Lichess has announced the most striking game of February

Lichess has revealed its Game of the Month for February 2026, selecting a battle by @Boggled_Toggo from among the games shared by community members on the forum. After players submitted their best games from February in the opening days of March, the platform’s team carefully reviewed all candidates and concluded that this encounter stood above the rest. In particular, the English-style pawn advances and the aesthetic mating net at the end made this game the standout example of the month.

An important factor that strengthened the educational value of the chosen game was the detailed analysis provided by Turkish chess trainer and FIDE Master Nazmi Can Doğan, known on Lichess as @NaSil. Thanks to Doğan’s annotations, readers can understand not only the accuracy of the moves, but also how positional pressure was built, how the pawn majority was advanced, and at what moment the attack transformed into a tactical strike. Such annotated games are especially valuable for club players, as they reveal the chain of ideas running from the opening to the middlegame and then into a direct king attack.

This monthly selection on Lichess is not just about rewarding a beautiful game; it also aims to create instructive and inspiring chess examples within the community. Although variant games are not included in the main contest, the platform also reminded users that some official variant communities host their own Game of the Month competitions. In this way, creative ideas emerging not only in classical, rapid, or blitz games, but also across different chess disciplines, can gain recognition in their own categories.

Lichess also invited players to take part in the next round. Submissions for the Game of the Month for March can be posted in the pinned forum topic until April 12. A powerful exchange sacrifice, a well-timed central break, a flawless mating net around the enemy king, or a simple yet profound endgame technique—whatever the style, games that capture the beauty of chess can find a place in this selection. The Lichess community is also encouraged to share its thoughts in the comments about this month’s winner and the contest format.