Chess & Mates

13/06/2026

Time to reveal our next special guest at the Chess & Mates Festival ! Another chess legend and it’s his birthday today!

Ivan Sokolov, widely recognised as one of the world’s premier elite chess trainers and authors will be given masterclasses and a clock simul.

More information soon on our website:
www.chessandmates.com/festival-brussels-edition

🎂 Happy Birthday, Ivan! 🏆

Today, the European Chess Union joins the global chess community in celebrating the 58th birthday of one of Europe's most accomplished and respected Grandmasters and Chairman of ECU Trainers Commission— Ivan Sokolov!

Born on June 13, 1968, GM Sokolov has left an indelible mark on European chess. A former Yugoslav and Dutch national champion, he stands among the strongest and most influential European Grandmasters of his generation. His exceptional opening preparation and theoretical contributions have shaped modern chess at the highest level, while his books have educated and inspired countless players across the continent and beyond.

Throughout a distinguished career representing multiple nations, Ivan Sokolov has demonstrated the very qualities that make chess a truly timeless pursuit: dedication, creativity, and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence over the board.

On behalf of our 54 member federations and the millions of chess players and fans across Europe, we wish GM Sokolov many more years of health, happiness, and inspiring chess! 👏

♟️ Alles Gute! Happy Birthday! 🎉Ivan Sokolov

07/06/2026

We brought chess to Twitchcon Europe… and somehow ended up with Darth Vader, blindfold chess, police officers, streamers and hundreds of games played ♟️

Many thanks to our partners .official
and to the chess & mates team: .aer 🫶

See you next year! ✨

04/06/2026

Episode 01 — TwitchCon Rotterdam 2026 | The Aftermovie ♟️

Invited by Fanfinity, we ran challenges, mini tournaments & an epic Chessnut Pro giveaway at our Chess & Mates stand. 🏆
Massive thank you to our content team , our videographer Simon Kant, and every volunteer who made this unforgettable. 🙏
This is just Episode 01. More TwitchCon content is on the way. 👀

27/05/2026

♟️ THE QUEEN OF CHESS IS COMING TO BRUSSELS ♟️

We are beyond excited to announce that legendary Grandmaster Judit Polgar will be part of the 2026 Chess & Mates Festival!

Widely regarded as the strongest female chess player of all time, Judit Polgár has defeated world champions, inspired generations, and changed the history of chess forever.

✨ Participate at the Chess & Mates Festival and get an unique chance to play against Judit Polgár in a simultaneous exhibition. ✨

📍 Royal Library of Belgium
📅 5 September 2026

Expect:
♟️ Tournaments
🎤 Masterclasses
🤝 Community & culture
🔥 Special guests
👑 Simultaneous exhibition with Judit Polgár

Chess & Mates is about uniting people from different backgrounds and ages through chess.

Tickets & more information: www.chessandmates.com

11/05/2026

You are addicted to chess

11/05/2026

“Challenge The Queen of Chess” | Behind the Scenes
A movie by Chess & Mates

Creative Directors: and .aer

Starring: .pfr and .pettiaux
Production: .aer

Thanks to .polgar.official and

🎥 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHf5rmv1S5Y

19/09/2025

🎉 Congrats to our giveaway winner: ! 🏆
He’s taking home a brand new .official Evo board 🤩♟️

A huge thank you to everyone who joined the giveaway — your support keeps us motivated to organise more chess events for the community 💛

👉 Keep an eye on our socials… the next giveaway is coming sooner than you think 👀🎁

18/09/2025

A historic weekend for chess in Brussels! 🏛️♟️

Our very first Chess & Mates Festival took place in two iconic venues: La Bourse and the Royal Galeries.
The atmosphere was electric, with hundreds of players and chess lovers coming together to celebrate the game we all love.

🙏 A huge thank you to our amazing community for showing up in such numbers, to the incredible Chess & Mates team who made it all possible, to .official for the collaboration, and to .brussels and the for welcoming us in these breathtaking locations.

📊 Curious about the results? Check out the final rankings of all the tournaments here: https://chessandmates-website.vercel.app/festival/leaderboard/results

🎥 Don’t miss our aftermovie premiere this Sunday at 6 PM!
📸 And stay tuned — we’ll also be sharing the beautiful pictures captured by our photographer soon.

And the best part? This is only the beginning… 🚀♟️

09/09/2025

🔥♟️ The DUO CUP is coming! ♟️🔥

This Sunday morning (10:00–13:00) the will be buzzing with chess energy!
We’ve got an amazing line-up of duos: international players, women & men, all united by chess 🌍✨

💥 Already 15 duos registered — only 5 spots left for those who dare to join! Tickets on our website : https://www.chessandmates.com/duocup
🏆 And yes… you can win epic prizes like a .official digital chessboard 😍

➡️ Swipe through the carousel to meet the teams!

Who are you rooting for? 👇

28/08/2025

♟️ Exciting news!
We’re thrilled to announce our newest collaboration with .official . Thanks to this collab, you can win their innovative smart chessboards – the Chessnut Air, Chessnut Go, and Chessnut Evo – at the Chess & Mates Festival! ✨

Join us, enjoy chess in two iconic Brussels locations, and maybe you’ll go home with one of these amazing boards.

📅 When: Weekend of 13–14 September
📍 Where: The Old Stock Exchange & the Royal Galeries

⚡ Get your tickets now before we’re sold out!