Another HISTORIC class 🌟 Grandmaster Flash, Charlamagne Tha God, Keke Palmer, Delroy Lindo and more are officially joining the Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2027. 🔗 View More:

From a multi-agent system surpassing human grandmasters to terrorist groups weaponizing AI chatbots, the last two weeks highlight agentic AI is reshaping both competition and security landscapes. Here's your biweekly recap of everything that happened in the space, in the latest edition of AI Agents Pulse: 1️⃣ SpaceXAI releases Grok 4.5, an 'Opus-class model' the company says has 'twice greater token efficiency' than other leading models, positioned as a workhorse for coding, research, and knowledge work. 2️⃣ AI chip startup SambaNova raises $1 billion in a round led by General Atlantic, reaching an $11 billion valuation as investors continue to back Nvidia challengers. 3️⃣ S&P Global downgrades Oracle's credit rating to BBB-, citing OpenAI as a key credit risk due to Oracle's massive data center contractual obligations. 4️⃣ Databricks adopts Chinese open-source model GLM 5.2 as its default coding engine after it matched Anthropic's Opus 4.8 performance at a lower cost. 5️⃣ Microsoft's carbon emissions rose 25 percent in 2025 to 34 million metric tons, driven primarily by the expansion of its datacenter infrastructure, per the company's 2026 sustainability report. 6️⃣ Over 200 economists and AI researchers, including Nobel laureates, warn that the window to prepare for AI's economic impact is closing fast. 7️⃣ General Intuition, a Bezos-backed startup, raises $320 million at a $2.3 billion valuation to develop physical AI world models trained on gaming data. 8️⃣ GrandCode, a multi-agent reinforcement learning system, becomes the first AI to consistently beat all human participants in live Codeforces contests. 9️⃣ A study finds terrorist groups like Boko Haram are using major AI chatbots for attack planning and weapons development, with safety filters failing to prevent misuse.

During a 1976 chess tournament in Amsterdam, Soviet grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi quietly asked an English competitor how to spell the phrase “political asylum.” Moments later, he walked into a police station and announced that he wanted to defect from the Soviet Union. By the mid-1970s, Viktor Korchnoi was one of the world’s strongest chess players, but life in the Soviet Union had become increasingly restrictive. While the USSR celebrated its chess champions as symbols of national prestige, they were also expected to remain politically loyal. Korchnoi openly criticized the Soviet chess establishment and repeatedly clashed with officials over limits on his travel and career. In 1976, he decided to leave for good. His defection in the Netherlands sent shockwaves through the chess world. Leaving the Soviet Union meant far more than changing countries. Korchnoi was branded a traitor, stripped of official support, and separated from much of his family, who remained in the USSR for years. Despite the personal cost, he settled in Switzerland, competed under the Swiss flag, and remained one of the world’s elite players for decades. The drama reached its peak at the 1978 World Chess Championship against Anatoly Karpov. The match became one of the Cold War’s most politically charged sporting events, featuring accusations of psychological warfare, claims of coded messages hidden in yogurt deliveries, disputes over mirrored sunglasses, alleged hypnotists in the audience, and constant protests from both camps. It became as much a symbolic contest between East and West as a battle over the chessboard. Although Korchnoi never won the world championship, his resilience and extraordinary longevity made him a chess legend. Decades after defecting, he was still defeating grandmasters less than half his age. In 2006, at 75 years old, he became the oldest player ever to qualify for the Candidates Tournament, a remarkable achievement that remains one of the greatest examples of longevity in elite chess.

FAUSTI VS JOSPEM IS COMING June 25th Two of Latin America's biggest chess talents are set to collide - and you can’t miss it. On one side: GM Faustino Oro, the 12-year-old Argentine sensation they call "the Messi of chess." The newly-minted Grandmaster - the second youngest in history - has zero intention of slowing down on his journey to the top. His ultra-aggressive style makes him a serious opponent for any player on earth. He doesn’t care who you are. He’s coming for your king. On the other: GM José Martínez Alcántara. Jospem is a true legend of online chess. Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja… José Martínez has taken them all down. Over the board, he’s broken the 2700 barrier. His no-nonsense style and ability to avoid blunders under pressure have earned him his spot as Latin America’s #1# player. José and Faustino will play alongside each other in the Chess United team next month’s World Rapid and Blitz Championship - but after being teammates, they’ll be battling it out in one of the summer’s most exciting events. Will Fausti's attacking genius overwhelm the seasoned GM - or will Martínez shut him down with the calm experience of a true professional? You never know, maybe @leomessi, or the real Lionel Messi might show up - they’re both welcome!

We arrived! 🇭🇰🌏 WR Chess Team is ready to fight for the World Championship in Hong Kong. On 16 June at 09:45 AM, the Rosewood Hotel will host the only official press conference featuring Magnus Carlsen during his stay in Hong Kong. For the first time ever, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and World Championship Challenger Javokhir Sindarov will appear together at the same press conference. In addition, the entire WR Chess Team will be present: ♟️ Magnus Carlsen – Five-time World Champion and the highest-rated player in chess history. ♟️ Fabiano Caruana – Former World Championship Challenger and one of the strongest players of his generation. ♟️ Javokhir Sindarov – Official World Championship Challenger and one of the brightest young stars in world chess. ♟️ Wesley So – Fischer Random World Champion and one of the world’s leading grandmasters. ♟️ Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – Former World Blitz Champion and one of the most dynamic attacking players in modern chess. ♟️ Jan-Krzysztof Duda – World Cup winner and one of the strongest players in the world. ♟️ Alexandra Kosteniuk – Former Women’s World Champion and one of the most recognizable ambassadors of chess. ♟️ Aleksandra Goryachkina – Women’s World Championship Challenger and one of the strongest female players in the world. ♟️ H.E. Zandanshatar Gombojav – 34th Prime Minister of Mongolia and member of the WR Chess Team. ♟️ Jan Gustafsson – Team Captain, Grandmaster, commentator, and former second to Magnus Carlsen in World Championship matches. ♟️ Wadim Rosenstein – Founder of WR Chess and Chairman of WR Group Holding. Hong Kong is set to become the global capital of chess as the world’s best players gather for the FIDE World Team Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2026. We look forward to welcoming media representatives, partners, and chess fans from around the world. See you in Hong Kong. 🇭🇰🌏♟️ @MagnusCarlsen @FabianoCaruana @GMJSindarov @Zandanshatar @Vachier_Lagrave @GMJanGustafsson @chessqueen @WesleySo_ @GM_JKDuda