Wesley So showed remarkable consistency to clinch the title in the Open category with a round to spare
The Indian men's chess team secured a silver medal on a tie-break after drawing with Hungary, while the women's team clinched a bronze medal by drawing with Georgia at the 46th Chess Olympiad.
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.
Goan Grandmaster Leon Luke Mendonca won his second straight Global Chess League title as Ganges Grandmasters defeated defending champions Alpine SG Pipers.
Defending champions India experienced significant organisational issues upon arrival in Samarkand for the Chess Olympiad, with players facing a five-hour delay in hotel room allotment. This caused frustration among players and coaches, though organisers assured the situation was being resolved.
In the Global Chess League, Ganges Grandmasters ended FYER American Gambits' winning streak with a 9-7 victory, moving to second place. Defending champions Alpine APL Pipers secured their second consecutive win, defeating Ganges Grandmasters 11-6. Key players like Polina Shuvalova, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Koneru Humpy delivered crucial performances, while Magnus Carlsen showcased his endgame prowess with a draw against Nepomniachtchi. PBG Alaskan Knights also registered a comfortable win against CheQ Mumba Masters.
The Global Chess League commenced with defending champions Alpine APL Pipers securing a 10-8 victory over Mumba Masters, spearheaded by Magnus Carlsen.
Bengaluru is set to host a FIDE-rated Rapid Chess tournament featuring up to 1000 players, serving as a prelude to Season 4 of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (GCL). The tournament offers a Rs 4 lakh prize purse and a chance for participants to experience the build-up to the GCL, which will feature top chess stars like Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand.
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.
The Global Chess League's halfway stage saw significant upsets and dramatic finishes, with Triveni Continental Kings defeating table-toppers Alpine APL Pipers. Ganges Grandmasters secured a crucial win against PBG Alaskan Knights due to a last-second time violation, while CheQ Mumba Masters maintained their strong performance. These results have intensified the competition for the top two positions.
Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi discusses D Gukesh's mental strength challenge for his World Championship defence against Javokhir Sindarov, highlighting Gukesh's recent inconsistent form. Vidit also assesses India's strong prospects for the upcoming Chess Olympiad, praising the form of players like Praggnanandhaa, Erigaisi, and Sarin, while cautioning against overconfidence. He also reflects on his Arjuna Award and the need for better organisation in chess formats.
Tata Chess: Wesley So in sole lead, Erigaisi & Nihal not far behind in Blitz
German GM Vincent Keymer stayed firmly in command of the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2025 after holding India's GM Vidit Gujrathi to a second straight draw in Round 5 on Monday.
India's second major casualty on the day was Aravindh Chithambaram who lost to compatriot K Venkatramanan after the second set of rapid games.
If winning the National Championship does not help a player make the national team, what exactly is the value of becoming India's national champion?
Erigaisi in second place, German GM Keymer leads after three rounds of Chennai chess
World champion D Gukesh is 'crumbling under the weight of expectations' and needs to 'shut out the noise' to regain his form ahead of his title defence, said American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. Nakamura also revealed that the 2028 Chess Olympiad could potentially be his last tournament featuring 'true classical' chess.
'Being the defending champions certainly gives us confidence, but every Olympiad is a new event and starts from scratch.'
Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov has won the Candidates Chess Tournament, earning the right to challenge India's D Gukesh for the World Chess Championship title in 2026.
India's Arjun Erigaisi delivered a commanding performance against American Awonder Liang, while compatriot Nihal Sarin lost to Germany's Vincent Keymer in the opening round of the Chennai Grandmasters Chess tournament on Thursday.
Praggnanandhaa beats Abdusattorov in Superbet chess
World junior champion V Pranav of India lost to seasoned Grandmaster Jan Emmanuel Garcia of Philippines in the first round of the Asian Continental Chess Championship.
World Champion D Gukesh believes concerns about cheating in chess are overblown and distances himself from Vladimir Kramnik's accusations. He also looks ahead to the Candidates Tournament.
World champion D Gukesh and Women's World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh played out an intense 103-move draw after a gruelling six-hour battle, in the eighth round of the FIDE Grand Swiss.
Looking to assert his supremacy across formats, reigning world champion D Gukesh of India began his campaign in the FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with a crushing victory over France's Etienne Bacrot in the first round.
Meanwhile in the women's event, Padmini Rout and R Vaishali joined compatriot Bhakti Kulkarni in the second round.
World Junior champion Pranav Venkatesh scored a crushing victory over Grandmaster Alan Pichot of Spain to win the Fujairah Global Superstars chess tournament.
Top-seeded Indian Arjun Erigaisi was held to a draw by Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest, while Vidit Gujrathi suffered a shock defeat to American Ray Robson in the second round of Chennai Grandmasters Chess tournament on Friday.
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.
Vaishali knew she had to win to remain in contention and her approach right from the start was in sync with the requirement of the tournament situation.
Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi was held to a draw by 12-year-old Argentine sensation Oro Faustino in the first game of the second round of the FIDE World Cup in Panjim on Tuesday.
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen recorded a flawless performance, securing victories against S L Narayanan
Russian chess great Vladimir Kramnik has sued world chess governing body FIDE for defamation in a Swiss civil court after he became the subject of an inquiry for allegedly harassing players.
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.
Tata Steel Chess: Anand, Niemann in joint lead after three rounds of Rapid
M Pranesh bagged the Challengers crown despite losing to IM G B Harshavardhan in the final round at the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters.
Karthikeyan upsets Vidit Gujrathi, Vincent Keymer edges closer to maiden title at Chennai Grand Masters.
Padmini Rout replicating the result in the women's section to emerge as the top Indian performers in Al Ain, UAE.
Kerala teenager Krishna Goutham shares the lead with World No 1 Magnus Carlsen, top Indian exponent Arjun Erigaisi, and Vladislav Artemiev.
Superbet Classic: Praggnanandhaa in joint lead with three others
