Magnus Carlsen barely ahead of World Champion Gukesh in the Clutch Chess showdown, Hans Niemann destroys Ding Liren eighteen to six in the Speed Chess Championship, Tata Steel Masters two thousand twenty-six is the youngest field ever, the FIDE World Cup in Goa is about to send new names toward the Candidates, the World Senior Championship heats up in Gallipoli, the FIDE Al-Ain Academy launches to build the next generation — and we say goodbye to Mihai Suba.