Major Chess News This Week
FIDE has announced a significant format change for the 2027 World Cup and Women's World Cup. Instead of large 206 and 107-player knockouts, the final stage will now involve only the last 16 players in each event.6
The federation also adopted new qualification paths for the 2028 Candidates and Women's Candidates Tournaments. The rating spot GM Hikaru Nakamura used to qualify in the past has been removed.2
Tournament Results
GM Parham Maghsoodloo won Titled Tuesday on July 14, 2026, with a score of 10/11.2 He previously won the event five times in 2025.6 GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu finished second with 9.5/11, while GM Hikaru Nakamura took third.2
In the Women's Speed Chess Championship, women's world number-one GM Hou Yifan defeated IM Dinara Wagner 13.5-2.5 to reach the quarterfinals.6 WGM Anastasia Avramidou also advanced after upsetting Shuvalova in the Round of 16.2
Elite Events Ahead
The Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters runs from July 16 to 22, 2026.3 World champion Gukesh Dommaraju headlines an eight-player field that also includes Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Arjun Erigaisi, and Alireza Firouzja.3 The seven-round single round-robin features seven players rated above 2700.3
R Praggnanandhaa bounced back at Norway Chess by defeating Alireza Firouzja in 51 moves to earn his second victory in standard time controls at the Oslo tournament.11
Netherlands Championship Wraps Up
The 2026 Netherlands Chess Championship took place in Amsterdam from July 4 to July 11.9 The knockout event included both an open and women's competition.9 The women's final featured Machteld van Foreest against Anna-Maja Kazarian.9
FIDE and Online Ratings Experiment
FIDE and World Chess agreed to test a first over-the-board official rating earned online.4 The trial represents a notable shift in how competitive chess credentials could be recognized in the future.4
What to Watch Next
The Chennai Grand Masters will be the key event to follow through July 22, with Gukesh defending his status as world champion against a strong field.3 The Women's Speed Chess Championship quarterfinals are also underway, with Hou Yifan among the favorites.6
If you want to stay sharp between major tournaments, you can start a private game with a friend on Friend Chess and try variants like Chess960 to keep your play fresh.