The Surya Ganguly Dabaru Scholarship: Supporting ten young Chess talents from West Bengal

10/05/2024 -

Grandmaster Surya Sekhar Ganguly is one of the strongest chess players and trainers from India, and the strongest till date in West Bengal. Today, a movie inspired on his life is coming out, titled "Dabaru" (The Chess player)! This is the first time in the history of Indian Cinema that a movie is being inspired by the life of a chess player. Celebrating the occasion with a magnanimous gesture, Surya Ganguly has decided to support 10 young talented Chess players from West Bengal via HelpChess - they will all receive Rs. 50,000 each! If you are a talented Chess player studying in the 10th standard or younger, please fill out the google form in the article below. Read the full article for more information on the movie and the scholarship!

Alexandra Botez dominates Sardinia World Chess Festival 2024 Open B

09/05/2024 -

WFM Alexandra Botez (CAN) defeated the top seed, Dejan Dimitrov (BUL) to win Sardinia World Chess Festival 2024 Open B (<2000) convincingly. She completely decimated the competition and finished a whopping 1.5 points ahead of the rest. Alessia Natoli (ITA) and Federico Maida (ITA) scored 7/9 each. They secured second and third place respectively according to tie-breaks. Alexandra did not face either of them. However, she battled her sister for the first time in a rated event in the third round. The elder sister and eventual champion prevailed in it. The total prize fund of the entire festival was €50000. The top three prizes in Open B were €1500, €1000 and €700 along with a trophy each. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Indrajeet Mahindrakar wins a double at 2nd Super Knights Rating Open 2024

09/05/2024 -

Indrajeet Mahindrakar, FM Isuru Alahakoon (SRI), S Sivathanujan (SRI) and Pesandu Rashmitha Liyanage (SRI) scored 8.5/10 each at 2nd Super Knights Rating Open 2024. Indrajeet won the tournament due to better tie-break scores. The remaining three Sri Lankans were placed second to third according to tie-breaks. The total prize fund of the tournament was LKR 1120000. The top three prizes in the Classical event were LKR 150000, 100000 and 60000 along with a trophy and medal each. Indrajeet won the Blitz Rating event scoring a perfect 9/9. He finished a full point ahead of the rest. Lisara Kodithuwakku (SRI) and FM T S S Peiris (SRI) secured second and third place scoring 8/9 each. These were Indrajeet's first and second tournament triumph of the year. Photo: Super Knights Chess Academy

Superbet Rapid 2024 R1-3: Arjun Erigaisi defies Magnus Carlsen

09/05/2024 -

Arjun Erigaisi made a solid start at Grand Chess Tour Superbet Rapid and Blitz 2024. He drew his first game against the World no.1 - Magnus Carlsen (NOR). Arjun also shared the point in the next two games against Anish Giri (NED) and Wei Yi (CHN), finishing the day with 3/6. R Praggnanandhaa also scored the same 3/6. He split the point versus Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL) in the first round, lost the second against Kirill Shevchenko (ROU). Then bounced back with a win over Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB). Among the Indians, D Gukesh struggled the most. After suffering two losses, he managed to score a draw against Giri. Kirill won all three games to gain an early sole lead 6/6. He is closely followed by Magnus and Abdusattorov at 4/6 each. Round 4 starts today from 1 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

Harikrishnan A Ra dominates 9th Lignano Sabbiadoro International Festival with a perfect 7/7

08/05/2024 -

After winning 2nd Noisiel Blitz Rating Open 2024 on 8th April, IM Harikrishnan A Ra won 9th Lignano Sabbiadoro International Festival 2024. He scored a perfect 7/7 in Open A (>1900) category. Harikrishnan finished a staggering 2.5 points ahead of the rest. GM Stefan Djuric (SRB) and GM Nenad Ristic (SRB) scored 4.5/7 each. They secured second and third place respectively. The total prize fund in Open A was €3500. The top three prizes were €800, €600 and €400 each respectively. The seven-day seven-round tournament was organized by Massimo Varini - Accademia Di Scacchi ASD at Hotel Columbus**** in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy from 14th to 20th April 2024. This is Harikrishna's second rating tournament triumph of the month and overall fourth of the year.

Gukesh, Arjun and Praggnanandhaa set to face Magnus Carlsen and co. at Superbet Rapid and Blitz 2024

08/05/2024 -

The first event of the Grand Chess Tour 2024 season is Superbet Rapid and Blitz. This will be the first time in GCT history that three Indians - D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa will be taking part. They will battle against Magnus Carlsen (NOR), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB), Wei Yi (CHN), Anish Giri (NED), Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL), Vincent Keymer (GER) and Kirill Shevchenko (ROU). Who do you think will this tournament? The tournament takes place at Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, Poland. Round 1 starts today from 1 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

Dubai Police Global Challenge Round 3 & 4: Aravindh and Visakh extend winning streak, share joint lead

08/05/2024 -

Indian chess players showcased their prowess in the third and fourth rounds of the Dubai Police Global Challenge Masters 2024. They are delivering remarkable performances that have put them in the spotlight. Aravindh Chithambaram and Visakh N R have emerged as frontrunners, leading with four consecutive wins each and setting the stage for an intense showdown in the fifth round. Notably, GM Pranav V secured a significant upset by defeating second seeded GM Amin Tabatabaei of Iran, adding to the excitement of the tournament. This tournament boasts a prize fund of $125,000, marking the highest prize fund in the UAE tournament history. For the full report, read on, and enjoy the accompanying photos by Aditya Sur Roy.

Daniel Dardha wins Sardinia World Chess Festival 2024

08/05/2024 -

Sardinia World Chess Festival 2024 Open A had an intriguing finish. It would have been difficult to predict it for anyone. Daniel Dardha (BEL), Jorden van Foreest (NED), Kirill Shevchenko (ROU) and Volodar Murzin scored wins in the final round. They all finished with the same score 7/9. Daniel and Jorden defeated the coleaders Alan Pichot (ESP) and Yair Parkhov (ISR) to dash their championship hopes. Kirill and Volodar got the better of Lorenzo Lodici (ITA) and Maksim Chigaev (ESP). The Belgium no.1 Daniel won the tournament due to better tie-break scores, Kirill second, Volodar third and Jorden fourth. IM Ramazan Zhalmakhanov (KAZ) scored his final GM-norm, crossed 2500 in the live ratings and became Kazakhstan's latest Grandmaster. Photo: Niklesh Jain

Harikrishnan A Ra dominates 2nd Noisiel Blitz Rating Open 2024, third in Classical

07/05/2024 -

IM Harikrishnan A Ra scored a perfect 9/9 to win 2nd Noisiel Blitz Rating Open 2024. He finished a whopping two points ahead of the field. GM Jonathan Dourerassou (FRA) scored 7/9 to secure second place. GM Ibrahim S Khamrakulov (ESP) scored 6.5/9 to finish third. Both of them suffered their sole loss against the eventual champion, Harikrishnan. The total prize fund of the Blitz event was €1000. Top three prizes were €300, €200 and €100 each. GM Li Min Peng (SUI), IM Marco Materia (FRA) and Harikrishnan scored an unbeaten 7/9 each in the Above 1900 Open A event. They secured first, second and third place respectively. The total prize fund in Open A was €4800. The top three prizes were €1500, €1000 and €700 each.

Come and Learn Chess for free at the Big Chess Summer Camp 2024 - 13th to 19th May 2024

07/05/2024 -

The Phoenix ChessBase India Chess Club in Mumbai is hosting another exciting event! Last year, in 2023, we had two camps: the Big Chess Summer Camp in May, which had over 700 people, and the Big Chess Winter Camp in November, with over 500 participants. Now, in 2024, we're bringing back the joy of learning! With 45 training sheets, 3 levels, trainers, volunteers to help you learn - this promises to be an exciting camp for just about everyone out there. Join us from May 13th to 19th, 4-8 p.m. each day, at Phoenix Marketcity Mall, Mumbai. There's no entry fee or registration needed – just come and enjoy and learn chess with us! This initiative is taken to popularize chess!

Last call for Aktobe Open 2024 offering a prize fund of US$ 100000

07/05/2024 -

Kazakhstan Chess Federation invites you to Aktobe Open 2024 - Vladimir Dvorkovich Memorial 2024. There are two tournaments - Masters (> 2400 for Men and >2200 for Women) and Open (1800-2299). The total prize fund in the Masters is ≈US$ 100000, and for Open ≈US$10165. The top three prizes are ≈US$ 20000, 15600 and 11100. Entry is FREE for GM, IM, WGM, WIM, FM, WFMs in the Masters, provided they meet the rating criteria mentioned above. Conditions are offered to 2600+ players. GM Aditya Mittal won two tournaments in Kazakhstan last year. You could be the next one. Deadline has been extended to 10th May 2024. So hurry up and register now if you haven't yet. Check out the article for more information. All tournament info photos are from tournament circular. Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Dubai Police Global Challenge R2: Iniyan holds Amin to a draw, Aravindh secures second win

06/05/2024 - The second round of the Dubai Police Open witnessed gripping clashes and notable achievements as players from around the world showcased their skills on the chessboard. In a standout performance, 45th seeded Indian Grandmaster Iniyan Pa held Iran's second seed, Amin Tabatabaei, to a draw on the top board. Alongside him, Visakh, N R, Pranesh M, and llamparthi A R also secured their second victories, adding to the thrill of the competition. Moreover, the World Women's Chess Champion, Ju Wenjun, joined the tournament in the second round, commencing her campaign with a resounding victory. Let's delve into the highlights and surprises of this thrilling round. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy

New: Leon Luke Mendonca: Rock Solid with the Queenʼs Indian Defence

06/05/2024 -

The Queen's Indian Defense is one of the most solid defenses against 1.d4. From a rock-solid position, the black player can pursue many ideas and plans without having to worry about coming under quick pressure. In this video course, the young Indian Grandmaster Leon Luke Mendonca presents the most solid black responses in various variations. The teenage attests that he has had great results with this opening and continues to use it often. So grab this Fritztrainer, enrich your knowledge and strengthen your opening repertoire. Fritztrainers are now also available in ChessBase Books format. You can use the same code to study it in ChessBase Books format here. So buy now and study whichever way you want. Photo: ChessBase

Dubai Police Masters 2024 R1: Ravi Teja and Aradhya score huge upsets

05/05/2024 -

IM Ravi Teja S scored the biggest upset of the first round at Dubai Police Global Challenge Masters 2024. He defeated the 44th Chess Olympiad Gold medalist when GM Nodirbek Yakubboev (UZB) blundered into a checkmate. IM Aradhya Garg scored the other big upset of the day. He showed his endurance a double bishop vs rook endgame against GM Jinshi Bai (CHN). IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman (BAN) held the top seed GM Yangyi Yu (CHN) to a draw. Among Indians, IM Ethan Vaz, IM P Shyam Nikhil, IM Harsh Suresh and WGM Priyanka Nutakki drew against their stronger GM opponents. Round 2 starts today at 5 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy

Developing an opening repertoire with Anish Giri

04/05/2024 -

To play openings like a grandmaster - that's probably what most ambitious amateurs want. The first and not so easy step is to choose openings for your own repertoire. Would you like to do this with a world-class grandmaster? Of course you would! In the new two-part video course "A Supergrandmaster's Guide to Openings with Anish Giri", Anish Giri introduces (almost) all openings in an instructive way, categorises their relevance and tells fascinating stories from the world of elite chess. The Fritztrainer is available now on our shop. Buy now if you haven't yet to strengthen your opening repertoire. Photo: ChessBase