My Chess Goals for 2026!
Hello to whoever is reading this!
As you can probably guess, this is my final blog post of 2025. I wanted to be able to say that I wrote 12 articles throughout this year, which averages out at one per month, so that's the main reason why I am publishing it. I almost missed the deadline, but here we are!
When the years come to an end, people usually set goals for the next period of one revolution around the sun, especially because we all know that adding a number to a piece of paper is all it takes to change our habits, motivations, and results!
Therefore, today, I would like to share some of my chess goals for 2026 with my readers. What are my aspirations, and how do I plan to achieve them? Stay with me to find out and discuss it.
Obviously, the idea is always to set rational and reasonable targets. If they are too easy and do not demand real changes, they cannot be considered challenges. Setting unrealistic goals, on the other hand, will only demotivate us further. Fortunately, this will not be the case for me.
Let’s stop wasting time and get started!
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1. Beat Hikaru Nakamura in a Blitz Game
The first one is rather simple and not too ambitious. I think we should all start slowly, right? After all, it is usually a good idea to dip your toe in the water to check the temperature before diving in headfirst. So, one of my goals for 2026 is to beat the famous streamer and grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura in a blitz match.
Honestly, I think the real challenge in this case is arranging a match with him. He is always busy playing against his millions of followers and/or opponents at his level, which is not even that high. Next, I need to convince him to have the courage to play against me, but let's take it one step at a time.
The idea is simple, but I need your help. Since my blog is almost as popular as his Twitch streaming channel, I thought my followers could message him and demand that he accepts. If he asks what he will get in return, just tell him it is the honor of playing against me. Duh.
But if you think that all this confidence could be my downfall, I assure you that there is no need to worry. I am already doing my homework and studying some of the best openings to counter him, such as the Bongcloud and the Grob. That should be enough.
Realistic goal: Reach a blitz rating of 2200, practice more puzzles to recognize tactical patterns faster, and work on my endgame theory to cope with time pressure.
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2. Become Gukesh’s Analyst for the World Championship
There is a consensus that one of the best ways to learn and improve at something is to teach it to someone else. Therefore, to further hone my exceptional chess skills, I decided that becoming Gukesh's chief analyst for the next World Championship Match would be a sensible and attainable idea.
At first glance, it may seem absurd, but that is not quite the case. As you can read in my blog, 'Polishing the Board: The History of Chess in Poland', the world champion's team is full of Poles. I believe this is probably the main criterion for being part of his team. I may not be a native, but my surname and intermediate language skills should suffice.
I have already sent my CV to definitely.gukesh.manager@analyst.com and am waiting for a reply. It is taking longer than I expected, but perhaps that is because he is busy celebrating the end of the year. I am sure I will receive confirmation by the first week of January 2026.
But, of course, that alone is not enough. After all, in order to surprise his opponent, he needs a secret weapon of some kind... something that has never been tried before. This is why the next goal is also very important.
Realistic goal: Play a slow time control game against my father once a week and analyze it in depth with him. This is not necessarily to improve, but rather a way to spend time together, even if it is only online.
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3. Create a New Opening With My Name
Once I have (obviously) been accepted as Gukesh's analyst, I intend to develop and popularize the Sobczak Opening, which he will employ to defend his title with an impressive score of 14–0. The idea is that this opening will work for both White and Black and be unbeatable no matter what the opponent tries.
Some might say this is nonsense and simply impossible, but the coach I follow on Instagram says impossible is just a matter of opinion, and all it takes is willpower to achieve any goal. He even added a generic motivational quote created by ChatGPT at the end. So, are you going to believe him or those outdated old guys who have been playing chess for years?
Although my studies are still in their infancy, I have several months to work on this, and I believe that will be enough time. Some of my initial attempts with 1. Nh3 seem promising, but I cannot provide any further details, to prevent my ideas from being stolen. The simplest lines have around 30 moves of theory.
Of course, you are probably wondering why, having created an unbeatable opening, I would teach it to someone else instead of using it myself. That is a great question, but I haven’t told you everything, and this is exactly why you should keep reading!
Realistic goal: Broaden my opening repertoire. I currently only play two or three main lines but would like to try playing the English Opening and the Caro-Kann more often.
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4. Become the next World Champion
OK, I understand that this goal is not easy at all. You may think I am too ambitious. However, given all my dedication, perseverance, and motivation, I do believe that it is pretty achievable with the right mindset. I already have a concrete and feasible plan, too.
Of course, once I have created my own (almost) invincible opening, I will study it one single move further and find its perfect refutation. After that is done, beating Gukesh and becoming the next world champion will be a piece of cake for me. So why am I worried? You might ask.
I believe the biggest challenge in this case is that I have never played in an official over-the-board (OTB) tournament before, so most chess lovers are unaware of my talent. I also don't have an official FIDE rating. This could be problematic given the short timeframe.
Therefore, the real problem here is not the goal itself, but achieving it by 2026. I must still climb the FIDE rankings, play in the necessary tournaments, and qualify for the final match. My best chance would be to make a political maneuver and convince FIDE and the sponsors to put me directly on the big stage. Once again, I will need your help with that.
Realistic goal: I would like to play in my first official OTB event and obtain a FIDE rating. Not because I am obsessed with or overly competitive about chess, but I believe it would be a valuable experience.
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5. Make My Son Beat Kira at Chess
For those of you who don't know, and I assume that's all of you, I am pregnant! Our little one, Lucca, is expected in May. Needless to say, we are both very excited and hope to be great parents to the newest member of our family!
In that case, a good question would be whether I have set any chess goals for him. The answer is yes! I was inspired by @NMChessToImpress. As you can read in his blog, 'Building a Champion: Chess Training at One Week Old’, he is very focused and is developing a strong training plan for his daughter, Kira.
He probably thought she would not have any rivals, but that is about to change! As you can see from the image above, his targets for her are not too ambitious, so I don't think Lucca will find it too difficult to compete.
My plan, on the other hand, is much bolder. If possible, I intend to enter him in his first OTB tournament in 2026, which would make him the youngest person ever to have a FIDE rating. If I teach him well enough, he will probably be able to earn a title. However, if I catch him playing the London System, I will have no choice but to kick him out of my home.
Realistic goal: This one is not about 2026; the goal is to show him that chess can be fun and enjoyable, regardless of the level he achieves. Hopefully he will like it!
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I hope you enjoyed the text and that it has inspired you to set yourself some chess goals for next year. My advice is to be as ambitious as I was, because only by dreaming big can we achieve our goals, right? Believe in yourself!
Humor aside, I hope you had fun reading this! Obviously, it is all just a joke, but that was the best I could come up with for my final blog post of the year. I wanted something that was not so detailed, but that would be light-hearted and easy to write.
I wish you all a wonderful 2026, filled with peace, love and happiness for you, your families, and your friends! May you enjoy great games, improve your rating, and not hang up the queen before move 10.
The plan is to continue writing next year, and I hope I can count on your support and audience!
