Applications open for 2025 Freedom Asian Chess Initiatives (FACI)
The Kazakhstan Chess Federation invites national chess federations to apply for the 2025 Freedom Asian Chess Initiatives (FACI) project, supported by Freedom Holding Corp. in partnership with FIDE and the Asian Chess Federation. The FACI project aims to develop chess potential in Asian countries. By joining this project, your federation will benefit from: Comprehensive training programs: Sessions tailored for players, trainers, and arbiters to enhance their skills and expertise. Material support: Provision of chessboards, clocks, and essential equipment to aid local activities. Educational resources: Curricula and materials designed for school programs to foster chess education. In 2024, federations from Cambodia, Nepal, Oman, Tajikistan, and Sri Lanka greatly benefited from tailored training sessions, simultaneous exhibitions, and support during the Chess Olympiad. As part of the new phase, the project aims to expand its reach by inviting more countries to participate. FACI strives to unite chess communities, create new opportunities for talented players, and strengthen chess culture throughout the region. Application deadline: January 19, 2025, 12:00 PM Astana time (UTC+5).Apply here: Application FormRegulations: FACI Regulations Stay tuned for updates on our website and social media channels for the latest developments in the FACI project. New achievements and exciting horizons in the chess world await!
Educational Seminar “Chess for children with an autism spectrum – Learn and teach” announced
The International Chess Federation is pleased to announce the FIDE online Educational Seminar “Chess for children with an autism spectrum – Learn and teach”. The seminar will take place via ZOOM on January 18, 2025, from 13:00 to 14:00 CET. The event follows the success of the previous workshops held since 2021, which you can find on our website. Teaching chess to children with autism spectrum has been shown to positively impact their communication abilities, speech, thinking, self-esteem and confidence. The seminar’s speakers will present a unique training program developed in 2021 and provide practical advice. The seminar aims to deliver core knowledge for potential chess teachers and coaches working with children in the Infinite Chess project. Topics covered:The speakers will explore effective methods for teaching chess to children on the autism spectrum and explain their methodology, including: • What is autism spectrum?• How to teach chess to children with autism?• Behavior challenges and parents participation in learning process: expectations & involvement.• How to prepare the classroom? What else to pay attention to?• Digital tools for students with autism spectrum. Featured speakers: Natalia Popova – WIM, FIDE Trainer, co-author of the project’s Handbook (FIDE); Ala Mishchanka – Special needs educational assistant, more than 22 years of experience, co-author of the project’s Handbook (Canada); Evguenia Charomova – Bachelor of Science, Masters in speech therapy, Former New Zealand women’s chess champion, Speech-Language Therapist (New Zealand); Dr Ankita Sanghavi – Founder and Director of Innocent Times School (India); Viesturs Kapce – FIDE Instructor, chess coach, Infinite Chess project partner (Latvia); Melodi Dincel, M.D. – a specialized Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist (Turkey). How to participate: Join us via zoom link. Participation is free. For further inquiries: E-mail: infinitechess@fide.comProject Coordinator: Maria TamkovichInfinite Chess website: infinitechess.fide.com/
European Women’s R & B Championships 2024: Ushenina and Maltsevskaya claim titles
Anna Ushenina (Ukraine) and Aleksandra Maltsevskaya (Poland) emerged victorious at the 2024 European Women’s Rapid and Blitz Championships, securing the rapid and blitz titles, respectively. The European Women’s Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2024 took place from January 10 to 12 in Novotel Hotel, in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The first event on the schedule, the Blitz Championship, was a 13-round Swiss tournament held on January 10, featuring 126 players from 28 European federations. In a highly competitive event, 12th-seed Aleksandra Maltsevskaya took the lead in Round 8 after defeating Anna Ushenina but suffered a setback in Round 10 against Eline Roebers (Netherlands), allowing Roebers to catch up. Heading into the final 13th round, Maltsevskaya and Roebers were tied for the lead with 9.5/12. However, their paths diverged there: Maltsevskaya secured a crucial victory against Bella Khotenashvili (Georgia) to clinch the title, while Roebers fell to the 2023 champion, Alexandra Kosteniuk (Switzerland). Kosteniuk and Ushenina, who also won her final-round game, tied for second place, with Ushenina earning silver due to a superior Buchholz. Final standings Blitz: 1 Maltsevskaya, Aleksandra POL 2324 10½ 2 Ushenina, Anna UKR 2329 10 3 Kosteniuk, Alexandra SUI 2430 10 4 Roebers, Eline NED 2322 9½ 5 Tsolakidou, Stavroula GRE 2274 9½ 6 Rudzinska, Michalina POL 2117 9 7 Arabidze, Meri GEO 2378 9 8 Khotenashvili, Bella GEO 2347 9 9 Batsiashvili, Nino GEO 2225 9 10 Paehtz, Elisabeth GER 2355 8½ Complete final standings The European Women’s Rapid Championship 2024, an 11-round Swiss tournament held from January 11 to 12 at the same venue, was equally thrilling, with several players sharing the top spot throughout the event. Entering the final 11th round, three participants—Anna Ushenina (pictured below, right), Yuliia Osmak (both Ukraine), and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (Spain; pictured below left)—shared first place with 8/10. All three drew their final games, allowing Eline Roebers, who defeated Nino Batsiashvili (Georgia), to join them in the standings. The Buchholz tiebreak favored Ushenina, awarding her the gold medal. Khademalsharieh took silver, while Osmak completed the podium with bronze. Final standings Rapid: 1 Ushenina, Anna UKR 2348 8½ 2 Khademalsharieh, Sarasadat ESP 2344 8½ 3 Osmak, Yuliia UKR 2306 8½ 4 Roebers, Eline NED 2332 8½ 5 Javakhishvili, Lela GEO 2295 8 6 Stefanova, Antoaneta BUL 2385 8 7 Kosteniuk, Alexandra SUI 2491 8 8 Narva, Mai EST 2339 8 9 Cramling, Pia SWE 2354 8 10 Sliwicka, Alicja POL 2255 8 Complete final standings Photos: European Chess Union Facebook
European Women’s Rapid & Blitz Championships 2024 begin in Monte Carlo
The European Women’s Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2024 have commenced in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The European Women’s Blitz Chess Championship 2024 is the first event on the schedule, taking place on January 10. The 13-round Swiss tournament, with a time control of 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment, features a prize fund of €15,200 and has attracted 134 players from 28 European federations. Defending champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI, 2430) leads the field in the blitz event. Other top seeds include GM Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL, 2392), IM Ann Matnadze Bujiashvili (ESP, 2379), IM Meri Arabidze (GEO, 2378), IM Dinara Wagner (GER, 2368), IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (ESP, 2356), and GM Elisabeth Paehtz (GER, 2355). The European Women’s Rapid Chess Championship 2024, an 11-round Swiss tournament with a time control of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment, is scheduled for January 11-12 at the same venue. The event, offering a prize fund of €31,300, has drawn 148 participants. GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI, 2491) also defends her title in the rapid event and headlines the starting list. Among the top-seeded contenders are GM Elisabeth Paehtz (GER, 2407), IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE, 2393), GM Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL, 2385), GM Bella Khotenashvili (GEO, 2361), IM Ekaterina Atalik (TUR, 2355), and GM Pia Cramling (SWE, 2354). Live video broadcast of the event is available on the ECU YouTube channel with the commentaries by GM Alojzije Jankovic, GM Amir Bagheri and IM Almira Skripchenko.
Iniyan wins 15th Chennai Open
The 15th Chennai Open International Grandmasters Chess Tournament for the Sakthi Group Dr. N. Mahalingam Trophy was held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, from January 2 to January 9, 2025. A total of 176 players, including 16 Grandmasters (GMs) and 21 International Masters (IMs) from 21 countries, participated in the 10-round Swiss tournament. Third seed GM Iniyan P triumphed with an impressive score of 8.5/10, scoring seven wins and three draws. In the final round, he secured a decisive victory over GM Deepan, who had been co-leading the event until that point, clinching the championship title. GM Venkatesh also won his final-round game to finish second, while top seed IM Aronyak Ghosh claimed third place. Final standings: 1 GM Iniyan, Pa 2508 8½ 2 GM Venkatesh, M.R. 2362 8 3 IM Aronyak, Ghosh 2544 7½ 4 GM Deepan, Chakkravarthy J. 2413 7½ 5 IM Sammed Jaykumar, Shete 2379 7½ 6 IM Kaustuv, Kundu 2409 7½ 7 GM Siddharth, Jagadeesh 2515 7 8 IM Vaz, Ethan 2412 7 9 GM Das, Sayantan 2434 7 10 FM Mohamed, Anees M 2334 7 Complete final standings Photos: IA R Anantharam
21st “Preparation of Teachers” course by FIDE EDU announced
Dear Chess Friends, Get ready for another extraordinary chess experience. Mark your calendars: January 17-19, 2025, for our 21st edition of the “Preparation of Teachers” course – your gateway to becoming a certified FIDE School Instructor. Bonus: Successful candidates get lifelong access to OPENING MASTER PREMIUM chess databases. Conducted in English, this 3-day online course is designed to engage you in a practical experience aimed at introducing the game of chess and integrating it with academic and 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Read the detailed course description here. Led by distinguished commission member Anzel Laubscher and commission secretary Rita Atkins, this course caters to teachers, chess educators, beginner and advanced players with basic chess knowledge, and anyone with experience working with children. Reserve your spot by registering here. Registration closes on January 13, with only 20 spots available. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at edu.courses@fide.com
Sanctions against Moroccan Chess Federation suspended
The Royal Moroccan Federation of Chess has fulfilled its obligation to settle outstanding debts owed to players, arbiters, and staff from the King Mohammed VI International Chess Tournament, held in August 2023. Following its initial failure to meet these obligations, FIDE’s Ethics and Disciplinary Commission (EDC) had imposed sanctions on the Royal Moroccan Federation of Chess, introducing a two-year ban on organizing any FIDE-rated tournaments. FIDE can confirm that the Royal Moroccan Federation of Chess has now transferred the full sum of EUR 71,380.00 to FIDE, covering all outstanding debts and banking costs. FIDE is working promptly on processing payments to all affected players, arbiters, and staff to ensure timely resolution and compensation. In accordance with the EDC’s decision from December 2024, the two-year ban will be suspended for a two-year probationary period. However, any further serious breach of the EDC Code by the Federation during this period will result in the reinstatement of the ban, in addition to any new sanctions that may apply. FIDE commends the proactive efforts of the Royal Moroccan Federation of Chess to resolve this matter and trusts that such situations will be avoided in the future. The International Chess Federation remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting and supporting players, arbiters, and all members of the chess community, ensuring that their rights and obligations are upheld in a fair, timely, and transparent manner.
FIDE Council approves changes to FIDE Circuit 2025 Regulations
FIDE Council has approved several changes to the FIDE Circuit 2025 Regulations based on feedback from the 2024 Circuit. These changes are designed to create a more balanced and competitive system for awarding FIDE Circuit points, ensuring that players are fairly rewarded for their performance in high-quality tournaments. The key updates are: 1. Changes to the Number of Players Eligible for Circuit Points in Round-Robin Tournaments For tournaments with fewer than 10 participants, points will still be awarded to the top 3 finishers. In round-robin tournaments with 10–12 participants, points will be awarded to the top 4 finishers. For tournaments with more than 12 participants, the top 5 finishers will receive points. Why? This change aims to better reflect the value of longer tournaments by awarding points to more players, ensuring that larger tournaments are rewarded fairly. 2. Eligibility of Double Round-Robin Super Tournaments Double round-robin tournaments with at least 6 participants and an average rating of 2700 Elo points will also be eligible for Circuit points. Why? This change acknowledges the importance of prestigious super tournaments, which often feature top-level players and are key events in the FIDE calendar. 3. Reduction of Points for Tournaments with Multiple Rounds in One Day Tournaments with two rounds in one day will have a reduced total of Circuit points. Why? The idea is to reduce points for shorter tournaments, where the compressed schedule might not reflect the same level of effort as longer events. Regulations for FIDE Circuit 2025 (PDF)
14-year-old Philip Selikem Amoako crowned Ghana champion
The 2024 Ghana National Chess Championship Finals, a 10-player round-robin tournament, took place from January 2 to 5, 2025, at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons in Accra. The top five highest-rated national players from the FIDE rating list were joined by the top five finishers from the first phase (Qualifiers), held from December 27 to 29, 2024. Sixth-seed 14-year-old Philip Selikem Amoako delivered an outstanding performance, completing the competition unbeaten with an impressive score of 7.5/9. The untitled teenager outperformed seasoned competitors, including International Master (IM) Francis Anquandah and Candidate Master (CM) Bernard Anhwere and became the youngest chess champion in Gana’s chess history. His victory highlights the growing prominence of youth in Ghana’s chess scene. Amoako’s triumph marks a historic milestone in Ghana’s chess history. He first gained national attention in 2021 when, at age 11, he secured a silver medal in the Under-12 Open Category at the African Youth Chess Championships, earning the conditional Candidate Master title and becoming the youngest Ghanaian to achieve the distinction at the time. Final standings 1 Amoako, Philip Selikem Yao 1866 7½ 2 CM Anhwere, Bernard 1892 6½ 3 IM Anquandah, Francis Eric 1935 6 4 CM Fomevor, Cephas Clinton 1874 6 5 Akpa, Prince 1829 4½ 6 CM Frempong-Smart, Daniel 1852 4½ 7 Jeshurun, Obiri Yeboah Pryce-Tandoh 1512 3 8 Maxwell, Kwasi Kporxah 1682 3 9 Sarkodee-Addo, Harry 1441 2½ 10 Ameku, David Selasi 1857 1½ Ghana Chess Association (GCA) President Philip Ameku praised Amoako’s achievement, stating, “Selikem’s achievement is a testament to the potential of young chess players in Ghana. His dedication and success serve as an inspiration to aspiring players nationwide.” The young champion expressed gratitude for the support from his family, coaches, and the chess community. “Winning the national championship is a dream come true. I hope my success encourages more young people to take up chess and pursue their passions,” he said. The Ghana Chess Association remains committed to nurturing young talent, aiming to elevate the country’s standing in international chess circles. Selikem’s historic win is a promising indicator of Ghana’s potential on the global stage. Text and photos: Maxwell Kwasi Kporxah
FIDE announces World Cup 2025 for youngsters
Photo: Mark Livshitz The second edition of FIDE World Cup for young chess players will take place from June 22 to July 3, 2025, in Batumi, Georgia. This prestigious event aims to offer more opportunities for young talents from around the world. The competition will be held across three age groups—Under 8, Under 10, and Under 12—in two categories: Open and Girls, with 48 participants in each. The event will consist of two stages. The first stage will follow a seven-round Swiss System format, with two groups (A and B) of 24 players each. In the second stage, players holding the same position in each group will face off in a two-game classical match, followed by a tiebreak if needed. The organizes will cover accommodation and flight costs for top qualifying players. Heads of delegations with more than four players will be provided with a full board and accommodation in single rooms. Top three players according to FIDE standard rating (by April 1, 2025) will get air tickets compensation in the amount of €600 for players from the same continent, and €1,200 Euro for participants arriving from another continent. Invited Federations are encouraged to confirm their participation by February 1, 2025, based on the 2024 World Cadets Chess Championships results (Registration Form). The registration deadline for this prestigious event is April 22, 2025. The organizers will ensure excellent playing conditions, with participants staying in the same hotel where the event will be held. The sunny weather, seaside access, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and well-equipped spa centers will further enhance the experience. June and July are the most comfortable months in Batumi, located along the Black Sea coast, with average temperatures ranging from 27°C (80°F) to 33°C (90°F). On a rest day (June 30), participants can take part in several side events, including the Delegation Coaches Blitz Tournament with a substantial prize fund of 4,000 Euro, the Chess Composition World Cup under 8, 10, 12, engaging excursions to Batumi Dolphinarium & Batumi Botanical Garden, and a football match between FIDE and Georgian Chess Federation. Exceptional prizes await the top finishers across the six playing categories. The top three players in each category will receive awards, including cups, medals, diplomas, and high-end gadgets such as the MacBook Air (2023/2024), iPhone 16, or an iPad, depending on their placement. Additionally, the top three finishers in each age and gender category will receive free full-board accommodation for the World Cadets Chess Championship later in the year. All participants will be awarded a certificate recognizing their participation. More information about the event can be found in the Invitation Letter (PDF). For inquiries and registration, please contact: wcc@fide.com Official website: wcc2025.fide.com/