The untold journey of R. Vaishali through the eyes of coach R.B. Ramesh

In the world of Indian chess, few stories are as cinematic as the rise of R. Vaishali. While the world watches her exploits, the man who has spent a decade molding her talent, GM R.B. Ramesh, provides an intimate look at the sacrifice, ethics, and the psychological sides of India’s newest Women’s World Championship Challenger, Vaishali R. Read the article to know more about not just the professional but also the personal side of this amazing champion.

Manika Kesavan clear first at 12th BBCF Below 1700 FIDE Rated 2026

Manika Kesavan scored an unbeaten 8/9 points to win the 12th BBCF Below 1700 International FIDE Rated Chess Tournament. Seven players, including Arun Lobo, Riddhish Khishore V, Santhosh T, Dhanvant Balachandran, Reshikeshava B, Murugan V, and Vasikaran G, scored 7.5/9 points to finish from 2nd to 8th place, respectively, according to the tiebreak scores. The total prize fund of this 3-day below-1700 FIDE-rated classical event was ₹6,00,000. The event was organized by the Brains Behind Chess Foundation at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai from 12th to 14th April 2026. Photos: Balaji S /Brains Behind Chess Foundation

How 200 families came together to raise Rs. 2.3 crore for 20 chess prodigies

A dream costs nothing to have; but everything to chase! For so many young chess players in India, financial struggle has been the only thing standing between them and their dreams. In 2022, Viswanathan Anand and Satya Prabhakar decided to do something about it. They created Group e4 and till today, they have raised over Rs. 2.3 crore, supporting 20 young players. They contacted their friends and families, and that is how the funds started coming in. We spoke with Satya Prabhakar about the journey, the achievements, and the road ahead. Read the article to know Group e4's story.

Devansh Singh wins Khelo Chess India Classical FIDE Rating, Ahilan finished runner-up

The second edition of the Khelo Chess India FIDE Rating tournament, organized by ChessBase India, was successfully held in recent days at SAGE International School in Bhopal. Conducted from March 23 to March 31, the title was won by Devansh Singh, who scored 9 out of 9. Ahilan Roy from Chhattisgarh secured second place with 7.5 points, while Divyanshu Gupta finished third with 7 points and the best tiebreak score.

With the objective of promoting classical chess, this nine-day event was also broadcast live with the support of DGT. This was the 80th event of the Khelo Chess India initiative, and it is expected that this effort will complete 100 events this year. In this tournament, DGT, IVEI, and SAGE International School were our main partners.

Evan Telles receives Rs. 50,000 under the Gopal and Shilpa Ved Scholarship

8-year-old Evan Telles from Goa has won the Gopal and Shilpa Ved Scholarship. He is the youngest-rated player from Goa. He is also the first player from Goa to win Gold in a National Chess Championship. This scholarship, supported by donor Manan Ved for the second consecutive year, will help Evan access advanced coaching. His ultimate dream is to become one of the youngest Grandmasters in the country. Read the article to know more.

Romania Grand Prix 2026: Experience chess at its finest, in the heart of Europe!

Romania Grand Prix 2026 is a premier international chess circuit organized by the Romanian Chess Federation, bringing together elite players, world-class competition, and iconic destinations. The 5th edition features five open tournaments in five Romanian cities: Bucharest, Alba Iulia, Brasov, Arad, and Craiova. With participants from over 50 countries and a vibrant, competitive atmosphere, Romania Grand Prix stands as one of Europe’s most dynamic chess events. The Grand Prix Romania will take place with financial support from the Romanian Chess Federation and its partners, the Superbet Foundation and One United Properties.

FIDE Candidates 2026 R14: Vaishali creates history after defeating Lagno to win Women's Candidates 2026

Vaishali Rameshbabu defeated Kateryna Lagno in the final round of FIDE Women's Candidates 2026 to win the tournament. By winning the Candidates, Vaishali secured her spot in the World Championship match against the reigning Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun. Going into the final round, Vaishali had a score of 7.5/13 points, the same as Bibisara Assaubayeva. Divya Deshmukh drew against Bibisara in a wild game, and Vaishali scored a huge win over Kateryna Lagno and was crowned the Champion. Vaishali played some incredible Chess throughout the tournament. She scored 5 wins, had 7 draws, and conceded only 2 losses. Vaishali scored 8.5/14 points to secure the title. Photos: Michal Walusza, Niki Riga/ FIDE, Prajwal Bhat/ChessBase India

Soumya Swaminathan announces special online chess camp for differently-abled players

IM Soumya Swaminathan has announced a special online chess camp for differently-abled players. The camp will run from 27th to 30th April. Soumya was inspired to conduct this camp after attending the Super Heroes Cup in Pune. The camp will focus on middlegame decision-making. It is open to differently-abled players rated between 1600 and 2200. Read the article to know how you can register.

Zanas Nainys clear first at Bled Chess Festival 2026

FM Zanas Nainys (LTU) scored 7.5/9 to win Bled Chess Festival Under-2300 Rating Tournament 2026. He finished a half point ahead of the rest. 12-year-old Leonard Belyaletdinov (SLO) scored 7/9 to secure second place. IM Leon Mazi (SLO), FM Adam Dorrance (CAN) and FM Miha Furlan (SLO) scored 6.5/9 each. They were placed third, fourth and fifth according to tie-breaks. The total prize fund was €6000. The top three prizes were €1000, €700 and €400 each. Next year the festival will take place from 8th to 14th March 2027. Check out a huge report of the tournament and see if you cannot afford to miss the next edition. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

FIDE Candidates 2026 R13: Javokhir Sindarov crowned as Champion with a round to spare

Javokhir Sindarov has done it!! He won the FIDE Candidates 2026 with a round to spare. In the penultimate round, Sindarov drew against Anish Giri and won the event with a round to spare. By winning the tournament, Sindarov has earned the right to challenge D Gukesh for the World Championship. This will be the youngest World Championship match in history, with both players being around 20 years old. The average age of the clash will be 20 years and 9 months. The Women's section is set for an amazing final round, with Vaishali Rameshbabu and Bibisara Assaubayeva as joint leaders, while Zhu Jiner is in sole second place. On one side, we have a clear winner, Javokhir Sindarov, while on the other side, 5 players are still in a run for the title. Final round will start on 15th April at 15:45 Local Time/18:15 IST. Photos: Michal Walusza, Niki Riga/ FIDE

Wisdom School wins the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship (Asian Continental Stage), Velammal finishes third

Wisdom School of Uzbekistan scored a perfect 16/16 points to win the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 (Asian Continental Stage). No team came close to beating the Wisdom School. Kurchatov School of Russia scored 14/16 points to secure 2nd place in the event. Velammal MHS School scored 12/16 points to secure 3rd position. The tournament was organised at the Kazakhstan Hotel, Almaty, from 7th to 10th April, with the time control of 45 minutes with 10 seconds increment from move 1. Photos: International School Chess Federation

Nihal Sarin wins Menorca Masters 2026, Gukesh finishes in 4th place

Nihal Sarin scored 6/10 points to win the Menorca Masters 2026. In the final round, Nihal drew his game against Ruslan Ponomariov, who was a half point behind him. In this 10-round double round-robin event, Nihal secured 4 wins, 4 draws, and lost just 2 games. Notably, Nihal defeated World Champion D Gukesh in both games. Ruslan Ponomariov and Richard Rapport scored 5.5/10 points and secured 2nd and 3rd position according to tie-break scores. Nihal is playing some of the best chess of his life right now; he's in a career-high classical rating of 2723. Here in Menorca, he increased his rapid rating by 7 points. The total prize fund of the tournament was €22,000, with the top 3 Prizes of €7,000, €5,000, and €4,000. Photos: Saji Mathew

FIDE Candidates 2026 R12: Sindarov maintains his lead. Can Anish stop him in the penultimate round?

After 12 rounds at the FIDE Candidates 2026, Javokhir Sindarov is still leading the field with 2 points; he is on 9/12, while Anish is still trailing with 7/12 points. In the 13th round, Anish and Sindarov are going to play against each other, and this round can be the decisive one. In the 12th round, all games ended in a draw in the Open Section, and the standings look the same. In the Women's section, there were 3 decisive results where Vaishali Rameshbabu, who was leading the event, lost against Zhu Jiner, and now both players are on 7/12 points. Divya Deshmukh suffered a tough loss against Tan Zhongyi, and Bibisara won against Kateryna Lagno. Today is the last rest day at Candidates, and Round 13 will start on 14th April at 15:45 Local Time/18:15 IST. Photos: Michal Walusza, Niki Riga/ FIDE

FIDE Candidates 2026 R11: Vaishali beats Goryachkina to gain a full point lead, Sindarov still going strong

Vaishali Rameshbabu scored an important victory in the 11th round of FIDE Women's Candidates 2026 to gain a full-point lead over Zhu Jiner and Anna Muzychuk. Vaishali is on 7/11 points while Jiner and Muzychuk are on 6/11 points. In the 11th round of the FIDE Candidates 2026, there was only 1 decisive result in 8 games, including both sections. In the Open Section, all 4 games ended in a draw. Tournament leader Javokhir Sindarov drew his game against Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri also drew his game against Andrey Esipenko, and is still trailing Sindarov by 2 points. Praggnanandhaa missed some opportunities in a clear winning position against Matthias Bluebaum, and the game ended in a draw. Hikaru Nakamura and Wei Yi also played a solid draw. Round 12 will start on 12th April at 15:45 Local Time/18:15 IST. Photos: Michal Walusza, Niki Riga/ FIDE

Menorca Masters 2026 R6-7: Nihal Sarin in joint lead with Ruslan Ponomariov going into 8th round

Nihal Sarin and Ruslan Ponomariov are in joint lead after 7 rounds of play at Menorca Masters 2026. On the 4th day, Ruslan Ponomariov won both of his games to catch up to Nihal. In the 6th round, Ruslan Ponomariov defeated Richard Rapport, while in the 7th round, he defeated World Champion D Gukesh. Nihal had two draws. In the 6th round, he drew against Pentala Harikrishna, and in the 7th round, he drew against Leinier Dominguez Perez. Gukesh had both decisive games on the 4th day, first he won against Leinier Dominguez Perez, and then lost against Ponomariov. With 3 rounds to go, Nihal and Ponomariov are co-leading with 4.5/7, and Gukesh is in sole second place with 3.5/7. Round 8 will start on 10th April at 5 PM Local time/8:30 PM IST. Photos: Saji Mathew