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Simul with GM Aravindh Chithambaram at Chola Chess Club, Chennai on 22nd August!

6 days ago

14-year-old Aadik Lenin scores his 2nd IM norm in Hungary

15 Aug 2026

2009-born Jihan Tejas Shah scores his maiden IM norm!

9 Aug 2026

10-year-old Aarit Kapil scores his 2nd IM norm in Serbia

7 Aug 2026

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Celebrating Freedom on 64 Squares: Ichalkaranji Hosts Its First ‘Big Chess’ Camp

24/08/2026 -

A chance connection through a chess webinar eventually led to ChessBase India's Big Chess Camp making its way to Ichalkaranji, Maharashtra. On Independence Day, Rohit Pol and his team at Ken Chess Academy brought more than 80 children and chess enthusiasts together for a day of free chess learning, solving and discovery. From tactical themes and challenging positions to lessons in discipline, concentration and independent thinking, the camp captured the spirit of grassroots chess development. Rohit dreams of one day seeing a National Champion emerge from Ichalkaranji, and this could well be the beginning of that journey. We bring a detailed story.

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Who is Going to Win 32nd Abu Dhabi Masters 2026?

24/08/2026 -

The 32nd edition of Abu Dhabi Masters is heading towards an exciting final round. After completion of 8 rounds, Jakhongir Vakhidov is leading with 6.5/8 points. 4 players, Aleksandr Rakhmanov, Daniil Dubov, Daniyal Sapenov, and India's Pranav Anand, are in joint second place with 6/8 points. Young talent Avirat Chauhan is on 5/8 points, and he is showing his class at the highest level. The Final round will start on 24th August at 10 AM Local Time. Photos: Anmol Bhargav

Asian Junior 2026 R3-4: Jaiveer Mahendru and Pratitee Bordoloi lead with perfect 4/4

22/08/2026 -

It was a double round day at the Asian Junior Chess Championship. In the open section, Jaiveer Mahendru is leading the tournament with a perfect 4/4. In the 4th round, Jaiveer defeated IM Aditya Dhingra with white pieces. In the 5th round, he will face top seed, GM Mayank Chakraborty. In the Girls section, Pratitee Bordoloi and Leyla Shohradova are on 4/4, and they are playing against each other in the 5th round. The 5th round will start on 22nd August at 3 PM IST. Photos: Tushar Damor

Shubh and Avika are the Madhya Pradesh State Junior Chess Champions

22/08/2026 -

Madhya Pradesh has its new Junior Chess Champions for 2026. Gwalior’s Shubh Khatri won the Open U19 title, while Indore’s Avika Panwar clinched the Girls U19 title at the Madhya Pradesh State Junior Chess Championship held in Bhopal. Khelo Chess India Club and ChessBase India, in association with the Bhopal District Chess Association, organised the event. This was the first time that the Madhya Pradesh Junior Championship was conducted as an international rating tournament, with a total prize fund of ₹1,00,000, the highest-ever prize fund for a junior-level tournament in the state. The successful organisation of the event was made possible with the special support of Chola Chess.

12-Year-Old Amanlal A Stuns IM Jorge Marcos at Chess for Everyone in Kerala

22/08/2026 -

The Premier Chess Academy's Classical FIDE Rating Free Chess for Everyone Tournament officially commenced on August 20, 2026, in Trivandrum, Kerala. The defining result of the opening rounds arrived on Board 2 during Round 4, where 12-year-old Amanlal A, who is rated 1894, secured a decisive victory over Cuban International Master Jorge Marcos Gomez Sanchez. Organized with the goal of increasing classical exposure for regional talents, the tournament features zero entry fees and no prize fund, while covering complete travel and hospitality for foreign GMs and IMs. Photos: PCA

32nd Abu Dhabi Masters R6: Dubov beats Ahmadzada, Avirat Scores Another Win

22/08/2026 -

In the 6th Round of the Abu Dhabi Masters, top seed Daniil Dubov defeated Ahmad Ahmadzada. Iniyan P. drew against Jakhongir Vakhidov. IM Usov Aleksandr E is showing an outstanding performance, and he defeated GM SL Narayanan in the 6th round. Talented Youngster Avirat Chauhan scored his 2nd consecutive win after beating Roman Shogdzhiev. The 7th round will start on 22nd August at 5 PM Local Time/6:30 PM IST. Photos: Anmol Bhargav

Corporate Blitz and Summer Spritz: Two Sigma Claims Top Honors Alongside Premier Banks and Tech Firms at NYCCL Summer Celebration

21/08/2026 -

The NYC Corporate Chess League (NYCCL) recently hosted its "Summer Spritz & Speed Chess" blitz tournament at Chief Flatiron for over 60 professionals. Sponsored by Sandline Global, the event combined competitive play with cross-industry networking. Two Sigma won top team honors, while FM Alexander Bian, IM Michael Bodek, and NM Jalen Wang claimed individual victories.

Asian Junior 2026 R2: Pratitee and Mayank Maintain Flawless Start

21/08/2026 -

The 2nd Round of the Asian Junior Championship is concluded, and all the top seeds are unshaken. In the Open, GM Mayank Chakroborty, GM Artim Pingin, and IM Apoorv Kamble won their games today, and in the Girls section, WFM Pratitee Bordoloi, WFM Mariya Kholyakov, and WFM Lala Shohradova scored wins and are on a perfect 2/2 so far. 21st August will be an interesting day, as there are two rounds of Classical Chess. Photos: Tushar Damor

Tan Zhongyi Convincingly Wins 6th Cairns Cup 2026

21/08/2026 -

GM Tan Zhongyi from China scored 6.5/9 points to win the 6th Edition of the Cairns Cup 2026. Zhongyi was leading the tournament from the start, and in the final round she had a full point lead over Alice Lee. A draw was enough for her to win the title, but unfortunately she lost the game against Stavroula Tsolakidou. Alice Lee could have caught her, but her game ended in a draw, and Tan Zhongyi won the tournament with a half-point lead. This is Zhongyi's 2nd Cairns Cup title, and she won $65,000. Photos: Lennart Ootes

Bharath Subramaniyam H Wins the Granada Open 2026

21/08/2026 -

GM Bharath Subramaniyam H scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 to win the Granada Chess Open 2026. In the final round, Bharath drew against GM Yuri Solodovnichenko of Ukraine, and both players finished on 7.5/9, but a better tiebreak score helped Bharath clinch the title. The tournament was organised at Hotel Porcel Alixares, Granada, Spain, from 28th July to 2nd August. The total prize fund of this tournament was €13000, with the top three prizes being €2500, €2000, and €1500, along with trophies. Photos: Open Internacional de Ajedrez de Granada

12-Year-Old CM Vyom Malhotra Scores 2nd IM Norm at Czech Open 2026

21/08/2026 -

Twelve-year-old Candidate Master Vyom Malhotra from Haryana achieved a significant milestone at the Czech Open 2026 A – Pardubice Open, securing his second IM norm and crossing the 2400 Elo on the live rating list. The young Indian talent delivered a wonderful performance; he gained an impressive 140.8 rating points with a rating performance of 2494. Vyom's trainer, GM Shardul Gagare, wrote that Vyom faced technical issues with his laptop throughout the tournament, but managed his prep and training using his mobile.

Naitik Mehta Scores Maiden IM Norm at 19th Arad Open Grand Prix Classic 2026

21/08/2026 -

Talented Candidate Master from Gujarat, Naitik Mehta, scored his maiden IM Norm at the 9th Arad Open Grand Prix Classic (Above 2000). Naitik scored 6/9 points with a performance rating of 2446. After 2 consecutive wins in the first 2 rounds, he lost the 3rd game against Filip Magold. Naitik came back stronger in the upcoming rounds and won the final 2 rounds to score his Maiden Norm. Check out the Interview with Naitik in this report.

Wesley So Wins Sinquefield Cup 2026 After Epic Playoff Against R. Praggnanandhaa

20/08/2026 -

Wesley So has defended his crown at the 2026 Sinquefield Cup, defeating R Praggnanandhaa in a dramatic playoff finale in Saint Louis. Following a tie at 5.5/9 in the classical section and a 1-1 in the rapid tiebreak games, the championship came down to an Armageddon clash. Under immense pressure, Wesley pulled off a gritty hold with Black from a losing position to claim his back-to-back title and third overall Sinquefield Cup trophy. With this win, Wesley also qualifies for the GCT finals. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Asian Junior Championship 2026 Round 1: Top Seeds Start with Smooth Wins

20/08/2026 -

The 2026 Asian Junior Chess Championship started on 17th August with a Blitz and Rapid Format. From 19th August, the Classical Format started, and the Top seeds in both Open and Girls categories registered smooth victories in the 1st round. The top 3 seeds of Open; GM Mayank Chakraborty, IM Artem Pingin and IM Apoorv Kamble started with a win. In the Girls section, top seed Pratitee Bordoloi also won her 1st game. The 2nd round starts on 20th August at 3 PM IST. Photos: Tushar Damor

32nd Abu Dhabi Masters R5: Avirat Chauhan Beats IM Bakhrom Bakhrillaev

20/08/2026 -

The 32nd Abu Dhabi Masters is past the halfway mark, and after completion of 5 rounds, 10 players are in joint first place with 4/5. GM Iniyan P. and GM SL Narayanan are also among those 10 players. In the 5th round, untitled Avirat Chauhan defeated Bakhrom Bakhrillaev to reach 3/5 points. Avirat is increasing his rating by 28 points as he scored all 3 points against International Masters. 20th August is a rest day, and the 6th round will start on 21st August at 5 PM Local Time/6:30 PM IST. Photos: Anmol Bhargav

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News Bites

Sahithi Varshini scores her 2nd WGM norm at the Kanizsa Open 2026

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Vidit Gujrathi launches the chess vertical of Physics Wallah

Vidit Gujrathi and Divya Deshmukh feted with Arjuna Award

Simul with GM Aravindh Chithambaram at Chola Chess Club, Chennai on 22nd August!

14-year-old Aadik Lenin scores his 2nd IM norm in Hungary

2009-born Jihan Tejas Shah scores his maiden IM norm!

10-year-old Aarit Kapil scores his 2nd IM norm in Serbia

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