketing to a broader, motivated audience. Quality assurance for potential customers. FIDE logo on the course certificate. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and the review process normally takes up to six weeks. For more information, please, visit: Purpose Statement – edu.fide.com/non-fide-courses/purpose-statement FIDE Handbook – handbook.fide.com/chapter/NonFIDEEDUCourseCertification
Tin Jingyao of Singapore, Shafira Devi Herfesa of Indonesia top Zone 3.3 Zonals
GM Tin Jingyao of Singapore (third from left) and IM Uurtsaikh Agibileg of Mongolia (second from right) finished first and second respectively, both scoring 7 points in the Zone 3.3 Zonals, thereby clinching the two qualifying spots for the 2025 FIDE World Cup. Also finishing with 7 points but placing third on tiebreak was IM Sugar Gan-Erdene of Mongolia (second from left). The Zone 3.3 Zonal Championship was organized by the Mongolian Chess Federation under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE. The event took place from 22 April to 2 May 2025 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. A total of 109 players participated—55 women from five countries and 54 men from seven countries: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and host nation Mongolia. The tournament offered a total prize fund of $15,000, with $9,000 allocated for the men’s division and $6,000 for the women’s. Congratulations to the Mongolian Chess Federation for hosting a well-organized event. Mongolian Chess Federation President Gombojav Zandanshatar (left) and Zone 3.3 President Senator GM Utut Adianto of Indonesia are pictured shaking hands during the ceremonial opening moves of the championship in Ulaanbaatar. In the women’s division, Shafira Devi Herfesa of Indonesia (center) tied with Enkh-Amgalan Enkhrii of Mongolia (left), each scoring 7 points. Herfesa secured the World Cup slot on superior tiebreaks. Visit chess-results.com for round-by-round results, final standings, and downloadable game files.
Kazakhstan dominates 2025 Western Asia Youth Championship
His Excellency Zulfiqor Gulahmadzoda (second from left), Chief Arbiter IA Husan Turdialiev (left), and Jamshed Mirza of the Tajikistan Chess Federation (right) presented the award for Best Federation. A record number of 391 children from 13 countries participated in the Western Asia Youth Chess Championship, held from April 20–29, 2025, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Organized by the Tajikistan Chess Federation under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE, the event brought together young players from Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, host nation Tajikistan, and players competing under the neutral FIDE flag. The tournament was contested in Rapid, Blitz, and Standard (classical) formats. On the first day, Kazakhstan’s young players delivered an outstanding performance in Rapid chess, winning seven gold medals. Uzbekistan and FIDE players followed with two gold medals each, and India secured one gold. Midway through the standard chess competition, the Blitz championship was held. Once again, Kazakhstan led the field, earning five gold medals, followed by Uzbekistan with three and Iran with two. Asian Chess Federation General Secretary Hisham Al Taher of the UAE (left) and H.E. Zulfiqor Gulahmadzoda, Minister of Sport of Tajikistan and Vice President of the National Olympic Committee, awarded prizes to the winners of the Western Asia Youth Blitz Chess Championship in the Girls Under-8 category. Team medals were awarded separately for the Rapid, Blitz, and Standard events, based on the combined results of the top three players from each delegation or federation, with a minimum of two players required to qualify for team medals. Asian Chess Federation Deputy President Bharat Singh of India (left) and Deputy Sport Minister of Tajikstan Shaker Zadeh Mohammad Taleb (right) award medals to Boys under 8. Kazakhstan also topped the classical chess event, winning four gold medals. FIDE players followed with three golds, while Uzbekistan and Iran earned two each. Uzbekistan ranked ahead of Iran based on the number of silver medals. Complete results Full awards photos and final standings are available on the official website: Kazakhstan Rules Western Asia Youth Chess Championship – Asian Chess Western Asia Youth Team Awards in Standard Chess – Asian Chess Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Iran Top Western Asia Youth Blitz Chess Championship – Asian Chess Western Asia Youth Blitz Chess Team Awards in Dushanbe, Tajikistan – Asian Chess Awards Ceremony for Western Asia Youth Rapid Chess Championship – Asian Chess Team Awards for Western Asia Youth Rapid Chess Championship – Asian Chess
FIDE May 2025 rating list published
The May 2025 FIDE rating list was primarily influenced by the Women’s World Championship match, the fifth leg of the Women’s Grand Prix in Pune, India, the European Women’s Championship, and several strong open tournaments across Europe. Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun successfully defended her title and gained 19 rating points in the process, consolidating her position as world number two on the women’s list. Photo: Anna Shtourman Humpy Koneru (+15) and Zhu Jiner (+16) climbed to women’s #5 and #6, respectively, following their dominant performances in the Pune leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix. Meanwhile, the top 10 of the open list remained virtually unchanged. Biggest Gains in the Top 100 (Open and Women) Hrebenshchykova, Yelyzaveta WIM UKR 2353 (+57) Ivanchuk, Vasyl GM UKR 2644 (+40) Lu, Shanglei GM CHN 2647 (+29) Zhurova, Anna WFM FIDE 2350 (+27) Song, Yuxin IM CHN 2397 (+26) Maghsoodloo, Parham GM IRI 2706 (+22) Tang, Zoey FM USA 2347 (+22) Lu, Miaoyi IM CHN 2450 (+21) Narva, Mai IM EST 2391 (+20) Ju, Wenjun GM CHN 2580 (+19) Injac, Teodora IM SRB 2474 (+19) WIM Yelyzaveta Hrebenshchykova (Ukraine; pictured below) was the standout performer in April, thanks to her excellent showing at the Grenke Chess Open. She gained 57 rating points and made her debut in the top 100 Women. Photo: Mitar Djukanovic Her compatriot, the legendary Vasyl Ivanchuk, experienced a resurgence in April, earning 40 rating points after winning or sharing first place in three consecutive tournaments: the Reykjavik Open 2025, the IX Open Semana Santa San Vicente del Raspeig Costa Blanca, and the IV Open Chess Menorca. The Ukrainian GM made a triumphant return to the top 100 Open. Photo: Reykjavik Open Lu Shanglei also performed strongly across those three open tournaments, adding 29 points to his tally. Parham Maghsoodloo, winner of the Reykjavik Open, earned 11 points there and added another 11 in the Bundesliga, returning to the 2700+ club after a five-month hiatus. Two young Chinese players, Song Yuxin and Lu Miaoyi, had highly successful tours of European open tournaments. Song Yuxin impressed in both Iceland and Menorca, collecting 26 points, while the 15-year-old Miaoyi participated in three open events and one team competition, gaining 21 points and reaching a career-high ranking of 23rd on the women’s list. Photo: Mark Livshitz Teodora Injac, the 2025 European Women’s Champion (pictured above), made her debut in the top 20 Women, achieving a career-high rating of 2474. Podium finishers Mai Narva and Alexandra Matsevskaya also made significant rating gains, earning 20 and 15 points respectively.
FIDE Circuit 2025: Praggnanandhaa seizes the lead
April brought a significant change to the FIDE Circuit 2025 leaderboard. As many expected, Praggnanandhaa overtook Ding Liren to claim the top spot, following his solid performance at the GCT Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland, where he finished third and gained 8.44 circuit points. The event’s winner, Vladimir Fedoseev, collected 13.26 points and jumped straight to third place. Photo: Open Chess Menorca Meanwhile, legendary Vasyl Ivanchuk pushed Aravindh Chithambaram down to fifth after winning the Menorca Open, which earned him 12.67 points and fourth place on the leaderboard. Menorca runner-up Lu Shanglei climbed to eighth place in the standings, while Parham Maghsoodloo rounds out the top ten after his triumph at the Reykjavik Open, translating into 11.16 circuit points. Photo: ReyKjavik Open Just outside the top ten are Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Ian Nepomniachtchi, each having played only one tournament that counts toward the FIDE Circuit 2025 so far. We maintain a dedicated page on our website for the FIDE Circuit 2025, featuring the latest information on eligible tournaments, current standings, and regulations. Visit: FIDE Circuit 2025
The moment of truth: Women’s Grand Prix heads to Austria for the decisive stage
As the 2024/2025 FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series draws to a close, three players remain in contention for the overall title. The final, sixth leg begins in Austria on May 6 In August 2024, the first stage of the six-leg FIDE Women’s Grand Prix (WGP) series began in Tbilisi, Georgia. There was perhaps no more fitting place to launch a top-level women’s chess event than in the country that has long dominated the sport. For decades, Georgian chess players—whether competing under the Soviet flag or their own—have stood among the world’s best, revered as national heroes at home. Since the breakthrough of Nona Gaprindashvili—one of the greatest women players of all time—in the 1970s, women’s chess has steadily progressed. The creation of the Grand Prix in 2009 marked a major shift—an organized series offering consistent opportunity. In recent years, FIDE has moved closer toward a structured approach in promoting women in the sport. What was once an exception is now a system, and the biggest expression of that is the Grand Prix series where the best and most talented women players are asserting their presence. With six international stops across the globe, boasting €600,000 in prizes and offering a path to the Women’s Candidates for the top two qualifiers, the Grand Prix is a serious contest but also a quiet revolution – giving a spotlight to the women’s role in the game. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich reflected on the progress: “Supporting women’s chess has gone from securing survival and a right to exist in the male dominated world, to making it into a strategy which is improving over time. The Women’s Grand Prix is one of the focal points of FIDE’s work and I’m pleased that in the forthcoming sixth and final leg of the event, we will mark another important milestone for women’s chess by concluding another successful series.” What’s at stake in Austria and who will be playing The sixth and final stage of the 2024/2025 FIDE Women’s Grand Prix will take place in Grosslobming, Austria. It is here where the champion of the series will be decided, but also – who will be the top two players qualifying for the Women’s Candidates in 2026. Photo: Niki Riga So far, Aleksandra Goryachkina is in the lead with 308.34 points. While her chances to qualify for the 2026 Candidates are very big, the crown in the WGP series and the Candidates spot are not a done deal for her. As Goryachkina will not be playing in this final stage, two other players have a chance to overtake her (if they win top places): China’s Zhu Jiner and Anna Muzychuk from Ukraine. Photo; Mark Livshitz Zhu has the best chance to overtake Goryachkina for first place. With 235 points, the Chinese player is currently 73.34 points behind. This means she would need to finish among the top three to secure the 2024/2025 WGP title. The challenge is significantly tougher for Anna Muzychuk, who trails Goryachkina by 119.17 points. To win the WGP, she must finish in sole first place in Austria and earn 130 points. Mathematically, this is possible – but it takes more than math to clinch a victory in an event like this! Photo: Anna Shtourman With the field including three former World Champions – Alexandra Kosteniuk, Tan Zhongyi and Mariya Muzychuk – this will be a tough tournament to do well in, let alone take sole first place. Ten players are taking part in the tournament in Austria, with the list as follows: Player Total WGP Points (Pre-Austria) Zhu Jiner 235 Anna Muzychuk 189.17 Tan Zhongyi 170 Nana Dzagnidze 121.67 Mariya Muzychuk 121.67 Rameshbabu Vaishali 85 Alexandra Kosteniuk 85 Nurgyul Salimova 70 Olga Badelka 25 Lela Javakhishvili 20 The road to Austria: Key results from the previous five stages of the WGP The road to Austria was anything but easy. In the five events that proceeded, the players faced a tough field split between the strongest and most experienced women players in the world on one side, and the up-and-coming rising stars on the other. Each player is eligible to compete in three of the six events. With some players withdrawing or unable to attend, Wildcards were given to participants in some events. In the first leg, in Tbilisi (August 2024), Alina Kashlinskaya (playing for Poland) won the tournament with six points. She came into the tournament as one of the two replacements, after Lagno and Khademalsharieh withdrew. With half a point ahead of the runner-up Bibisara Assaubayeva, Kashlinskaya – accompanied by her baby son at the event, still a rare sight at elite tournaments – took 130 points and was the first one to take the lead in the 2024/2025 WGP Series. The second leg was staged in Shymkent in Kazakhstan in October 2024. Former World Champion contender Aleksandra Goryachkina staged a spectacular performance: she completely dominated the event and secured victory with a round to spare. Tan Zhongyi (who was at that point preparing for the Women’s World Championship Match in 2025), finished in second place, half a point behind. Goryachkina then also won the third event in the series – staged in Monaco in February. Although not as dominant as in Kazakhstan, she emerged on top of a three-way tie for first place, with Batkhuyag Munguntuul and Koneru Humpy. This propelled Goryachkina to the sole lead in the WGP. In the fourth tournament, in Cyprus in March, Anna Muzychuk tied for first place with Zhu Jiner, with both ending on 6/9. The two finished a full point ahead of Goryachkina, who had another great performance. While Goryachkina secured a towering lead – with 308.34 points, Zhu and Muzychuk now joined the race for the top. Finally, this April in the fifth leg held in Pune (India), it was the native Koneru Humpy who emerged at the top, edging out Zhu on tiebreaks after both finished with seven points. This pushed Koneru to the second place in the WGP overall standings, with 279.17 points,
Vladimir Fedoseev takes down GCT 2025 Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland
Vladimir Fedoseev emerged as the winner of the Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland, the first of three 2025 Grand Chess Tour speed-chess events, each featuring a $175,000 total prize fund. Held from April 26–30 in Warsaw, the tournament began with nine rounds of rapid play (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw), followed by eighteen rounds of blitz (1 point for a win), totaling 135 games across five days. The competition featured five tour players—Levon Aronian, Alireza Firouzja, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda—alongside five wildcards: Veselin Topalov, Bogdan-Daniel Deac, Vladimir Fedoseev, Aravindh Chithambaram, and David Gavrilescu. The event was wide open after the rapid segment, with Firouzja, Fedoseev, and Chithambaram sharing the lead at 11/18. Aronian and Praggnanandhaa trailed by just one point, while Vachier-Lagrave was two points behind the leaders. The first day of blitz belonged to Vladimir Fedoseev, who dominated the field with a stunning 8/9 score, ending the day 3.5 points ahead of second-placed Praggnanandhaa. Fedoseev maintained his momentum on the final day and clinched the title with three rounds to spare. As he has done many times in GCT events, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave delivered a strong performance in blitz to secure clear second place, while Praggnanandhaa finished third. Photos: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour
Nikolay Noritsyn and Li Yunshan win 2025 Canadian Championship
From left to right: WFM Morgen Mills, WIM Svitlana Demchenko, WIM Li Yunshan, IM Nikolay Noritsyn, GM Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux, GM Razvan Preotu IM Nikolay Noritsyn and WIM Li Yunshan have been crowned the 2025 Canadian Chess Champions, claiming their third and maiden national titles, respectively. The 89th Canadian Chess Championship and the 22nd Canadian Women’s Chess Championship—both 9-round Swiss tournaments with classical time control—were held simultaneously from April 17–22 in Toronto, Ontario. The competition featured 90 of Canada’s strongest players, hailing from nine provinces. The lineup included three Grandmasters, 13 International Masters, and three Woman International Masters. FM Tymur Keleberda (pictured above, left) led the tournament with a perfect 4/4 after four rounds. He then drew with GM Bator Sambuev in round 5, setting up a key round-6 clash with IM Nikolay Noritsyn (pictured above, right). Noritsyn won this pivotal game to emerge as the sole leader after round 6. He maintained his half-point advantage through the final rounds, finishing in clear first with 7.5/9 to secure the national title. The champion remained unbeaten, scoring six wins and three draws. GM Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux, the other undefeated competitor, finished half a point behind in second place. GM Razvan Preotu and IM Raymond Kaufman tied for third with 6.5/9, with Preotu taking bronze thanks to a superior Buchholz tiebreak score. 89th Canadian Chess Championship final standings In the women’s event, WCM Ashley Qian started strong with a perfect 5/5. She then drew with top seed WIM Li Yunshan (pictured above, left) in round 6, maintaining a half-point lead. Alongside these two, WIM Svitlana Demchenko (pictured above, right) and WFM Morgen Mills consistently ranked in the top four from round 4 through the final round. Demchenko entered the last round with a half-point lead, but lost to Li, while Mills defeated WFM Oksana Golubeva resulting in a three-way tie for Li, Demchenko, and Mills, all on 7/9. Li clinched gold based on her superior Buchholz Cut 1 tiebreak score while Demchenko edged out Mills on the second Buchholz tiebreak to claim silver. 22nd Canadian Women’s Chess Championship final standings Written by FA Heidi Gay / Annex Chess Club Photos: Derek Ma / Annex Chess Club and John Upper / Chess Federation of Canada
Baku Open 2025 commences in the capital of Azerbaijan
The Baku Open 2025 international festival, a prestigious event celebrating the game of chess and the rise of Azerbaijani talent, kicked off on April 28 at the Baku Crystal Hall. The festival features three tournament sections (A, B, and C)—all 9-round Swiss tournaments with classical time control—and has brought together nearly 700 players representing 16 national federations. The total prize fund for the festival is $55,000, with $12,000 awarded to the winner of Tournament A. The opening ceremony of the Baku Open 2025, jointly organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan Chess Federation, was attended by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, two-time Women’s World Champion and FIDE Treasurer Zhu Chen, President of the Turkish Chess Federation Fethi Apaydın, President of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation Mahir Mammadov, Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov, and other distinguished guests. During the event, the Azerbaijan Chess Federation and the Turkish Chess Federation officially signed a cooperation agreement. The signing ceremony was attended by Azerbaijan Chess Federation President Mahir Mammadov, Turkish Chess Federation President Fethi Apaydın, and FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. Under the agreement, the two federations will collaborate on various initiatives to promote the development of chess. The partnership includes joint training camps for national teams, referee training programs, and the launch of several chess development projects. The program of Baku Open 2025 includes several exciting side events, including the Battle of Champions competition and masterclasses by leading chess players. In the Battle of Champions, Azerbaijani champion Rauf Mammadov faces former FIDE World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov (Uzbekistan), while Azerbaijani Women’s Champion Gunay Mammadzada competes against former World and European Champion Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria). The winners will be determined based on the combined results of rapid and blitz games. The opening ceremony of the Battle of Champions was held at the National Carpet Museum on April 28. In her speech, Museum Director Amina Malikova (pictured above) explained the choice of venue: “For the first time in our museum’s history, an international chess tournament is being held. We know that chess is always regarded as a symbol of high intelligence. I hope that the carpets you see here will have a positive impact on our chess players.” Mahir Mammadov, President of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation, wished the players success and praised the regular organization of such tournaments as a highly positive development. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, who attended the ceremony, highlighted the unity of culture and sport: “We see the union of chess and culture in one place. Dear chess players, I am sure you will enjoy playing here and will also inspire the artists.” Following the ceremony, Mammadov presented a souvenir to FIDE President. A drawing of colors then took place, and the competition began. After three rapid games in both matches, the Azerbaijani players seized a 2–1 lead. On April 27, former Women’s World and European Champion Antoaneta Stefanova conducted a masterclass for young Azerbaijani players. The session, attended by 20 young chess enthusiasts, featured Stefanova sharing insights into her journey, career highlights, chess openings, strategic concepts, and an interactive Q&A session. At the end of the masterclass, all participants received certificates and special gifts. The Azerbaijan Chess Federation continues to organize diverse initiatives and events aimed at nurturing a love for chess among youth and promoting their healthy development. Photos: Azerbaijan Chess Federation
2025 Uzbekistan Championship: Nodirbek Yakubboev and Umida Omonova win titles
GM Nodirbek Yakubboev and WIM Umida Omonova are the newly crowned champions of Uzbekistan. The 2025 Uzbekistan Championship, featuring Open and Women’s categories and a total prize fund of USD 66,000, took place at the International Chess School in the Kyzyltepa district of the Navoi region from April 18–28. Both competitions were 16-player knockout tournaments with classical time control. Top seed Nodirbek Yakubboev (2665) lived up to expectations, advancing to the final after eliminating Azizbek Kuvvatov, Khumoyun Begmuratov (after a rapid tiebreak), and Mukhiddin Madaminov. In the bottom half of the draw, a surprise unfolded: second seed GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov (2648), the only other player rated over 2600, was knocked out in the quarterfinals by IM Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov. Suyarov, in turn, fell to Ortik Nigmatov in the semifinals. As a result, Yakubboev and Nigmatov met in the final. After a quick draw in the first game, Nodirbek won the second game with the white pieces to clinch the title. In the match for third place, Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov prevailed over Mukhiddin Madaminov in a grueling tiebreaker. The women’s event also produced a major upset, as top seed Afruza Khamdamova (2326) was defeated by Nodira Nadirjanova—rated nearly 200 Elo points lower—in the semifinals. Meanwhile, in the other half of the draw, Umida Omonova reached the final, battling past Makhim Orazmukhammedova, Nilufarkhon Imomkuzieva, and Marjona Malikova. In the final match between Omonova and Nadirjanova, Umida quickly seized the lead, winning the first game with the black pieces. She achieved a winning position in the second game but opted for a draw, securing the championship title. In the third-place match, Khamdamova defeated Malikova to take the bronze medal. Complete results Open and Women Photos: Uzbekistan Chess Federation