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.
Reigning champion Koneru Humpy displayed her trademark composure and tenacity to remain in joint lead in the women's section.
Kerala teenager Krishna Goutham shares the lead with World No 1 Magnus Carlsen, top Indian exponent Arjun Erigaisi, and Vladislav Artemiev.
Humpy settles for bronze after coming close to World Rapid title; Erigaisi finishes third
India's Vivaan Vishal and Turkmenistan's Shohradova Lala won the Open and Girls sections, respectively, at the Asian Junior Rapid Chess Championship in Mumbai. Vivaan secured his title with a strong finish, while Shohradova claimed victory after a tie-break against India's Pratitee Bordoloi. The event now moves to the Classical Championship.
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.
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.
'When I started my first game on Day 3 I did not imagine I would be at the top. My hope was to reach top three. I didn't expect to play the tie-break games'
Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa of India secured the top spot in the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament, scoring 12 out of 18 points.
This is Koneru Humpy's second World Rapid title after she had triumphed in the 2019 edition in Moscow.
The likes of Arjun Erigaisi on the top board will be assisted by P Harikrishna on the second board.
Former World champion Viswanathan Anand ended the World Rapid Championship on a positive note, scoring four points out of five games on the final day, but the Indian ace could only finish 25th in the final standings.
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.
Defending champion Magnus Carlsen was disqualified from the World Rapid and Blitz Championship 2024 in Wall Street, New York, on Saturday for violating FIDE's dress code.
Indian-origin chess prodigies Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, and Shreyas Royal, 17, have made history by winning the 2026 British Chess Championships. Bodhana became Britain's youngest-ever Women's chess champion, while Royal scooped the overall British title, establishing their status as emerging world-class talents.
India's top player and Asian Games gold medallist Koneru Humpy, who had come back into medal contention after a modest performance on day two, had to settle for the sixth place though she logged eight points.
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.
Fifteen-year-old Delhi chess prodigy Vandan Alankar Sawai stuns World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in an online blitz tournament.
Russians Volodar Murzin and Alexander Grischuk, along with Duda Jan-Kryzstof of Poland, share the lead with Arjun on seven points after the end of the second day and Round 9 of the championship, which will decide the best player of the planet after 13 games.
World number one Magnus Carlsen is set to compete in the pilot event of the FIDE-approved Total Chess World Championship Tour in November, a precursor to a global season launching in March 2027.
World chess champion D Gukesh has decided to reduce his tournament schedule to focus on training and preparation for his upcoming title defence, following a series of disappointing performances.
As New Delhi prepares to host the BWF World Championships from August 17-23, 2026, five young talents - Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda, Alwi Farhan, Tomoka Miyazaki, and Kalyana Nalbantova - are identified as potential breakout stars capable of challenging the sport's biggest names and redefining their careers.
D Gukesh, the 20-year-old Indian Grandmaster, discusses the pressures and expectations of being a world chess champion as he prepares to defend his title.
D Gukesh finished tied fourth in the Super Rapid and Blitz Tournament after defeating Fabiano Caruana, marking a return to form after recent struggles.
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.
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.
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin discusses fellow world champion D Gukesh's recent performance slump, attributing it to a lack of confidence rather than a decline in skill. Sarin expresses hope that the upcoming Chess Olympiad will help Gukesh regain his form. He also shares his views on the increasing role of AI in chess, the evolution towards faster formats, and potential improvements in the chess ecosystem.
D Gukesh recovered from a shaky start in the blitz section of the Super Rapid and Blitz tournament with a victory over Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Hans Moke Niemann leads the tournament, followed by Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana.
Hans Moke Niemann of the United States won the Super rapid and blitz in Warsaw, while India's D Gukesh finished sixth. Niemann secured the title with a strong finish, while Gukesh had a mixed performance.
Arjun Erigaisi is in joint lead with 4.5 points from five rounds along with World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Fedoseev after holding the Norwegian superstar in round five.
World Cup-winning Spanish footballer Gerard Pique has become a strategic shareholder in the Global Chess League franchise American Gambits. Pique, known for his illustrious football career, expressed his long-standing fascination with chess and his ambition to elevate the sport's global appeal. The fourth edition of the Global Chess League, featuring top grandmasters, is scheduled for September 3-13.
Former world blitz and rapid champion Anna Muzychuk discusses the upcoming World Chess Championships, highlighting the importance of psychological momentum and pressure handling for Indian players D Gukesh and R Vaishali.
Arthur Fils and Coco Gauff have both secured significant victories at the Cincinnati Open, with Fils winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title by defeating Frances Tiafoe, and Gauff claiming her second Cincinnati Open title over Jessica Pegula.
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi has voiced significant reservations regarding a proposal by World Chess and FIDE to convert online rapid and blitz ratings into official FIDE ratings. He highlights fundamental integrity issues, such as mouse slips and the lack of physical supervision in home-based online play, making it difficult to ensure fair play. Erigaisi also commented on World Champion D Gukesh's recent form and dismissed the idea that AI diminishes creativity in chess.
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi opened his campaign with four victories and a solitary defeat in the World Rapid Chess Championship and was tied fifth, even as defending champion Magnus Carlsen endured a frustrating day, managing to log just one victory in New York.
'India should hold several high-level chess tournaments that would attract the world's top players so that the country will have a say in the game.'
Indian boxer Vishvanath Suresh defeated world champion Sanzhar Tashkenbay at the Asian Boxing Championships, while Ankushita Boro also advanced to the semi-finals.
Indian badminton prodigy Tanvi Sharma, 17, secured her first BWF World Tour title by defeating Vietnam's Thuy Linh Nguyen in straight games at the Taipei Open Super 300, becoming the youngest champion in the tournament's history.
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.
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin believes team chemistry will be vital for Fyers American Gambits' success in the upcoming Global Chess League. The tournament, featuring elite players and a unique team format, will also serve as preparation for the Chess Olympiad. Sarin highlights the challenge and excitement of integrating diverse playing styles into a cohesive unit.
