India's 19-year-old Grandmaster Pranesh M clinched the Group A title at the prestigious Kanizsa Open 2026, defeating Germany's Vadim Petrovskiy in the final round.
Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran has offered advice to World Champion D Gukesh ahead of his title defence against Javokhir Sindarov. Sasikiran highlights Gukesh's tendency for time trouble due to complex play and suggests improving technique, speed, and defensive accuracy. He also advises Gukesh to identify and exploit opponent weaknesses, while acknowledging Sindarov's strong preparation and reliance on memory and speed.
The FIDE World Championship Match 2026 will feature reigning champion Gukesh D and challenger Javokhir Sindarov in Geneva, Switzerland. Both players will be 20, making it the youngest World Championship contest in history and signalling a generational shift in chess. The match will consist of 14 classical games, with tie-breaks if needed.
AG.AL has been crowned the Esports World Cup 2026 Club Champion, winning a USD 7 million prize from a record-breaking USD 75 million total pool. Their victory was secured after a dramatic win in Trackmania, capping a seven-week competition.
Football superstar Erling Haaland has invested in Norway Chess and its Total Chess World Championship Tour, citing similarities between chess and football strategy.
'In terms of format, there are constant shifts which is happening. I am not sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing, but as a player, I think it is sometimes difficult to adjust to each format.'
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin, representing esports and gaming content outfit S8UL, has qualified for the chess event of the upcoming Esports World Cup in Paris.
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.
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.
World champion D Gukesh is set to face Nihal Sarin in a highly anticipated first-round match at the Chennai Grand Masters 2026 chess tournament. The event features eight Grandmasters, including four Indians, competing for a prize purse of Rs 75,00,000 and crucial FIDE Circuit points in a double-round robin format.
The FIDE World Cup for chess will be held between October 30 and November 27, 2025.
'Being the defending champions certainly gives us confidence, but every Olympiad is a new event and starts from scratch.'
World chess champion D Gukesh is ranked 19th behind the legendary Viswanathan Anand at 13th.
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.
As India's remarkable chess revolution gathers momentum, teenagers Rishabh Kumar and Adhiraj Mitra are ensuring that the country's future on the 64 squares remains brighter than ever.
Fifteen-year-old Delhi chess prodigy Vandan Alankar Sawai stuns World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in an online blitz tournament.
Giant-killer Ayush Shetty on Monday described his stunning win over defending champion and world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi as "special", but was quick to stress that the job is far from done at the ongoing BWF World Championships.
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.
Seventeen Indian sportspersons, including World Cup winning chess player Divya Deshmukh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, and shuttler Gayatri Gopichand, have been named for the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2025.
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.
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.
Indian Grandmaster Pranesh M secured a significant victory at the Kanizsa Open in Hungary, defeating Germany's Vadim Petrovskiy in the final round. The 19-year-old, currently ranked 44th globally, finished with seven points, earning congratulations from the Indian Embassy for his performance on the international chess stage.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa is set to compete against Alireza Firouzja of France in the opening round of the Super Chess Classic in Bucharest, marking his first classical event of the year as part of the Grand Chess Tour.
With D Gukesh and R Vaishali set to play world title matches, experts urge India to bid for hosting rights, calling it a major boost for the sport.
Nagalakshmi, mother of Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, shares insights into her son's success following his Norway Chess 2026 triumph, emphasising hard work and enjoying the process. She also discusses the siblings' journey into chess, their mutual support, and the significant influence of Viswanathan Anand.
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.
From supporting young talents financially to earning global recognition, Indian chess is making its presence felt like never before.
The trophy was unveiled during a colourful opening ceremony which was attended by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and FIDE chief Arkady Dvorkovich.
The Sports Ministry is set to commence the nomination process for the National Sports Awards next month, following a delayed announcement of the 2025 awards. The delay was due to a re-evaluation process aimed at preserving the integrity of the honours, which resulted in no Khel Ratna awardee for 2025 and fewer Arjuna awardees than recommended. The article also details the criteria for these prestigious awards and highlights some of the notable Arjuna awardees for 2025.
At just 11 years old, Bodhana Sivanandan has become Great Britain's No 1 Women's Chess player dethroning four-time British Women's Champion Lan Yao.
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin has qualified for the chess event of the upcoming Esports World Cup (EWC) in Paris through the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) leaderboard, joining teammate Aravindh Chithambaram as the second Indian player to qualify.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa faced a setback at the Candidates chess tournament, while Javokhir Sindarov increased his lead.
India hosts the event from a position of unprecedented strength with a string of titles under its belt.
Lots to look forward to in Indian sports as packed 2026 calender awaits
In the women's section, World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh turned the tables on overnight leader Anna Muzychuk to jump into joint lead with four others.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa defeated Anish Giri in the first round of the Candidates chess tournament. Other notable results included Javokhir Sindarov's win and draws in the women's section featuring Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali.
India's R Vaishali wins the FIDE Women's Candidates 2026 in Cyprus, earning the right to challenge world champion Ju Wenjun and drawing praise for her historic achievement.
Divya Deshmukh not only became the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women's World Cup, she also instantly secured the prestigious Grandmaster title.
R Praggnanandhaa leads a fearless new generation at the Candidates 2026 as veterans face a shifting chess landscape ahead of a world title clash.
The FIDE World Cup will be held at a resort in North Goa from October 31 to November 27, 2025, offering a total prize fund of US$2 million.
