Chess · Worth knowing

Egon Mattaaq made his tournament debut at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand after only four years of playing chess, having developed his skills primarily through online play where he reached a rating of nearly 2200. Starting without an official FIDE rating due to Greenland's recent FIDE membership in 2024, Mattaaq endured a grueling journey involving a boat ride, multiple flights, and travel delays to reach the event. Through five rounds he scored 1½ points, including a notable victory in round three against WCM Gerda Nevska in a sharp middlegame where his opponent's pieces fell under coordinated pressure. ChessBase is conducting interviews with participants from every Olympic team to document how chess is played around the world.

The 41st European Chess Club Cup and 30th European Women's Chess Club Cup will take place in Budva, Montenegro from October 16-24, 2026, with seven rounds played under Swiss system format. Teams will feature six players plus two reserves in the open section and four players plus one reserve in the women's event, with a combined prize fund of 40,000 EUR. The top four finishers in the open competition will qualify for the new European Chess Super league 2027, with registration open until August 10, 2026.