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Prague Chess Festival 2026 R7: Jorden maintains sole lead going into the penultimate round

05/03/2026 -

It was a peaceful day at the Prague International Chess Festival 2026, as in the 7th round of the Masters section, there was only one decisive result where Vincent Keymer won a beautiful game against David Anton Guijarro with white pieces. All other games ended in a draw. Aravindh Chithambaram was clearly winning against Nodirbek Yakubboev, but he missed the chance to convert the game, and the game ended in a draw. In the Challengers section, Surya Shekhar Ganguly won his game against Zhu Jiner and Divya drew her game against Jonas Buhl Bjerre. Round 8 of the Masters, Challengers, Futures, and Open starts Today at 3 pm local time, 7:30 pm IST. Photos: Abhyudaya Ram

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The 8-year-old who won a car playing chess!

05/03/2026 -

At just nine, Tamizh Amudhan is the only Under-9 player with a rating above 2000 Elo. His rise has been nothing short of extraordinary, from learning the game at home to becoming World No.1 in his age category. The twist in the story is that just last year, when he was eight, the young prodigy even won a Maruti Suzuki car after securing a silver medal at the Athens of the East Chess Tournament. Tamizh's parents have done immense sacrifice to support his training. His mother lives with him, nearly 350 kilometres away from home, while his father stays back with his sister. The family has happily embraced this arrangement so that Tamizh can pursue his chess career. Read more about his inspiring journey.

Prague Chess Festival 2026 R6: Tough time continues for Gukesh in Prague as he lost to Aravindh

04/03/2026 -

The bad run continues for the World Champion D Gukesh, he lost his 3rd game of the tournament in the 6th round of the Prague International Chess Festival 2026 against Aravindh Chithambaram. It was a complex battle, but under time pressure, Gukesh blundered right at the 40th move before the second time control, and Aravindh won the game smoothly after that. This game was the only decisive result in the Masters section, and the other 4 games ended in a draw. In the Challengers section, there was only one decisive result as well, where Benjamin Gledura won against Jachym Nemec. Round 7 of the Masters, Challengers, Futures, and Open starts Today at 3 pm local time, 7:30 pm IST. Photos: Abhyudaya Ram

How a billionaire is supporting young chess talents worldwide

04/03/2026 -

Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus has established himself as one of the strongest prodigies in the world. Still, even a player like him came close to quitting chess because of a lack of support. That is where Evren entered the picture. His support changed everything. From zero grandmaster norms to earning the Grandmaster title, Yagiz’s journey could have ended very differently without him. Later on, Evren went on to support other young talents from different countries and build a project rooted in long-term belief. Check out the article to know how it all came together behind the scenes. Photos: Selim Gurcan

Super Heroes Cup 2026 – When good people make great things happen

04/03/2026 -

After a four-year gap, the Super Heroes Cup is set to return on 14th and 15th March 2026. Hosted in the city of Pune, the tournament will bring together 16 of India’s strongest differently-abled chess players in an over-the-board event with a prize fund of Rs.5 lakh. What made the revival of this beautiful initiative possible were two remarkable gestures - one by Samay Raina and the other by Balraj Ghai. Read the article to know more.

Egor Bogdanov wins 39th Cannes FIJ Open 2026, Harshavardhan G B third

04/03/2026 -

GM Egor Bogdanov scores 7/9 points to win the 39th FIJ Cannes Open A (+2100). After 9 rounds, it was a five-way tie for first place, with 5 players scoring 7/9 points, but a better tiebreaker score helped Egor Bogdanov clinch the title. Augustin Droin, Harshavardhan G B, Vladyslav Larkin, and Moritz Valentin Collin secured 2nd to 5th places respectively. Harshavardhan GB scored an unbeaten 7/9 points, increasing his rating by 10.6 points. The tournament was organized from 23rd February to 1st March at Palais des Festivals de Cannes with a total prize money of €6,000. The top 3 prizes were €1,800, €1,200, and €700. Photos: Cannes Echecs

An Afternoon of Pure Thought: NCR to Host the Romanian Chess Solving Cup at Three Venues

03/03/2026 -

On 14 March, the Romanian Chess Solving Cup arrives in the National Capital Region of India with simultaneous action across three venues in Gurugram, Noida, and South Delhi. Organised by ChessBase India in collaboration with the Espresso Defense Club by Cut Coffee Paste Cafe and Chess Coffee Connect, this landmark initiative marks another purposeful stride in our ongoing mission to bring the rich and fascinating world of chess composition closer to India’s already flourishing chess community. Rated by the World Federation for Chess Composition (WFCC), the event offers participants not only the prospect of prizes but also the opportunity to earn their first international solver’s rating. We invite you to experience the quiet thrill of this 150-minute contest, where logic, imagination, and artistry meet over the board. All details follow in this article.

Chess Women’s Day at Prague Chess Festival 2026

03/03/2026 -

An educational and inspirational programme, presented this year under the title Chess Women’s Day, took place on Monday, March 2, on the rest day of Prague Chess Festival 2026. The programme had an autograph session with GM Pia Cramling, followed by a simultaneous exhibition match against players of the Futures section, as she is the ambassador of the Futures tournament, which is dedicated to female players this year. The event also saw the presence of Divya Deshmukh, who took the role of a chess instructor to explain the basics of the game to Czech actress Aňa Geislerová, and in the end, the screening of the award-winning documentary Sofonisba’s Chess Game was also done at the Grand Hotel Prague Towers. Photos: Abhyudaya ram

FIDE Rating list March 2026: Gukesh is the only Indian in the World Top 10

03/03/2026 -

The March 2026 FIDE Rating List brings a reality check for Indian chess at the very top. D Gukesh and Koneru Humpy are the only Indians in the world top 10 in the Open and Women’s categories, respectively. Arjun Erigaisi suffered a significant drop, falling from world No. 5 to No. 11 after the Tata Steel Masters 2026. However, in the Rapid and Blitz formats, Arjun continues to be the only Indian in the world's top 10. R Praggnanandhaa also slipped in the classical rankings, dropping from world No. 8 to No. 13 following his Tata Steel Masters 2026 performance. Koneru Humpy is the only Indian in the world's top 10, currently placed at world No. 5 in the women’s classical rankings. Divya Deshmukh stays at world No. 12 despite not playing any classical events in February, while R Vaishali and Harika Dronavalli each dropped two places, now ranked No. 18 and No. 20, respectively. Overall, India has twelve players in the Open and seven in the Women’s world top 100. Photo: Abhyudaya Ram

13th National Amateur Chess Championship 2026: 6 new champions crowned

03/03/2026 -

Five out of the six titles were won by Tamil Nadu players in the 13th National Amateur Chess Championships, organized by Ananthi Chess Academy, Madurai, and Viyugam Chess Academy, Hosur, at the Adhiyaman College of Engineering, Hosur, held from 25th February to 1st March. A total of 999 players from more than 20 states participated in the five-day, nine-round event. The championship was conducted under six categories – Under 2300, 2000, and 1700 rating for Open and Women. Check out this report to see all the details of the event. Photos: R Anantharam/Ananthi Chess Academy

Commentator or a Strong GM? Harshit Raja’s Inspiring Run at the Saint Louis Masters 2026

03/03/2026 -

After a small break, Grandmaster Harshit Raja made a fine return to Classical chess at the Saint Louis Masters 2026, an elite invitational tournament featuring a powerhouse lineup of just 100 players. Facing a gauntlet of opponents with an average rating of nearly 2580, Harshit proved what a strong player he is, leading to a performance rating of 2600+ and a gain of 13 Elo points. From daring "coffee house complications" against Oparin to a strategic masterclass in the Najdorf, Harshit shares the insights behind his "chill" and inspired approach to the game. It's quite inspiring how the GM from Pune is balancing his careers as a commentator as well as a player.

12-year-old Vesho Doulo dominates at Chess for Everyone Fide Rating Open 2026 in Nagaland

03/03/2026 -

Vesho Doulo delivered a superb performance of 9/9 points to win the AICF Chess for Everyone Fide Rating Open Chess Tournament 2026 in Nagaland. Vesho won all of his games and increased his rating by 75 points. Ilung Haikam scored 7/9 points to secure the 2nd place. Icicang Haikam scored 7/9 points to finish in the 3rd place. The tournament was organized by the Interschool Chess Association at Ngwalwa Village Council Hall, Peren, Nagaland, from 10th to 14th February with a nominal entry fee of ₹250. The top 3 prizes were ₹3,000, ₹2,000, and ₹1,500 with trophies. Photos: Maciding Doson

Prague Chess Festival 2026 R5: A day filled with decisive results, Divya scores her first win

02/03/2026 -

The fifth day of the Prague International Chess Festival 2026 was filled with decisive results, as in the Masters section, all 5 games were decisive. In the 5th round of the tournament, World Champion D Gukesh suffered a tough loss against Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Jorden van Foreest is showing some wonderful chess this year and won his 3rd game in a row to maintain his sole lead with 4/5 points. In the Challengers section, Divya Deshmukh scored her first win of the tournament against countryman Surya Shekhar Ganguly. 2nd March is a rest day, and players will get some time to ease off their minds and come back prepared on 3rd March. Round 6 of the Masters, Challengers, and Futures starts on 3rd March after the rest day. The open section will have its 5th round today on 2nd March at 3 pm local time, 7:30 pm IST. Photos: Abhyudaya Ram

Aarav Dengla becomes India’s 93rd Grandmaster and Mumbai's third

02/03/2026 -

Aarav Dengla from Mumbai has become India’s 93rd Grandmaster and the third Grandmaster from the city. He completed all the requirements for the GM title in January 2026 at the GM i IM Round Robin "Festival Saha Bijeljina 2026. He delivered a splendid performance to finish first with 7/9 points. He crossed 2500 on the FIDE Rating list in February. He scored his first GM norm at Medjunarodni velemajstorski turnir in 2022, followed by his second GM norm at the Zupanja Celebrates Chess - 70 Years of Pride and Tradition in 2025. His third GM norm came at the GM Mix Bijeljina 2026. Read the article to know more about Aarav's path to becoming a Grandmaster. Photo: Groningen chess

Pranav Anand wins 42nd Cappelle la Grande 2026, GM Rohith Krishna finished on 3rd

02/03/2026 -

GM Pranav Anand scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 points to secure the clear first place at the 42nd Cappelle la Grande International chess tournament 2026. Pranav was clearly half a point ahead of the field after completion of the tournament. 14 players scored 7/9 points, but IM Timothe Razafindratsima of France and GM Rohith Krishna S secured 2nd and 3rd positions respectively due to their tiebreak scores. GM Rohith Krishna S was unbeaten in the tournament with 4 draws, and he drew his game against Pranesh M in the last round. Pranesh secured 4th place on tiebreaks. The tournament was organized at Palais des Arts et Loisirs (Palace of Arts and Leisure) in Cappelle-La-Grande, France, from 21st to 27th February 2026, with a total prize fund of €12,000. Photos: L'Échiquier Cappellois

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