Magnus Carlsen has won the first FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship, defeating Fabiano Caruana in the final match held in Germany.
World Champion D Gukesh drew his fourth game on the trot, signing peace with compatriot and defending champion R Praggnanandhaa while Arjun Erigaisi could not break the defence of Anish Giri and drew for the third day running in the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk Aan Zee, the Netherlands.
Tata Steel Chess: Anand, Niemann in joint lead after three rounds of Rapid
India's handling of the Iran crisis reflects a growing strain between strategic autonomy and geopolitical alignment, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Alliances fight wars effectively only when they share an endgame. If Israel acted without US knowledge, then the military alliance is operating without real coordination at the level of strategic targeting. Neither picture is reassuring in a war that is no longer regional in its consequences. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The 'rescue' operation occurred within kilometres of Iran's underground tunnel complex at Isfahan, assessed by the IAEA and US intelligence as holding a substantial portion of the country's 60 per cent enriched uranium stockpile. Retired senior US military officers have highlighted that the mission's footprint -- hundreds of special operators, multiple heavy-lift aircraft deep inside Iran -- appears outsized for recovering a single airman. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
World Champion D Gukesh faced a surprising defeat against Jorden van Foreest at the Prague International Chess Festival, while Aravindh Chithambaram drew his game.
Indian Grandmasters D Gukesh and Aravindh Chithambaram had contrasting results in the second round of the Prague International Chess Festival, with Gukesh drawing and Aravindh winning his game.
World champion D Gukesh was held to a draw by David Navara in the fourth round of the Prague International Chess Festival, while Jorden van Foreest took the lead with his third victory.
World champion D Gukesh drew with Hans Moke Niemann in the first round of the Prague International Chess Festival.
'To suddenly give the impression of taking a position that is hostile to Iran, or, at least, not friendly to Iran, is not a good thing.'
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.
For weeks, the war skirted the edge of catastrophe without tipping over. Missiles flew, there was much destruction, commanders were assassinated, cities across the Gulf and even in Israel struggled to absorb the shock. But one line held: Energy infrastructure, the arteries of the global economy, remained largely untouched. That is no longer true. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The question is no longer whether the war will expand. It has. The next few days will tell us whether the war stabilises around Hormuz or whether the Strait itself becomes the trigger for a far larger rupture. What to watch for over the next 48 hours is simple: Any move by the US toward direct naval control of the Strait; any credible Iranian attempt to disrupt or mine shipping lanes and, critically, whether energy infrastructure in the Gulf continues to be targeted.If those lines are crossed in tandem, the war will no longer be containable within the region.
'I suspect that Bangladesh being given permission stuck in India's official craw, and this story was an attempt to balance the scales by giving the impression that a similar waiver had been given to India as well.'
Fight on toward goals that keep receding, or exit with most objectives unmet. Trump is agitated, his poll numbers falling below the Plimsoll line, his base fractured between those who back the war and those who remember that he campaigned on ending them.
Tata Steel Masters: Gukesh bounces back with a win against Fedoseev
Israel and the United States had a plan. Iran punched back. And now the Gulf is reeling, the world is beginning to feel the pain and, as on date, no one in Washington or Tel Aviv appears willing to admit that the punch has landed, notes Prem Panicker, continuing his must-read blog on the war in the Middle East.
World Blitz: Erigaisi stuns Carlsen, Abdusattorov to emerge joint leader after 11 rounds
World champion D Gukesh resigned on his 37th turn against Germany's Matthias Bluebaum at Tata Steel Masters Chess.
The first 25 years in this century has seen some amazing films and blockbusters in Hollywood. Girish Wankhede lists the top-grossing Hollywood movies from 2001 to 2025, focusing on the key qualities that resonated with Indian audiences and contributed to its appeal.
Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi was knocked out of the FIDE World Cup, losing to Wei Yi of China 1.5-2.5 in the first set of tiebreak games, in Panaji on Wednesday.
The two-day World Blitz Championship in both the Open and Women's categories commences in Doha, on Monday, December 29.
Arjun Erigaisi is only the second Indian male player after the legendary Viswanathan Anand to win a World Blitz medal in the 'Open category'.
World champion D Gukesh bowed out of the Chess World Cup, losing the third-round match to Frederik Svane of Germany, while Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa made it to the last-32 stage, in Panjim on Saturday.
Reigning classical World champion D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and world No.1 Magnus Carlsen were among the leaders after the first five rounds on the opening day of the FIDE World Rapid Championships in Doha on Thursday.
First game of Wei Yi-Esipenko, Nodirbek-Sindarov semifinals end in a draw
Mumba Masters delivered a high-quality performance in front of the 'home' crowd, defeating the Viswanathan Anand-led Ganges Grandmasters
Wei Yi holds Sindarov with black in first game of final; Esipenko beats Yakubboev
FIDE World Cup: Two more draws in the second game of semifinals
With just 16 players out of 206 participants that started the event remaining in the fray, most of the players decided against taking undue risk and decided to wait for the next game.
World champion D Gukesh finally managed to beat the legendary Viswanathan Anand when it mattered the most to help PBG Alaskan Knights finish third.
India's hopes in the FIDE World Cup 2025 will depend solely on second seed GM Arjun Erigaisi after GM P Harikrishna went down in the fifth round tiebreak against GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara in Panaji, Goa, on Sunday, as per a release from FIDE.
FIDE World Cup: Arjun draws again to reach tiebreaker against Wei Yi
It was in the first game that Anand had outplayed Kasparov and the former world No 1 survived thanks to some unforced error by the Indian ace.
D Gukesh put his opening-round blues behind him and scored an excellent victory over former world rapid champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in the second round of the Sinquefield Cup.
Uzbekistan's GM Javokhir Sindarov set up a title clash against Chinese GM Wei Yi in the FIDE World Cup in Panaji on Sunday as the two players also confirmed their spots in the Candidates tournament.
Grandmaster Diptayan Ghosh caused the biggest upset of the World Chess Cup, ousting former world championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia after winning the second game of the second round, in Panjim, on Wednesday.
Indian Grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa played out solid draws while P Harikrishna wriggled out of a difficult situation to head into a tie-break in the fourth round of the Chess World Cup, in Panjim on Wednesday.
World Champion D Gukesh suffered his second straight defeat at the FIDE Grand Swiss, losing to Greece's Nikolas Theodorou in the sixth round in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
