Andre Schulz

7/10/2026 – In July 1976, Viktor Korchnoi, then the second-best player in the world, used his participation in the IBM tournament in Amsterdam to defect from the USSR. A cat-and-mouse game worthy of a spy thriller began. The Soviet authorities responded with offensive statements and an almost total boycott - almost. | Photo: Viktor Korchnoi in 1976 / Dutch National Archive

7/14/2026 – For those making a last-minute decision: the 13th International IRT Chess Tournament gets underway in Lebu next Wednesday. Over five days (15–19 July), seven rounds will be played in the Swiss system. The region on Chile's Pacific coast offers stunning natural scenery, while seafood lovers will also find plenty to enjoy. | Photo: La Virgen, Boca Lebu by Valentina Pérez Garbayo.

7/14/2026 – Twenty years ago, on 14 July 2006, Aleksander Wojtkiewicz passed away. Born in Soviet Latvia in 1963, he was one of the country's greatest chess talents and trained under Mikhail Tal. He later went into hiding to avoid military service, became involved in gambling and pimping, served a prison sentence, and after his release became a chess nomad. His early death in Baltimore was tragic.

7/17/2026 – In September, Samarkand will host the 46th Chess Olympiad. After FIDE was founded in 1924, the first international team tournament was held in Budapest in the summer of 1926, albeit with only a small number of teams. From these modest beginnings, the tradition of the Chess Olympiad developed.

7/22/2026 – The election of the Executive Board at the European Chess Union's General Assembly in Bucharest last Saturday produced a clear result. The incumbent, Zurab Azmaiparashvili, was re-elected by a large majority. Ingrid Lauterbach was elected as the new Vice-President. | Photo: ECU and the Romanian Chess Federation

7/24/2026 – In its 21st package of sanctions in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has added Arkady Dvorkovich to its list of sanctioned individuals. The FIDE President has temporarily stepped aside from his position, with Viswanathan Anand serving as acting president. A new FIDE Presidential Board will be elected in September.

7/26/2026 – Walther Freiherr von Holzhausen is not among the best-known players of the early twentieth century. Nevertheless, he was a very strong amateur and, above all, a chess problem composer of great importance. As a major in the Prussian Army, the First World War marked a profound turning point in his life.

7/31/2026 – On Monday, the African Chess Confederation elected a new executive board. In an extremely close vote, the incumbent continental president was voted out of office, and Benard Wanjala (pictured) was elected as the new president. The defeated candidate, Tshepiso Lopang, has accused Benard Wanjala of vote-buying and lodged a complaint against the result. | Photos: FIDE / ACC

8/1/2026 – Magnus Carlsen learnt to play chess at the age of five, although his tournament career began a little later, in late 1999 or early 2000. In the summer of 2000, exactly 26 years ago, Carlsen faced another nine-year-old at the Peer Gynt Open in Gausdal, who would also later become a grandmaster.

8/7/2026 – In the early years of the British Championship, Henry Atkins won the title seven times in succession between 1905 and 1911, before adding two more victories later on. This made him the record holder until the 1960s. What makes this achievement especially remarkable is that Atkins was essentially an amateur player who rarely competed in other tournaments. | Photo: Theo F Gidden,