Kazakh businessman Timur Turlov has been elected the new president of the world chess governing body FIDE, succeeding Arkady Dvorkovich. Turlov won a closely contested election against German entrepreneurs Wadim Rosenstein and Jan Henric Buettner, securing a four-year term. His victory comes amidst scrutiny over Russian influence and FIDE's financial independence, with Turlov campaigning on expanding digital reach and supporting smaller federations. He also addressed concerns about his ties to the outgoing administration and FIDE's commercial partner, Freedom Holding Corp.
The 22nd Delhi International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament, scheduled for January 2027, will feature a record-breaking prize pool of Rs 1.32 crore, making it the open tournament with the highest prize money globally. The event will have three categories, attracting FIDE-rated players, Grandmasters, and amateurs alike, with over 3,000 participants expected. This tournament has historically been crucial for developing Indian chess talent, including stars like D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa, and aims to establish New Delhi as a global chess hub.
Top seed Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta secured a decisive victory against Aleksej Alexandrov in the sixth round of the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Chess Tournament, maintaining his sole lead. Indian International Masters Aswath S and Kushagra Mohan are in second and third positions, respectively, with three rounds remaining.
NorthEast United FC and Kerala Blasters FC, both coming off opening-match victories, are set to clash in a highly anticipated Indian Super League fixture in Guwahati on Sunday. Coaches Juan Pedro Benali and Ashley Westwood shared their strategies and expectations, with both teams aiming to build early-season momentum.
Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta and USA's Vaidyanathan Kannan have emerged as joint leaders in the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Chess Tournament after securing their second consecutive wins. Kannan, a 13-year-old, defeated GM Aleksey Fedorov, while Gupta overcame Ashwath S. India's Kushagra Mohan also caused an upset by beating GM Aleksey Alexandrov.
Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi, India's first female International Master and Women's Grandmaster, asserts that India is the strongest chess-playing nation globally and will only grow stronger. She highlights Chennai's pivotal role in this revolution, crediting pioneers like Manuel Aaron and Vishwanathan Anand, and expresses confidence in the next generation, including Gukesh and Vaishali. Vijayalakshmi also reflects on her own career, a near-miss men's GM title, and her plans for a comeback after a personal tragedy.
Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta secured the championship at the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Chess Tournament. International Master Aswath S finished as runner-up, achieving his final Grandmaster norm to become India's 98th Grandmaster. Kushagra Mohan took third place, while Advik Agarwal earned his second International Master norm.
Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand was awarded the Sports Journalists' Federation of India (SJFI) medal, joining a distinguished list of Indian sports legends. Anand expressed pride in being a catalyst for chess growth in India.
Indian Grandmaster Iniyan Pa has won the 6th La Plagne Open International Chess Tournament with an unbeaten performance.
Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand was awarded the Sports Journalists' Federation of India (SJFI) medal, joining a distinguished list of Indian sports legends. Anand expressed pride in being a catalyst for chess growth in India, receiving the honour from former India cricket captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth.
Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand has been appointed interim president of the world chess body FIDE. This follows the stepping aside of incumbent president Arkady Dvorkovich, who was included in the European Union's sanctions list due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Dvorkovich plans to challenge the sanctions, which he deems unfair.
World champion D Gukesh and Indian star R Praggnanandhaa are set to compete in the Zagreb Rapid and Blitz Tournament, part of the prestigious Grand Chess Tour. Despite Gukesh's sabbatical from classical chess, he joins a strong field including recent Norway Chess winner Praggnanandhaa, promising an exciting week of high-stakes chess.
Salesforce has entered a multi-year partnership with FIDE, becoming the title sponsor for the 2026 and 2028 World Championship Matches and the 2027 Women's World Championship Match, and integrating its AI solutions to enhance FIDE's operations, player rankings, and fan engagement.
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has offered his perspective on the upcoming World Chess Championship, where D Gukesh will face Javokhir Sindarov. Carlsen believes Gukesh should view the challenge as an opportunity to gain rather than a burden to defend, despite considering Sindarov the favourite. He also shared insights into the psychological aspects of the game and his personal preference for rapid chess over classical formats.
'Today, even the greatest artistes are guided by monetary impulses. For Hrishida, relationships mattered the most.'
Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta has taken the sole lead in the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Chess tournament after drawing his fourth-round match. He is followed by Advik Agarwal and Vaidyanathan Kannan, with Kannan losing his joint lead.
The Global Chess League (GCL) announced that its fourth season will take place in Bengaluru starting September 3. The league, a joint initiative of Tech Mahindra and FIDE, features a unique team-based format with mixed-gender lineups and rapid-fire matches, aiming to transform chess into a global spectator sport.
World champion D Gukesh's live rating has slipped below 2700 after the first two rounds of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The Indian men's team, defending champions, had an average start with two unconvincing wins, while the Indian women's team performed better against weaker opposition. Gukesh's rating drop comes ahead of his world title challenge against Javokhir Sindarov in November.
The fourth season of the Global Chess League will feature Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen's return and Indian FIDE Women's World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh's debut.
Uzbek chess prodigy Javokhir Sindarov, set to challenge D Gukesh for the world crown, reveals he will only begin preparations for the highly anticipated match after competing in the Global Chess League and the Chess Olympiad this month, maintaining focus on immediate tournaments.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa won three matches in a row on the final day to tie for the first place with Firouzja Alireza of France on 12 points as the rapid section of the Croatian leg of the Grand Chess Tour ended in Zagreb, Croatia on Friday.
Top-seed Indian Abhijeet Gupta secured a crucial victory in the eighth round of the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Chess Tournament, maintaining his lead. Fellow Indian International Masters Aswath S and Kushagra Mohan also won, positioning themselves strongly for the title in the final round, with Aswath eyeing a Grandmaster title and Kushagra a Grandmaster norm.
Shreyansh Somaiya, the top seed, continued his winning streak at the Mumbai FIDE Rated All India Chess Masters, defeating Nikhil Joshi. Other notable victories and draws marked the event.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has made history by becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour Finals in St. Louis, defeating GM Fabiano Caruana in a stunning comeback. Chess legends Garry Kasparov and Vidit Gujrathi congratulated him on this significant achievement.
Uzbek prodigy Javokhir Sindarov is gearing up for the World Chess Championship against Gukesh Dommaraju, focusing on preparing for Gukesh's strongest form rather than his recent tournament results. Sindarov, who won the Candidates Tournament and World Cup, believes the match will be an engrossing battle and is confident in his preparations, which have delivered a successful season.
The 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, running from September 19 to October 4, will feature approximately 17,000 athletes from 45 countries competing in 469 medal events across 43 sports. Japan hosts for the third time, introducing new sports like mixed martial arts and virtual taekwondo, while also serving as a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has made history by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess tournament, a feat that included defeating world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen twice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him on this significant achievement.
The FIDE elections will see three Indians, including chess legend Viswanathan Anand, vying for crucial leadership positions amidst a complex electoral landscape and a high-stakes three-way presidential battle.
D Gukesh aims to recover at Norway Chess after a difficult start, while R Praggnanandhaa enjoys a strong position. Gukesh's performance against Praggnanandhaa in round five will be crucial for his title aspirations.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay honoured Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa with a Rs 50 lakh incentive after his historic Norway Chess title win. The Chief Minister also played a friendly game of chess with the 20-year-old Grandmaster, where he was checkmated by the young prodigy.
Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal inaugurated the Khele Sanand Sports Utsav, an 18-day event aimed at promoting sports among 25,000 students across 105 villages in Sanand taluka, Gujarat. The initiative by Vijayi Bharat Foundation features various sports and age categories, with a focus on grassroots sports development.
D Gukesh aims to rebound at Norway Chess after a challenging start, while R Praggnanandhaa enjoys a strong position. Gukesh's performance against Praggnanandhaa in round five will be crucial in determining his title contention.
World champion D Gukesh is set to compete in the prestigious Norway Chess tournament, facing a strong field including Magnus Carlsen and R Praggnanandhaa. The event, held in Oslo, features top players in both Open and Women's sections, with India having four representatives.
Ganges Grandmasters, led by Ian Nepomniachtchi, defeated defending champions Alpine APL Pipers to win their first Global Chess League title. Nepomniachtchi's crucial win against Magnus Carlsen in the final, coupled with Stavroula Tsolakidou's performance, sealed the victory. FYERS American Gambits secured third place in the tournament.
Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa began his campaign in the Zagreb leg of the Grand Chess Tour with a victory over top seed Vincent Keymer of Germany before drawing his next two games.
IM Soham Kamotra secured a crucial draw against GM Iniyan Pa, ending his winning run in the Global Chess League. While Iniyan maintains a narrow lead, other Indian players like Abhijit Gupta, Viresh Sharnarthi, and Madhvendra Pratap Sharma also delivered significant performances.
A vital aspect of captaincy is not the title, but the confidence that a captain plant in the hearts of their teammates. And both, Gill and Iyer, do this very well, points out K R Nayar.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay honoured Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa with a Rs 50 lakh cash incentive for winning the Norway Chess title, making him the first Indian to achieve this feat. The Chief Minister also played a game of chess with the young Grandmaster.
R Praggnanandhaa defeated Magnus Carlsen in the Norway Chess tournament, while D Gukesh faced another setback, losing to Alireza Firouzja.
R Praggnanandhaa described his Norway Chess triumph as the biggest achievement of his career, emphasising that defeating some of the world's strongest players - including the great Magnus Carlsen - made the title particularly memorable.
