The Global Chess League commenced with defending champions Alpine APL Pipers securing a 10-8 victory over Mumba Masters, spearheaded by Magnus Carlsen.
Slowly but surely emerging as one of India's key players, International Master Divya Deshmukh stunned higher-ranked compatriot Harika Dronavalli 2-0 in the tiebreaks to enter the semifinals of the FIDE World Women's Chess Cup in Batumi, Georgia.
FYERS American Gambits defeated Triveni Continental Kings to retain their top position in the Global Chess League standings, ahead of Alpine APL Pipers. Other matches saw Ganges Grandmasters secure a dominant win over Continental Kings, while Mumba Masters suffered two defeats, including a loss to PBG Alaskan Knights. The Gambits, Pipers, and Grandmasters have all won four matches, with Gambits having played one more round.
R Praggnanandhaa drew with Andrey Esipenko, while Javokhir Sindarov defeated Hikaru Nakamura to maintain his lead in the Candidates Tournament. In the women's event, Divya Deshmukh drew, and R Vaishali faced a difficult position.
D Gukesh emerged victorious after a bruising, nerve-jangling marathon battle against Vincent Keymer, and R Praggnanandhaa outplayed Alireza Firouzja but world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen suffered a rare opening-round defeat at Norway Chess, which began amid towering bookshelves at the historic Deichman Bjorvika public library in Oslo.
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.
Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh was welcomed by hundreds of supporters and her family upon her arrival in Nagpur on Wednesday.
A former school principal of newly crowned chess champion from Nagpur Divya Deshmukh remembers her as a student with calm composure who started playing the board game when she was just five and also excelled in studies.
Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan leads the Candidates chess tournament after defeating Fabiano Caruana, while R Praggnanandhaa drew his game against Matthias Bluebaum. In the women's event, Anna Muzychuk joined Bibisara Assaubayeva in the lead.
Speaking to reporters, the CJI said his father and late KG Deshmukh were very close friends.
Grandmaster Koneru Humpy held China's Tingjie Lei to a comfortable draw with black pieces, while Divya Deshmukh's solid defence frustrated former women's world champion Zhongyi Tan in the first game of the FIDE Women's World Cup semifinals in Batumi, Georgia, on Tuesday.
Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh has said she was not under any kind of pressure while playing the FIDE Women's World Cup final against compatriot Koneru Humpy as she had "nothing to lose".
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.
Women's World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh, who has also qualified for the Women's Candidates, has opted out of the women's section to compete with the best in business.
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.
Indian International Master Divya Deshmukh made a huge stride forward, defeating second seed Jiner Zhu of China in the first game of the pre-quarterfinals of the FIDE World Women's Chess Cup in Batumi, Georgia, on Wednesday.
Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali's loss to China's Jiner Zhu has thrown the Women's Candidates Tournament wide open, while Javokhir Sindarov is closing in on a dominant victory in the open section.
World Champion D Gukesh faced a surprising defeat against Jorden van Foreest at the Prague International Chess Festival, while Aravindh Chithambaram drew his game.
Koneru Humpy edged Chinese GM Lei Tingjie in the tiebreaks in the semis to set up an all-Indian final against compatriot Divya Deshmukh in the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup.
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.
FIDE Women's World Cup final: Humpy draws with Divya in first game
Javokhir Sindarov continues his impressive run at the Candidates chess tournament, while Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa draws with Hikaru Nakamura.
Divya Deshmukh came to the star-studded FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 in Batumi, Georgia, as an underdog, hoping to at least win one Grandmaster norm in her journey to become a GM in the future.
World champion D Gukesh drew with Hans Moke Niemann in the first round of the Prague International Chess Festival.
International Master Divya Deshmukh stormed into the final, defeating former world champion Zhongyi Tan of China in the second game of the semifinals and winning the mini-match 1.5-0.5 in the FIDE Women's World Chess Cup in Batumi, Georgia, on Wednesday.
FIDE's decision to shortlist the All India Chess Federation for a prestigious FIDE Excellence Award has ignited a fierce debate within the Indian chess community.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa began his campaign at the Candidates Tournament with a win against Anish Giri, sharing the lead with Fabiano Caruana and Javokhir Sindarov. In the women's section, Indian Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh drew her game.
R Praggnanandhaa dealt another stunning blow to hometown hero and World No 1 Magnus Carlsen, defeating the Norwegian in a classical game for the second time at Norway Chess 2026.
R. Vaishali leads the Women's Candidates Tournament, while Javokhir Sindarov dominates the Open section, nearing a shot at the World Championship.
The 22nd Delhi International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament, scheduled for January 2027, will feature a record-breaking prize pool of Rs 1.32 crore, making it the open tournament with the highest prize money globally. The event will have three categories, attracting FIDE-rated players, Grandmasters, and amateurs alike, with over 3,000 participants expected. This tournament has historically been crucial for developing Indian chess talent, including stars like D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa, and aims to establish New Delhi as a global chess hub.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa drew against Wei Yi in the second round of the FIDE Candidates tournament, maintaining his joint lead. In the women's section, Divya Deshmukh missed a chance to take the lead, drawing with R Vaishali.
While Vantika, Harika and Vaishali have an uphill task in the first set of tie-break games, they can still make it to the round of 16.
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?
'Being the defending champions certainly gives us confidence, but every Olympiad is a new event and starts from scratch.'
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa faced a defeat in the third round of the FIDE Candidates Tournament against Javokhir Sindarov, while Fabiano Caruana surged ahead. In the women's event, Bibisara Assaubayeva secured the first victory.
Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh has revealed that navigating the pressure in a long, gruelling tournament like the FIDE Women's World Cup title was "quite stressful" but she was determined to go all the way after the tough matches in the lead-up to the title clash against Koneru Humpy in Batumi, Georgia, recently.
Abundantly talented but more significantly, incredibly cool in crunch situations, that's how India's 88th Grandmaster and World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh was described by her formative coach Srinath Narayanan, who feels the 19-year-old chess wizard's composure is comparable only to cricket great Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
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.
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.
Ace Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy once again demonstrated her strength in positional play as she defeated Polina Shuvalova of Russia in the fourth round of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in Pune on Thursday.
