First, a landmark. There are some records that arrive with fanfare, and others that almost pass unnoticed because they are, just, normal. GM Magnus Carlsen's latest milestone belongs firmly in the latter category.
The July FIDE rating list confirmed this week that the Norwegian has now spent 15 consecutive years as the world's highest-rated player. Since reclaiming the top spot in July 2011, Carlsen has never relinquished it, an extraordinary display of consistency in an era of unprecedented depth at the elite level.
His rating has fluctuated—a little—and recent results have seen him shed a handful of points, but nobody has managed to dislodge him from the summit.
Fifteen uninterrupted years at number one is a feat without precedent in the modern rating era and another statistic that underlines just how remarkable the Carlsen generation has been.
FIDE Election Heats Up
Away from the board, election season is gathering momentum.
The campaign ahead of the next FIDE presidential election is becoming increasingly active, with federations beginning to declare their allegiances and prospective tickets gradually taking shape.
Although formal campaigning only started last week, the manouvreing is becoming becoming more and more visible.
FIDE's current president Arkady Dvorkovich, and two German businessmen who have invested heavily in the sport over the last few years, Jan Henric Buettner and Wadim Rosenstein, have stuck their heads above the parapet to go for the top job.
Dvorkovich, the incumbent, is likely to be the focus of the first stage of the campaign with both his challengers taking aim at him.
The issue of term limits is back again. Dvorkovich famously came to power in 2018 promising to limit presidential terms to eight years, or two terms, It followed two decades of his predecessor in the job. He swiftly did so, delivering on his promise to curb the power of his own office.
But then in December 2023, under his watch, FIDE scrapped limits enabling him to run for office again this year.
Dvorkovich has faced criticism over this issue, with allegations FIDE changed its rulebook to accommodate him, and this week his opponent Rosenstein added his voice:
Look out for many more attacks like this in the weeks to come.
Meanwhile, In Croatia
Meanwhile, attention over the board has shifted to Zagreb, where the Grand Chess Tour's SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia event has assembled another world-class field.
GM Garry Kasparov was in town to open the event, following his previous trip to Romania. Kasparov remains one of the biggest draws in the game.
The Croatia leg has quickly developed a clear storyline in Zagreb, with French number-one (but not playing for the national team) GM Alireza Firouzja emerging as the man to catch after six rounds of rapid play.
Firouzja made the strongest possible start, finishing the opening day as sole leader with two victories and a draw. Neither win came easily. Against the local hero GM Ivan Saric he was under pressure before turning the game around, while Romanian GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac also let promising chances slip as Firouzja demonstrated his now familiar ability to survive difficult positions before converting them into full points.
A solid draw against GM Anish Giri completed an unbeaten first day and gave the Iranian-born Firouzja a one-point lead over a chasing group that included Giri, GMs Vincent Keymer, Praggnanandhaa R and Frenchman number-two GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
Day two only strengthened Firouzja's position. Another impressive score left him three points clear of the field heading into the final day of rapid chess, making him the clear favourite before the tournament switches to its eighteen-round blitz phase. Behind him, the standings remain tightly packed, with the classical World Champion GM Gukesh D recovering from an uneven start to remain in contention, while Keymer, Giri and Vachier-Lagrave continue to shadow the leader.
The event is once again proving why the Grand Chess Tour's rapid and blitz legs have become among the most entertaining fixtures on the calendar. With every rapid win worth two points before the faster blitz section begins, early momentum carries significant weight—but no lead is entirely safe once 18 rounds of blitz begin.
If Firouzja can maintain his form, Zagreb could become another statement victory for one of the game's most naturally gifted—but occasionally controversial—speed chess players.