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Hyderabad is all set to host its next big event - 2nd Aspiring Minds International Rapid Rated Open 2026

29/01/2026 -

The city of Hyderabad is all set to witness another major chess event. After a huge success of the first edition conducted in May 2025 which attracted 785 participants across the  country, Aspiring Minds Chess Academy team led by renowned coach and player IM FT Ravi Teja, has announced its 2nd edition on 14th & 15th February 2026. The total cash prize for the two day event is Rs. 4,00,000 with the 1st prize of Rs.60,000. The tournament will be held at the Saroornagar Indoor Stadium, Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad, Telangana.

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Liam Putnam wins 51st Ciudad de Sevilla Open 2026, Aronyak Ghosh third

29/01/2026 -

IM Liam Putnam (USA) and GM Praveen Balakrishnan (USA) scored an unbeaten 8/9 each at 51st Ciudad de Sevilla International Open 2026. Liam won the tournament on tie-breaks, Praveen had to settle for second place. IM Aronyak Ghosh scored sole 7.5/9 to finish third. He also remained undefeated. GM P Shyaam Nikhil, GM Sayantan Das, GM Vignesh N R and IM Shahil Dey scored 7/9 each. They were placed fifth to eighth respectively according to tie-breaks. The total prize fund was €10500. The top three prizes were €2000, €1500 and €1000 along with a trophy each. Shyaam won the Blitz Rating Open 6/7. Vignesh also scored the same. He was placed second on tie-breaks. Photo: Ismael Nieto

88th Tata Steel 2026 R10: Gukesh bounces back again

29/01/2026 -

The World Champion, D Gukesh bounced back once again in Round 10 of 88th Tata Steel Masters 2026. Gukesh joked about teaching a lesson to the 14-year-old as he lost few games against the stronger players when he was a 13/14-year-old. He also praised how Yagiz became stronger in the last year. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) drew his game against Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO) to maintain his sole lead 6.5/10. Jorden van Foreest (NED) drew against Javokhir Sindarov (UZB). Both of them maintain their pursuit at 6/10 each. Matthias Bluebaum (GER) scored his second consecutive win to cross 2700 in the live ratings for the first time in his career. Bluebaum crushed Anish Giri who opted for a sharp line. World no.4 Vincent Keymer (GER) got the better of World no.5 Arjun Erigaisi. Aravindh Chithambaram scored his first win of the event against the Czech Republic no.1, Thai Dai Vang Nguyen after the former made a bold practical decision in the endgame. Today is the last rest day. Round 11 starts tomorrow Friday 30th January at 2 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST for both Masters and Challengers section. Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Telangana State Chess Association invites players to the Telangana Rapid and Blitz Championship 2026, top two players from each tournament will qualify for nationals

28/01/2026 -

Telangana State Chess Association invites players to the participate in the Telangana Rapid Chess Championship - 2026 and Telangana Blitz Chess Championship - 2026 on the 31st of January, and 1st of February, 2026 respectively. The top two players from each tournament will get a chance to represent Telangana State in National Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship- 2026. Prize Money for each tournament is Rs.10,000 and the last date of registration : 30.01.2026. Photo : Telangana State Chess Association

Deboushnik De reflects on his journey from 1927 to 2430 Elo in one year

28/01/2026 -

In this article, Deboushnik De describes his rise from a 1927 rating to 2430 Elo and two International Master norms within a single year. He highlights the importance of mindset, planning, and trusting the process during difficult phases that helped him overcome setbacks and perform consistently at a higher level. Deboushnik comes from North East India, where access to top-level tournaments and training resources is limited; that's why his journey is especially significant for players from the region. This could be a good reflection on setbacks, breakthroughs, and the realities of chasing norms. Check out the article to understand what worked for Deboushnik and what did not.

Prraneeth Vuppala prevails at 37th Roquetas Chess Festival Open 2026

28/01/2026 -

GM Prraneeth Vuppala scored 7.5/9 to win 37th Roquetas Chess Festival Open 2026. Prraneeth finished a half point ahead of the rest. FM Pau Marin Ferragut (ESP), IM Filip Cukrowski (POL), IM Nico Chasin (USA) and IM Felix-Antonio Illinca (ROU) scored 7/9 each. They secured second to fifth place according to tie-breaks. The top three prizes were €2600 + trophy, €1600 and €1200 each respectively. GM Diptayan Ghosh, GM Raja Rithvik R and GM Vignesh N R scored 6.5/9 each. They were placed seventh, eighth and tenth respectively. IM Aronyak Ghosh scored an unbeaten 8/9 to secure second place in the 7th The Eve of Magi Blitz Rating Open. Nico won that event scoring 8.5/9. The top three prizes in Blitz were €120, €90 and €70. Photo: Club Ajedrez Roquetas

88th Tata Steel 2026 R9: Praggnanandhaa scores his first win

28/01/2026 -

The World Champion, D Gukesh suffered his third loss in Round 9 of 88th Tata Steel Masters 2026. This was against the World Championship Candidate, Matthias Bluebaum (GER). It was also Gukesh's third loss in the last four games. R Praggnanandhaa scored his first win of the event against compatriot, Aravindh Chithambaram. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) maintains his sole lead 6/9, after a draw against his 44th Olympiad Gold medal winning teammate and FIDE World Cup 2025 winner, Javokhir Sindarov (UZB). Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (TUR) and Jorden van Foreest (NED) won their respective games against Thai Dai Van Nguyen (CZE) and Vincent Keymer (GER) to move to 5.5/9 each. Round 10 starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST for both Masters and Challengers section. Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

Rao's Chess Corner invites you to 2nd Grand RCC International Rating Festival 2026

27/01/2026 -

Rao's Chess Corner invites you to 2nd Grand RCC FIDE Rated International Chess Festival 2026. The number of events have been doubled to six from the inaugural edition. There will be a Classical, a Rapid, two Blitz, one Freestyle (Chess960 / Fischer Random) and one Puzzle Solving Tournament. That means there is something for everyone. The total cash prize up for grabs is ₹1400001, ₹500001 in Classical, ₹200000 in Rapid, ₹100000 in each of the two Blitz events, ₹50000 in Chess960, ₹25000 in Puzzle Solving, Grand Prix prize ₹400000 and Academy/Team prize ₹25000. Entry is FREE for GMs, IMs, WGMs and WIMs with accommodation. Read the article to know more about the entire festival. Graphic: Rao's Chess Corner

Join the MeepleCon Blitz Tournament 2026 in Mumbai on 1st February

27/01/2026 -

MeepleCon, India’s biggest board game convention, is coming to Mumbai with the MeepleCon Blitz Tournament 2026! The tournament will take place on 1st February at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla, Mumbai. Players can choose to compete in one of two 7-round blitz events. The first tournament begins at 11:00 AM and the second starts at 4:00 PM. Early bird registration is open at Rs. 250, and all participants will receive free 2-day access to explore the convention. This means you can enjoy not just the chess tournament but also over 200 board games, special game zones, workshops, and other exciting tournaments happening across MeepleCon 2026. Don’t miss this chance to be part of one of India’s largest board game events. Read the article to find out how you can register and secure your spot.

Checkmate at the farm - A unique chess tournament by Akshayakalpa

27/01/2026 -

While most chess tournaments are organised inside closed doors and controlled environment, Akshayakalpa, one of the pioneers in sustainable and organic food production came up with the unique concept of checkmate at the farm. A chess tournament beyond the confinements of concrete, below the open skies and right in the lap of nature. Forty young enthusiasts participated in the unique event and after five fun yet intense rounds of chess, Aarav Kumar and Ishaan Kandi were declared the champions under-nine and under-fourteen categories respectively. But you know what was the most unique part of the event? It's what happened beyond the chess board. A pictorial storytelling by Aditya Sur Roy.

Bristy Mukherjee wins Tata Steel Chess Festival Women Rapid for the third time

27/01/2026 -

WFM Bristy Mukherjee won Tata Steel Chess Festival Women Rapid for the third time. She is the first player to achieve this unique feat of winning any Tata Steel Chess India Festival event for three times. Previously she won it in 2022 and 2024. She along with four more players - IM Nisha Mohota, Debapriya Manna, WIM Chandreyee Hajra and Anushka Gupta scored 6.5/7 each. Bristy won the tournament on tie-breaks. The remaining four secured second to fifth place respectively. The one-day seven-round Rapid Women tournament was organized by Dhanuka Dhunseri Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy at Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata, West Bengal on 9th January 2026. The total prize fund was ₹100000. Top three prizes were ₹20000 + trophy, ₹15000 and ₹10000 each respectively. This was Bristy's first tournament triumph of the year. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

IIT Kanpur To Host Its First FIDE Rated Rapid Chess Tournament

26/01/2026 -

Chess has been an integral part of the intellectual and competitive culture at IIT Kanpur. Beyond classrooms and laboratories, the game has served as a platform for strategic thinking, patience, and fun. As interest in the sport continued to grow, so did the need for an organized platform that could nurture talent, encourage participation, and provide competitive exposure. This vision laid the foundation for the formation of the 'Chess Club IITK' in 2007. With a solid track record in the online domain, Chess Club IITK now sets its sights on expanding into the offline arena, and IIT Kanpur is hosting its first FIDE-rated rapid Chess Tournament, featuring a whopping prize pool of 2,00,000 INR, on 7th February 2026. 9 rounds will be played in Swiss format with the time control of 10+5 Minutes at Yoga Hall, New SAC, IIT Kanpur Campus. Read this Article for more details.

Anatole Vlachos decimates 22nd Bois Colombes Master 2025, Aronyak Ghosh second

26/01/2026 -

IM Anatole Vlachos (GRE) scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 to win 22nd Bois-Colombes Master Open A (≥2000) 2025. He finished a full point ahead of the rest. Ten players scored 6.5/9 each. Out of them, IM Aronyak Ghosh and IM Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan (SRI) secured second and third place respectively. Anatole drew with the eventual runner-up, Aronyak in the seventh round. The total prize fund of the tournament combining three category was €8000. The top three prizes in Open A were €1500, €1000 and €600 along with a trophy each respectively. IM Arghyadip Das is the only other Indian to make a top ten finish in Open A. He scored 6.5/9 and was placed seventh. Photo: Cercle d’Échecs de Bois-Colombes

88th Tata Steel 2026 R8: World Champion D Gukesh bounces back

26/01/2026 -

Anish Giri (NED) handed Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) his first loss in Round 8 of 88th Tata Steel Masters 2026. Despite having a full point lead, Abdusattorov was not in a mood to play a quiet game and stay ahead. He wanted to play for the maximum. Giri got a pleasant position by move no.20 and his opponent's position kept getting worse. The reigning World Champion, D Gukesh bounced back with an emphatic victory against Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO). Aravindh Chithambaram and Yagis Kaan Erdogmus (TUR) drew against Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa respectively. Today is the second of three rest days. Round 9 starts tomorrow Tuesday 27th January at 2 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST for both Masters and Challengers section. Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

How much does an International Master spend on chess in a year?

26/01/2026 -

Every year, IM Nikhil Dixit shares an honest breakdown of how much he spends on his chess career. He started this as a personal Reddit post and it has now become a widely read annual reflection, crossing over 500,000 views in the past. In 2025, the numbers were especially significant because this was the year Nikhil finally completed his International Master title. In total, his chess-related expenses for the year amounted to Rs. 9,75,000 (approximately $10,720). Beyond the numbers, this breakdown offers insight into the financial realities of pursuing professional chess in India.

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