The All India Chess Federation (AICF) has disbursed Rs 42.3 lakh in quarterly stipends to 42 promising young chess players across India. This first-of-its-kind initiative aims to alleviate financial burdens, support coaching and travel, and nurture future champions, aligning with a vision to strengthen grassroots chess development.
Indian chess Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, who turned 21, has already amassed a remarkable list of achievements, including becoming a Grandmaster at 12, reaching a career-high world ranking of No. 4, and recently winning the Grand Chess Tour St Louis Rapid and Blitz title.
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.
Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu made history by winning his maiden Grand Chess Tour Finals title in St.Louis, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat. He staged a remarkable comeback against Fabiano Caruana, securing the title with a 15-13 score after winning rapid games and holding his ground in blitz.
Teen prodigy Divya Deshmukh stunned seasoned grandmaster Koneru Humpy in a tense tiebreak to win the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, rewriting Indian chess history at just 19.
Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has made history by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title.
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.
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.
India's men's and women's chess teams are set to defend their respective Chess Olympiad titles, with strong lineups featuring world champion D Gukesh and in-form R Praggnanandhaa for the men, and Koneru Humpy leading the top-seeded women's squad.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay honoured Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa with a Rs 50 lakh cash incentive for winning the Norway Chess title, making him the first Indian to achieve this feat. The Chief Minister also played a game of chess with the young Grandmaster.
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.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy congratulated Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa for becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour title. Praggnanandhaa achieved this historic victory by defeating Fabiano Caruana in the grand finale in St Louis, USA, inspiring many across the nation.
'...his victory in securing the champion's title is a fitting recognition of his extraordinary talent and unwavering perseverance.'
'Being the defending champions certainly gives us confidence, but every Olympiad is a new event and starts from scratch.'
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has made history by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess tournament, a feat that included defeating world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen twice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him on this significant achievement.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has made history by becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour Finals in St. Louis, defeating GM Fabiano Caruana in a stunning comeback. Chess legends Garry Kasparov and Vidit Gujrathi congratulated him on this significant achievement.
The Asian Junior Chess Championships will host 157 players from 10 countries in Mumbai from August 16-26. The tournament, featuring Classical, Rapid, and Blitz formats, offers Grandmaster and International Master norms to winners and showcases top U20 talent, including leading Indian and international players.
Delhi's Aarit Kapil, a 10-year-old chess player, has become the youngest Indian to achieve an International Master norm after a strong performance at a tournament in Spain.
Vaishali becomes India's 84th Grandmaster, joins brother Praggnanandhaa in elite club
'It will bring the next wave of awareness and pursuit of excellence from people who want to take chess as a game or a competitive sport or even as a career.'
From supporting young talents financially to earning global recognition, Indian chess is making its presence felt like never before.
Anemone Kulczak, the chief arbiter at Norway Chess, believes reigning world champion D Gukesh remains the clear favourite to defend his crown later this year.
India's Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha has become the youngest player in chess history to earn an official FIDE rating at the age of three years, seven months and 20 days.
She has a current rating of 1551.
Uzbek prodigy Javokhir Sindarov is gearing up for the World Chess Championship against Gukesh Dommaraju, focusing on preparing for Gukesh's strongest form rather than his recent tournament results. Sindarov, who won the Candidates Tournament and World Cup, believes the match will be an engrossing battle and is confident in his preparations, which have delivered a successful season.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay honoured Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa with a Rs 50 lakh incentive after his historic Norway Chess title win. The Chief Minister also played a friendly game of chess with the 20-year-old Grandmaster, where he was checkmated by the young prodigy.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay honoured Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa with a Rs 50 lakh cash incentive and played a friendly game of chess with him at the Secretariat, where the young prodigy checkmated the CM. Praggnanandhaa recently made history by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title.
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.
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.
Alireza Firouzja has established a dominant lead in the Croatian leg of the Grand Chess Tour after a stellar performance in the blitz section, accumulating 20 points.
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.
D Gukesh's prolonged form slump might be a talking point in the chess world right now but his World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov sees no obvious weakness in the Indian's game.
Javokhir Sindarov continues his impressive run at the Candidates chess tournament, while Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa draws with Hikaru Nakamura.
The FIDE World Cup 2025 is coming to Goa from October 30 to November 27, 2025!
It was in the first game that Anand had outplayed Kasparov and the former world No 1 survived thanks to some unforced error by the Indian ace.
Humpy settles for bronze after coming close to World Rapid title; Erigaisi finishes third
British chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has etched her name in the record books, becoming the youngest female player ever to defeat a grandmaster.
India hosts the event from a position of unprecedented strength with a string of titles under its belt.
Do you know some of the thoughts, ideas, disciplines and items India has given the world?
'I have no idea about such a medal. Never got one,' says Surya Shekhar Ganguly, the national chess champion between 2003 and 2008.
