Marjan Kovacevic has been re-elected as President of the World Federation for Chess Composition, continuing in the role he has held since his election at the 64th World Congress in Fujairah in 2022.
The new WFCC Presidium, entrusted with the next mandate, is composed of President Marjan Kovacevic (Serbia), 1st Vice-President Abdulla Ali AalBarket (UAE), 2nd Vice-President Marco Guida (Italy), 3rd Vice-President Julia Vysotska (Latvia), and Secretary Mohammad Alhallak (UAE). Kovacevic and Abdulla Ali AalBarket continue in their respective positions, while Guida succeeds Vidmantas Satkus and Vysotska succeeds Dinu-Ioan Nicula; Alhallak also continues as Secretary.
49th World Chess Solving Championship concludes in Magdeburg; Germany clinches gold
The sporting centerpiece of the Magdeburg congress was the 49th World Chess Solving Championship, held over August 11–12 in the Otto von Guericke Hall.
The championship was directed by Axel Steinbrink, with the problems selected by Paz Einat. The competition stretched over two days, with the first three rounds taking place on August 11 and the remaining three rounds on August 12.
The first day saw the world’s leading solvers compete in the opening three sections, while the second day brought the championship to its conclusion with the remaining problem types.
The official WCCC 2026 website has already published the final individual and team results.
Germany took first place on home soil, represented by Arno Zude, Ulrich Voigt, and Boris Tummes (pictured below from left to right).
Poland finished second with Piotr Murdzia, Kacper Piorun, and Piotr Górski claiming silver (pictured below from left to right).
Lithuania completed the podium in third place with Martynas Limontas, Kevinas Kuznecovas, and Dmitrijus Chocenka (pictured below from left to right).
The championship attracted a particularly strong field, including many of the world’s leading specialists.
Among the leading names were reigning World Solving Champion Piotr Murdzia, former world champions Kacper Piorun and Danila Pavlov, as well as Ural Khasanov, Eddy Van Beers, and Martynas Limontas.
Pavlov entered Magdeburg as the world’s highest-rated solver. The July 2026 WFCC rating list placed him first with a rating of 2830.17, ahead of Piorun (2762.00), Murdzia (2731.07), and Khasanov (2718.33), while Eddy Van Beers was fifth at 2639.66.
Regarding the individual results, Danila Pavlov secured the gold medal, followed by team medalists Piotr Murdzia and Arno Zude (pictured above from left to right).
Other Solving Competitions
The WCSC was only one part of an extensive solving program.
The Open Solving tournament took place on Monday, August 10, featuring two rounds and 12 problems. The competition was also directed by Axel Steinbrink, with Paz Einat responsible for problem selection.
The Open Solving event was incorporated into the World Solving Cup 2025–2026, making the Magdeburg competition part of the broader international circuit used to determine the season’s leading solvers. The WFCC Solving Portal lists it as the 19th tournament of the 2025–2026 World Solving Cup cycle.
Eddy Van Beers from Belgium claimed first place in the Open Solving tournament, finishing 10 minutes faster than Khasanov and Pavlov, who shared second place.
The specialist competitions were also held. The Retro Solving tournament took place on August 10, consisting of six problems in a 90-minute session, and was directed by Thomas Brand.
Boris Tummes and Ulrich Voigt (pictured above), both from Germany, tied for first place in this event, outscoring Dirk Borst (NED), Joost Michielsen (NED), and Eddy Van Beers (BEL), who shared third place.
The Fairy Solving tournament followed on August 11, featuring six problems with Torsten Linss as the problem selector and director. Preliminary results from the Fairy competition have also been made available by the organizers, indicating Jacques Rotenberg (ISR) as the winner.
In addition, the congress program included lectures and a children’s problem workshop conducted together with Magdeburger Schachzwerge.
WCCC 2026 Nears Conclusion
While the final standings await official confirmation, Thursday, August 13, offered participants an opportunity to enjoy a free day and explore the medieval towns of Wernigerode and Quedlinburg in the Harz Mountains.
The 68th WCCC will then conclude on Friday, August 14, with the official award ceremony, which will bring both the competitive events and the congress program to a formal close.
Official website of the event: WCCC 2026 – Magdeburg
Solving results and problems: WCCC 2026 Solving
Text and photos: Dragana Nikolovska