Chess Base

• Firouzja withdraws from remainder of Grand Chess Tour 2026 due to schedule clash with Esports World Cup

  Alireza Firouzja has withdrawn from the remainder of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour after choosing to compete in the Esports World Cup in Paris, whose dates overlap with the Sinquefield Cup. His tour points have been annulled and contractual penalties will apply, while Samuel Sevian will replace him in Saint Louis. Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave faced the same clash but retained their Grand Chess Tour commitments. | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

• Record-breaking British Chess Championships set to begin in Coventry

  The British Championships will take place from 1 to 9 August in Coventry and, with more than 1,700 participants across all sections, will be the largest edition in 122 years. The country's leading players will compete alongside a number of promising young talents. Particular attention will be focused on Bodhana Sivanandan, England's young chess prodigy. | Photo: English Chess Federation

• Almaty to Host the Inaugural FIDE World University Team Chess Championship

  From August 3 to 10, 2026, Almaty will become the center of global university chess. Kazakhstan’s largest city will host the finals of the FIDE World University Team Chess Championship, the first-ever world team championship for universities. The tournament will feature 16 university teams. Among them are institutions with centuries of academic history and deep-rooted chess traditions, such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard. | Photo: FIDE