68th WCCC and 49th WCSC in Magdeburg (Germany)
I am pleased to announce that the 68th World Congress of Chess Composition, including the 49th World Chess Solving Championship, will take place from 8–15 August 2026 at the Maritim Hotel Magdeburg, Germany (with the program starting on Sunday, 9 August).
The bid for WCCC 2026 was approved by email voting of 29 out of 44 WFCC delegates, with 28 votes in favor and one abstention. This strong support reflects our shared appreciation and gratitude to Torsten Linß and the German team for stepping in and successfully securing WCCC 2026.
Further details of the bid can be found here
A dedicated congress website, including registration information, will be launched by the end of January.
The end of 2025 has also brought several encouraging developments:
- During the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship in Doha (Qatar), the 1st Vice-President of WFCC, Abdulla Ali Aal Barket, and the WFCC Secretary, Mohammad Alhallak, held a constructive meeting with FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE Special Tasks Director Akaki Iashvili, and FIDE Chief Operating Officer Sava Stoisavljević.
The FIDE officials were informed about key WFCC projects, including:
FIDE & WFCC youth solving championships, FIDE titles for trainers and mentors in solving and composing, the WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix 2025–26, the FIDE Album, and the FIDE World Cup in Composing.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the WFCC Vice-President presented the FIDE Album 2019–21 to the FIDE President. - On the initiative of WFCC Honorary President Klaus Wenda, the WFCC Presidium agreed to organize a special composing tourney in eight traditional sections, marking 70 years of WFCC (1956–2026).
Narayan Shankar Ram has accepted the role of tourney director. Prize funds for each section will be €200, €150, and €100 for the first three places. The tourney is planned to be announced in the first months of 2026. - The Fujairah Chess & Culture Club invites WFCC delegates to apply for Fujairah Government grants supporting WFCC development projects in 2026.
Written proposals aimed at spreading chess composition in new regions and among younger generations should be submitted to the WFCC President by 1 March 2026. Projects using the WFCC Fujairah Grand Prix logo may receive funding of up to €3,000 in 2026.
With this encouraging news, I would like to wish you all a very happy and successful New Year, and to thank you once again for your continued support, cooperation, and collegial spirit.
Marjan Kovačević
WFCC President