Arjun Erigaisi is only the second Indian male player after the legendary Viswanathan Anand to win a World Blitz medal in the 'Open category'.
Having never missed his home tournament in the last 13 years, Carlsen had cast doubts over his participation this year after expressing a desire to gradually move away from classical chess. Norway Chess is a classical-format event and Carlsen has won it seven times.
Magnus Carlsen pushed away a camera after losing to Vladislav Artemiev at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Qatar.
World Blitz: Erigaisi stuns Carlsen, Abdusattorov to emerge joint leader after 11 rounds
In the qualification round 21-year-old Simranpreet, who had won a silver at the World Cup in Lima earlier this year, shot 585, while Esha tallied 585 to finish fifth and fourth respectively and make the final.
Lehecka struck eight aces and converted four of eight break chances to secure the first Top 3 win of his career.
Humpy settles for bronze after coming close to World Rapid title; Erigaisi finishes third
Young Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin emerged champion at the Tata Steel Chess India tournament on Friday, clinching the Rapid title just a day after the passing of his maternal grandfather, who had introduced him to the sport.
Novak Djokovic has almost fully recovered from the injury that ended his Australian Open campaign in the semi-finals.
Reigning champion Koneru Humpy displayed her trademark composure and tenacity to remain in joint lead in the women's section.
'I'm looking forward to what 2026 has in store. I started my preparation in early November. As always, the goal is to stay healthy, and I am already excited to be competing again soon.'
Tata Steel Chess: Anand, Niemann in joint lead after three rounds of Rapid
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Islamabad will enter into an 'open war' with Kabul if the ongoing peace talks in Istanbul fail, TOLO News reported.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka has been named WTA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season after spending the entire year at the top of the rankings.
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz withstood a charge from qualifier Luca Nardi for a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory in the second round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Wednesday.
The Army pair of Lakshita Bishnoi and Sharvan Kumar produced a commanding performance to overcome the challenge of Haryana's Suruchi Singh and Samrat Rana and clinch the 10m Air Pistol mixed team gold in the National Shooting Championships, in Delhi, on Saturday.
Olympian Sift Kaur Samra is confident that shooting will be included as a discipline when India hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and will significantly add to the country's overall medal tally.
Pakistan launched fresh air strikes targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, killing several people, including three cricketers, casting a shadow over the expected talks in Doha amid a fragile ceasefire that had temporarily halted hostilities between the two sides.
Kerala teenager Krishna Goutham shares the lead with World No 1 Magnus Carlsen, top Indian exponent Arjun Erigaisi, and Vladislav Artemiev.
The 23-year-old Chennai girl edged out On Yee 3-2 to become the first Indian woman to annex the IBSF World Snooker (15-red) crown.
The country also mounted bids on some high-profile continental and global events, including the 2031 World Athletics Championships with Ahmedabad as the proposed venue.
Even as Pakistan and Afghanistan gear up to meet in Doha on Saturday to broker a peace after days of fighting and air strike the Taliban government said that Afghanistan reserves the right to respond to Pakistani airstrikes on its land.
Oscar Piastri led McLaren teammate and Formula One title rival Lando Norris at the top of the timesheets in sole practice for the Qatar Grand Prix on Friday.
Dembele was able to attend the ceremony, as he was already in Qatar for Wednesday's Intercontinental Cup final where PSG take on Flamengo.
Harbhajan Singh was seen shaking hands with Pakistan pacer Shahnawaz Dahani during the Abu Dhabi T10 League in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
The Israeli military said it carried out the attack on Saturday near Gaza City, claiming Saad was the target.
Ruturaj Gaikwad set to lead Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026
Lots to look forward to in Indian sports as packed 2026 calender awaits
India A crashed out of the Rising Stars Asia Cup in heartbreaking fashion on Friday, suffering a Super Over defeat to Bangladesh A in the semifinal at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha.
From Royal Challengers Bengaluru's historic first IPL title to star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finally breaking the iconic 90-meter mark to India women winning their first cricket World Cup, this was the year of long-awaited victories and record-breaking feats.
Pakistan confirms that talks with the Afghan Taliban to address cross-border terrorism have failed, citing a lack of commitment from Kabul to control militancy. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of supporting anti-Pakistan terrorists and blames India for the failure of the talks.
India A qualify for semifinals with convincing win over Oman A
Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have resumed peace talks in Istanbul, aiming to address cross-border terrorism and prevent further escalation. The talks follow recent clashes and a temporary ceasefire, with Pakistan demanding that Afghan soil not be used for terrorism.
The Union Cabinet's decision to raise the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in the insurance sector to 100 per cent is unlikely to significantly boost foreign investment as distribution remains a critical factor, requiring overseas players to partner with Indian businesses, experts said.
14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the youngest centurion in men's T20 cricket, will once again be the player to watch out for in the Rising Stars Asia Cup.
The iconic Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi will be "dismantled" to create a Sports City that will cater to all major disciplines and include lodging facility for athletes.
Smashes second fastest T20 hundred by an Indian batter at India A's Asia Cup Rising Stars match against UAE on Friday.
Talented shooter Suruchi Singh came up with yet another commanding performance to clinch the women's 10m air pistol gold in the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri ended a long win drought with a pole-to-flag victory in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race in Doha.
F1 champion Max Verstappen revelled in McLaren's strategy horror show at the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday.
