Chess in Belgium

KU Leuven study shows how expertise reshapes the brain

Steven Bellens    14.07.2026

It is evident that experts in a particular field can make decisions faster and more accurately, but how the brain…

Belgian Championship 2026

Gaston Boutchon    14.07.2026

Experts SeriesThe Experts Series was won by Daniël Dardha.Kobe Vandenholle scores his first IM norm. Closed Ladies series. Hanne Goossens…

New membership system go-live planned 3-7 August, 2026

Steven Bellens    13.07.2026    5

Our new membership system is scheduled to go live in the week of August 3rd, 2026. At that point in…

Training with GM’s Fernandez and Andriasian on 29 and 30/7

Tom Piceu    12.07.2026

Thinkers Publishing is offering ambitious Belgian chess players a unique opportunity to train with world-class grandmasters during two intensive training…

Renew ECU 2026 – Official Program

Steven Bellens    11.07.2026

Shaping the future of the European Chess Union. Official team campaign for the ECU presidential elections.

FIDE ELO migration finished. Goodbye national ELO.

Steven Bellens    06.07.2026    6

Following up on the last National ELO ranking, published June 22nd, FIDE has finished our migration project by converting and…

Belgian Championship

Gaston Boutchon    30.06.2026    3

GM Glek has withdrawn from the Belgian Championship. He will be replaced by FM Kobe Vandenhole. You can still sign…

Chess clubs in Belgium

Each registered chess club is indicated on the map with a marker. Click on any marker to see detailed information about the club, including its address and contact details. Explore and find your nearest club easily.

Arkady Dvorkovich: Building the next chapter of FIDE

Steven Bellens    29.06.2026    2

Dear Friends, Serving FIDE has been a great honour. Over the past eight years, I have had the opportunity to…

Wadim Rosenstein to run for FIDE President

Steven Bellens    27.06.2026    3

(source: https://x.com/WadimRosenstein/status/2070371557466107942) Today, I am announcing my candidacy for the presidency of FIDE. I love chess. It has shaped my…

Jan Henric Buettner to run for FIDE President

Steven Bellens    27.06.2026    2

FIDE elections are scheduled to take place 26-27 September 2026 in Samarkland, Uzbekistan during the General Assembly. Jan Henric Buettner’s…

ECU2030 Program: Development Projects & Federation Support

Steven Bellens    27.06.2026

The ECU2030 team has introduced the Program of Development Projects & Federation Support, a practical initiative designed to strengthen European…

FIDE registration & reporting guidelines

The National ELO rating system has been archived since July, 2026, and is available as a read-only system. Our ranking…

Newsletter in your language!

Steven Bellens    25.06.2026

We’re upgrading our newsletter system to include all four languages offered on this website: Dutch, French, German and English! This…

Call to participate in the Open Belgian Championship.

Gaston Boutchon    25.06.2026    2

Next week the Belgian Championship starts on July 4, and we would like to remind everyone once again to register.On…

National ELO – Final July rankings available

Steven Bellens    22.06.2026

Our quarterly – and final – ranking update (July) has just been published. You can find the new rankings here. We…

Content creation support

These guidelines are the result of the chess support group. Contributors of this first version are Yves Moreels, Wessel van…

Breaking News: The Belgian clubs have voted for a 6th division on the EGA

Luc Cornet    20.06.2026    16

Today, Saturday June 20th, there was an Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA). Unfortunately, the turnout was very low: only 51 clubs…

[update] Call for applications: Organizer Belgian School Chess Championship 2027

Philippe Vukojevic    06.06.2026

Update 06.06.2026: Due to lack of submissions, interested organizers are kindly requested to still reach out to the board with…

Calculate your FIDE chess rating instantly

Steven Bellens    05.06.2026    1

Whether you are playing a tournament, an external competition, or a club game: with this free rating calculator, you can…

Chadel World Cup, 28-11-2026, Rijswijk (the Hague, NL)

Derk Dekker    05.06.2026

Are you a serious chess and padel player and you have a mate with similar skills? Then this might be…

ECU 101 – Course

Philippe Vukojevic    05.06.2026    5

ECU101 – The SMART Method to Teach Chess Develop Your Skills as a Professional Chess Educator Chess is much more…

Luc Winants Memorial – aftermovie

Steven Bellens    28.05.2026

We received this nice aftermovie of the Luc Winants Memorial that took place May 9th 2026 in Brussels! Thanks to…

Interclub feedback – survey results

Steven Bellens    28.05.2026    4

Following the formal survey launched by the Interclub Working Group, we would like to sincerely thank all the clubs that…

41st International Open Chess Tournament of Geraardsbergen (FIDE)

Lucien Deschuyteneer    27.05.2026

5th Open Seniors 55+  Dear Chess player, We would be happy to welcome you to our 41st Open FIDE or, if you prefer,…

Belgian Championship in Borgerhout (July). Opening ceremony June 3th.

Gaston Boutchon    26.05.2026    9

To mark the 75th anniversary of the Borgerhoutse Schaakkring vzw, it is organizing the Belgian Chess Championships 2026 in Antwerp together with the Schaakliga Antwerpen vzw. You are cordially invited to the opening ceremony for this chess tournament.

Search for candidates for the organization of one of the 2027 Belgian Championships

Luc Cornet    25.05.2026

The RBCF is looking for one or more organizers for the following championships, as every season: Each club or group…