Best Chess Classes in Middlesbrough for Kids (2026)
Middlesbrough sits at the heart of Teesside, a post-industrial part of the North East that has been reinventing itself for decades. It is a city with strong local pride, a love of its football club, and a community that values straight-talking over pretension. The chess scene here is not large, but what exists is genuine. […]
Praggnanandhaa Beats Magnus Carlsen at Norway Chess 2026
Quick Facts: Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu defeated Magnus Carlsen twice at Norway Chess 2026, in Round 3 (May 27) and Round 8 (June 2) Round 3: Praggnanandhaa played White, won in 46 moves. Opening: Sicilian Najdorf with the rare 6.h4 Round 8: Praggnanandhaa played Black, won in 50 moves. Opening: French Defense, Advance Variation Praggnanandhaa is the […]
Chess News This Week (May 25-31, 2026)
The biggest week in chess so far this year. Norway Chess moved to Oslo for the first time in thirteen years and immediately delivered drama. Alireza Firouzja played in a wheelchair with an ankle cast and beat Magnus Carlsen in Round 1. Carlsen lost two more games and fell to last place. Wesley So won […]
FIDE Ratings June 2026
The June 1, 2026, FIDE rating list is out. And this month, the chess calendar gave us plenty to talk about. Two tournaments drove most of the movement. The TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament in Malmö ended with Arjun Erigaisi sharing first place alongside Magnus Carlsen, earning him a massive 10 rating points and […]
Can Chess Reduce Anxiety in Children?
Key Findings Between 10% and 20% of school-aged children globally experience clinically significant anxiety symptoms as of 2026, making anxiety the most common mental health problem in children. Source: WHO, 2026. The global incidence of anxiety disorders among children and adolescents aged 10 to 24 increased by 52% from 1990 to 2021, with a sharp […]
Best Chess Classes in Inverness (2026)
Inverness is a city that does a lot with what it has. It is the largest city in the Highlands and a hub for the surrounding communities stretching out towards Nairn, Dingwall, Aviemore, and beyond. The chess scene here is small but real. The Inverness Chess Club has been meeting at the Chieftain Hotel for […]
Best Chess Classes in Huddersfield for Kids (2026)
Huddersfield has more chess infrastructure than most towns its size. It has had an active chess club for over 170 years, a district chess association that runs leagues across the Kirklees area, and a Saturday library club that brings the game to anyone who wants to try it. For families here, the options cover a […]
Weekly Chess News May 17 – May 24,2026
The most dramatic week of the Grand Chess Tour season so far. Vincent Keymer won the Superbet Chess Classic Romania 2026 in his first ever classical GCT appearance. Alireza Firouzja played one game from a hotel bed, lost another from a hotel bed, then withdrew entirely. Gukesh Dommaraju publicly admitted his form over the past […]
Best Chess Classes in Exeter for Kids (2026 Updated)
Exeter is a university city with a cathedral at its heart and countryside on its doorstep. It is the sort of place where children grow up doing a wide variety of things, from sports on Northernhay Gardens to evenings at youth groups and after-school clubs across Heavitree, St Thomas, and the other neighbourhoods that make […]
Best Chess Classes in Dundee for Kids (2026)
Dundee has more going for it chess-wise than most people expect. The city has produced strong competitive players, runs an annual chess congress, and sits within the well-organised Tayside and Fife Chess Association (TAFCA) circuit. Two long-standing clubs share the city, one meeting at a historic church venue in the West End and the other […]
How Chess Builds Social Skills in Children: What the Studies Reveal
Key Findings Chess players showed significant improvements in teacher-rated social adjustment, peaceful attitudes, and understanding toward others compared to children who played team sports over the same period. 84.6% of parents reported their children successfully made new friends as a direct result of playing chess, dismantling the cultural stereotype that chess is socially isolating. Kindergarten-aged […]
Best Chess Classes for Kids in Derry/Londonderry (2026 Updated)
Derry/Londonderry has a strong sense of community, and that shows in the way its chess club has survived and grown for over 70 years. The city is not large, but it takes chess seriously. The club’s history stretches back to the early 1950s, it has produced Ulster Champions, and today it runs two separate weekly […]
