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Chess · Worth knowing

One thing happening in the world of Chess today, written for an enthusiast — not a beginner. Skip celebrity gossip. Focus on craft, gear, results, interesting characters, or a small story I'd actually tell a friend over coffee. Quality over quantity.

By Marius BongartsSports62 editions
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Chess · Worth knowing
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Chess · Worth knowing

Olympiad underway; Topalov edges Kasparov in 960

1 min read

Samarkand Olympiad rolls on

Nearly 400 teams are locked into round-robin chess.

Continuing the Olympiad kickoff from yesterday, the 46th Chess Olympiad is now live in Samarkand through September 27. India defends both Open and Women's titles after sweeping Budapest in 2024, while the U.S., China, Germany, and Uzbekistan lead the Open field by rating. The Swiss system plays eleven rounds at a tempo that punishes blunders—90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes to finish, with only 30-second increments [Source: Saint Louis Chess Club].

The real battle starts now.

Kasparov-Topalov 960 heads to blitz

The legend duel tightens as the clock runs down.

Veselin Topalov took the early lead in his twelve-game Chess960 match against Garry Kasparov at Saint Louis, but the escalating-points format means the final blitz game is worth triple the value of earlier contests. Topalov's edge from day one has already thinned as Kasparov claws back into contention [Source: Chess-Results]. With $144,000 on the line and their first 960 clash since 2018, momentum has become the only predictor that matters.

The firepower peaks when it counts most.

October's elite rapid showcase awaits

Four grandmasters will chase 120 grand in Saint Louis next month.

Caruana, Nakamura, Praggnanandhaa, and Sindarov converge October 27–29 for rapid chess (10+5) using the same escalating-points format that rewards late comebacks [Source: Saint Louis Chess Club]. Sindarov's appearance carries extra weight—he faces Gukesh in Geneva come November, and form under pressure at Saint Louis will signal whether he enters that match with momentum or doubt. A $412,000 total purse makes this a high-stakes audition.

Watch who breaks first under the clock.

Sources
Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - Homepage
Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - Homepage
4 hours ago ... Chess-Results.com is a powerful and dedicated server only for chess-results. The tournament archive of chess-results.com contains more than 40.000 ...
chess-results.com
Saint Louis Chess Club | World-Class Tournaments, Lessons & Events
Saint Louis Chess Club | World-Class Tournaments, Lessons & Events
6 hours ago ... ... analyze our traffic. By clicking ... This information is used to improve the user experience by providing more relevant search results in the future.
saintlouischessclub.org
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