Chess Base

• Bled Chess Festival: Chess tradition in idyllic surroundings

  For almost a century, the Slovenian spa town of Bled has held a special place in international chess history. With the chess festival currently running until the weekend, this traditional venue continues the legacy of great tournaments – combining its historical prestige with an event for ambitious title holders, amateurs and young players. | Photos: Chess Festival Bled / Luka Rifelj

• Wesley So wins fifth edition of American Cup

  Day nine of the American Cup in Saint Louis brought the open section to a conclusion, with Wesley So winning the fifth edition of the tournament, while the women's event remained unresolved after Carissa Yip forced a Grand Final Reset against Alice Lee. In the open, the title was settled without the need for further tiebreaks, as So converted his lead from Tuesday into overall victory. In the women's section, by contrast, another long day of classical and blitz play still proved insufficient to crown a champion. | Pictured: Wesley So and Maurice Ashley | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club /...

• Women's Candidates Tournament 2026: A clash of generations

  The FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament 2026 will take place from 28 March to 16 April in Cap St. Georges Hotel & Resort, Cyprus, where eight leading players will compete in a double round-robin to decide the challenger to the reigning champion, Ju Wenjun. The field combines experienced Candidates participants such as Humpy Koneru and Tan Zhongyi with younger contenders including Zhu Jiner and Divya Deshmukh. | Image: FIDE