Alexander Katz

International Master of chess. Software Engineer at ex-@RobinhoodApp.

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

Been seeing some concerns about this Total World Championship thing, but I think it's a great opportunity for these 20 players to prove themselves in an interesting new 22-player format. All 24 of them seem like deserving candidates and I only wish all 26 of them could qualify🙏

[Emilchess @EmilSutovsky]

More news:

FIDE Candidates-2028.

Rating spot removed.

Third spot from the World Cup removed.

FIDE Circuit, World Cup, Grand Swiss, Total Championship Tour - each get 2 spots.

Women's - same, but FIDE Grand Prix instead of Total.

Details:

The FIDE Council has approved qualification paths for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2028 and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2028, following proposals developed by the Global Strategy Commission. The regulations introduce new qualification opportunities while maintaining a balanced pathway through FIDE’s premier competitions.

▪️ FIDE Candidates Tournament 2028

Eight players will qualify through the following pathways:
FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2027 – 2 players
Total Chess World Championship Tour 2026–2027 – 2 players
FIDE World Cup 2027 – 2 players
FIDE Circuit 2026-2027 – 2 players

▪️ FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2028

Eight players will qualify through the following:
FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss 2027 – 2 players
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Series 2026–2027 – 2 players
FIDE Women’s World Cup 2027 – 2 players
FIDE Women’s Circuit 2026-2027 – 2 players

Read more: https://t.co/oWsiF9VRuQ

#FIDECandidates

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

One day, I hope to accomplish a fraction of that legacy.

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

When I was a kid, I got paired with Danya in an ICC bullet game. I lost, of course, but I played a novel opening idea that he called "interesting". I was so excited, I jumped up and ran to my mom to proudly inform her that Daniel Naroditsky thought my idea was interesting.

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

I hope, on some level, he knew. Maybe not about me in particular, but at least about the thousands of other people he gave a similar "aha!" moment to. One that pushes their chess play to a new level, sure, but more importantly unlocks a way of thinking they didn't know existed.

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

Actually this is very good and awesome and also we should revert classical ratings back to about 2 years, 4 months, and 8 days or so (no particular reason)

[GothamChess @GothamChess]

Today FIDE made a rule change. Effective October 1 players past a certain elo cannot earn rating by defeating players much weaker than them. The rule is sort of "Anti-Hikaru", but not quite, as he's trying to play the 40 games required for Candidates more than he cares about rating.

However, it seems FIDE retroactively applied this rule to blitz, and literally removed rating that was legitimately gained by Bortnyk and @GmNaroditsky, who play monthly events in their local chess club.

Is this really true? How is this acceptable?

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

so like you figured it out immediately after turning 12 or what

[Carissa Yip @carissayipchess]

11yo faustino making his first GM norm, when i was 11 i barely knew how the knight moved

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

https://t.co/okew5UaAib "The original idea was [...] events with rounds lasting 2–3 hours — making it possible to hold two rounds in a single day"

Huge news for US players, we can finally realize our dream of playing 2 classical games in a single day!

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

Rating manipulation this, activity requirement that, nothing changes the fact that the objectively funniest outcome would be @GMHikaru achieving the #1 rating spot by winning all 50 state championships (we will simply stagger the scheduling to make it work)

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

@thestrongchess Good news, she's doing fine :)

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

Took a trip to the year 3000😄

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

happy to help

[chess24 @chess24com]

Congratulations to 56-year-old chess legend Vasyl Ivanchuk on winning the Menorca Open with a stunning 8/9 after a rollercoaster final game! https://t.co/HJ882ZX43S

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

Arrived in Alicante, Spain for the first real step in attempting to remember how to play this game 🙂 Round 1 in about 5 hours, hopefully I don't embarrass myself too early. Can't remember the last time I was 81st seed in a tournament...

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

TIL of the shortest chess book review of all time, clocking in at a respectable 0 words. Left: the book cover. Right: the review. (source: https://t.co/DNajCGgQAo)

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

mfers really just came out and said @anishgiri can't aim

[Anichess @AnichessGame]

Brains > aim? You’re speaking our language.

Welcome to the battlefield, Anish — now officially Team Secret’s most dangerous piece. ♟️
@EWC_EN might get a whole lot smarter.

@teamsecret x @anishgiri x @AnichessGame

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

Promise not to post every Youtube video here, but hoping this series does well as it's super fun (though inordinately time consuming) to make. Introducing the Bizarre History of Chess, starting with the Bizarre History of the Argentinian Chess Tragedy 🙂 https://t.co/zKSEFjFcA1

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

Every time I think it can't possibly get weirder than the last time... here we go again

[chess24 @chess24com]

Hans Niemann has withdrawn from the Paris #FreestyleChess Grand Slam that starts Monday! With Nodirbek Abdusattorov as the replacement, the event now features the world's top-7 players, with Carlsen, Nakamura, Gukesh, Arjun, Caruana & Praggnanandhaa

[Alexander Katz @IMSacSacMate]

Photos taken moments before disaster