Zinedine Zidane, the 1998 World Cup hero and former Real Madrid manager, has been appointed to lead the France national team, with the primary goal of converting recent near-misses into major trophies, starting with the 2028 European Championship.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa faced a setback at the Candidates chess tournament, while Javokhir Sindarov increased his lead.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has suspended Russia's membership for up to three years due to its failure to comply with a ruling to stop holding events in Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories. This decision follows Russia's continued organisation of chess events in annexed regions, violating a Court of Arbitration for Sport order.
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.
Javokhir Sindarov continues his impressive run at the Candidates chess tournament, while Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa draws with Hikaru Nakamura.
French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja secured the only decisive victory on the opening day of the Chennai Grand Masters chess tournament, defeating Indian GM M Pranesh in a lengthy 79-move game. Other prominent matches saw world champion D Gukesh draw with Nihal Sarin, Arjun Erigaisi draw with Dmitry Andreikin, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov draw with Hans Niemann, as eight grandmasters compete for a significant prize purse and FIDE Circuit points.
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi has moved into a joint lead with French GM Alireza Firouzja at the Chennai Grand Masters after defeating world champion D Gukesh. With only two rounds remaining, the tournament sees intense competition, including GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov also in contention, vying for a significant prize purse and FIDE Circuit points.
Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali faces a tough challenge in the Candidates chess tournament after losing her lead, while Javokhir Sindarov dominates the open section.
Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan has significantly increased his lead in the Candidates chess tournament after defeating India's R Praggnanandhaa. In the women's section, R Vaishali leads after drawing with Anna Muzychuk.
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.
Legendary Viswanathan Anand hailed R Praggnanandhaa's highly competitive style of play.
On current form, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa can be considered one of the most dangerous opponents in world chess, even more dangerous than world No. 1 Carlsen, says Pravind Thipsay.
Magnus Carlsen has won the first FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship, defeating Fabiano Caruana in the final match held in Germany.
The Cyprus Chess Federation president has criticised Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy's withdrawal from the Candidates Tournament, citing unfounded security concerns and disrespect for organisers and players.
Mayank Chakraborty, a 17-year-old from Assam, has become India's 94th Grandmaster in chess.
Shriram Mhasane leads the All India Chess Masters FIDE Classical tournament after the seventh round, held in Mumbai. Mhasane secured a victory against Arjun Singh, giving him a clear lead as the tournament progresses.
'For us as it was for Judit it was never a men's world; it was always study, analyse, study, analyse and be confident,' recalls Woman International Master Jayashree Khadilkar Pande.
World Champion D Gukesh lost to Nodirbek Abdusattorov at the Prague International Chess Festival after blundering from a strong position.
World Champion D Gukesh's struggles continue as he draws with Parham Maghsoodloo at the Prague International Chess Festival. Aravindh Chithambaram also drew his match, while Surya Shekhar Ganguly secured his first victory in the challengers' section.
R. Vaishali, the newly-crowned Candidates champion, exemplifies quiet intensity and strong values, nurtured by a supportive family, as she prepares for the World Championship showdown against Ju Wenjun.
D Gukesh ended his winless streak with a victory at the Prague International Chess Festival, while Aravindh Chithambaram finished joint second. Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan won the tournament.
Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram defeated Jorden van Foreest, while world champion D Gukesh drew against Vincent Keymer at the Prague International chess festival.
Aravindh Chithambaram defeated D Gukesh at the Prague International Chess Festival, while Jorden van Foreest maintains his lead in the tournament.
The inaugural international Esports World Cup has commenced in Paris, featuring over 2,000 elite players from 100+ countries competing for a record USD 75 million prize pool across 25 tournaments. The event also highlights a unique Club Championship and includes global ambassadors Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen.
Queen of Chess is a moving and powerful sports documentary about the highest-rated woman player in the history of chess. 'For me, it is a deeply personal reminder of where we came from, and what it took to get there,' notes Susan Polgar as she reviews her sister Judit Polgar's Netflix documentary, Queen Of Chess.
Magnus Carlsen's popularity remains undiminished in Norway, with many believing he is unbeatable on home turf, even as he hints at moving away from classical chess.
Reigning world champion D Gukesh is not ruffled by the barrage of criticism that has come his way in the past 18 months as the young Indian Grandmaster believes all of it is justified given his underwhelming form.
Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali's loss to China's Jiner Zhu has thrown the FIDE Women's Candidates tournament wide open.
Bharat Singh Chauhan has been unanimously re-elected as the Chairman of the Commonwealth Chess Association (CCA) for another four-year term.
Magnus Carlsen defeated D Gukesh at the Norway Chess tournament, while R Praggnanandhaa secured second place after beating Vincent Keymer. In the women's event, Divya Deshmukh lost to Anna Muzychuk, and Koneru Humpy continued to struggle.
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 chess champion D Gukesh is ranked 19th behind the legendary Viswanathan Anand at 13th.
'Nepal today is far more aware, self-confident, aspirational, and assertive.' 'India's policy so far has not been geared to this shift. It is time to redraw our Nepal strategy.'
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.
World champion D Gukesh aims for a strong performance at the Prague International Chess festival after an early World Cup exit and underwhelming Tata Steel Masters showing.
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.
World Champion D Gukesh faced a surprising defeat against Jorden van Foreest at the Prague International Chess Festival, while Aravindh Chithambaram drew his game.
R Praggnanandhaa drew with Fabiano Caruana, while his sister R Vaishali won against Tan Zhongyi in the seventh round of the FIDE Candidates 2026 tournament.
As a part of Rediff's CAT 2026-prep series, MBA expert Patrick D'souza explains how you can maximise your preparation and complete your syllabus by August 2026.
World champion D Gukesh will face compatriot Aravindh Chithambaram in the sixth round of the Prague International Chess Festival as he seeks his first victory in the tournament.
