46th Chess Olympiad R4: Gukesh defeats Shirov as both Indian teams score 3-1 victories

Vishwa E emerged as the champion of the Viyugam Chess Academy International FIDE-rated Below 1700 Chess Tournament 2026, scoring 7.5 points from nine rounds. Held in Chennai from 4 to 6 September, the tournament brought together 395 players from three federations and featured a ₹6 lakh prize fund, 139 trophies and three laptops. Gokul Nandan Reddy Bhumireddy and Muthu Vignesh G also scored 7.5 points to finish second and third, respectively.| Photos: Shivaranjini.

On day 3 of the 46th Chess Olympiad, Indian teams maintained their winning streak, scoring wins in both the Open and Women sections. In the Open section, Gukesh and Nihal won their games to defeat Italy by 3-1. In the Women section, Koneru Humpy, Vantika Agrawal, and Savitha Shri scored wins to defeat Greece by 3.5-0.5. In the 4th round, the Open team will face Spain, while the Women's team will face Mongolia. Photo: Michal Walusza

12-year-old Avirat Chauhan scored his maiden IM norm at the 32nd Abu Dhabi Masters 2026 after scoring 5.5/9 points and a performance rating of 2527. Avirat played some brilliant games throughout the tournament and also increased his rating by 54.8 points. Avirat didn't stop there and was crowned runner-up at the 2026 National U-13 Championship. We caught up with Avirat after his fantastic performance; check out the interview in this report.

Day 2 was a far tougher outing for India than the opener. The Open team needed a dramatic escape to beat Indonesia 2.5-1.5, while World Champion D Gukesh saw his live rating drop below 2700 after being held to a draw. The Women’s team had a smoother time of it, beating Finland 3.5-0.5. Both teams remain unbeaten after two rounds and will look to carry that momentum into the next round. Check out the full report. Photo: Michal Walusza

You would think a room full of chess players would be all business: heads down, silent, serious. But spend a day at the Olympiad and you realize it's the opposite. There is laughter, there is chaos, there are little moments between strangers who just met. Day 2 of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad had plenty of that. Take a look. Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz

The Chess Olympiad is much more than just the games. When thousands of people from different countries come together for one event, there is bound to be plenty happening around the venue. We spotted quite a few interesting moments on Day 1, so let’s take a little break from the chess and have a look. Photo: Michal Walusza

India began the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad with wins in both sections. However, the Open and Women’s teams had very different starts. The Open team faced an early setback as Arjun Erigaisi suffered a shock defeat against Thailand’s IM Prin Laohawirapap on the top board. Nihal Sarin, D Gukesh and Vidit Gujrathi won their games to secure a 3-1 victory. The Women’s team had a comfortable 4-0 victory over the Dominican Republic. Check out the entire report. Photo: Michal Walusza

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad officially opened in Samarkand yesterday. This will be the largest edition in the event's history. The fixed board order is also out. In Round 1, India's Open team takes on Thailand, while the Women's team faces the Dominican Republic. The round starts at 3 PM local time (3:30 PM IST). Photo: Abhyudaya Ram

Candidate Master Vedant Nitin Vekhande scored an unbeaten 8/9 points to win the Runwal Second International FIDE Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026. It was a 4-way tie for first place with 8 points, but better tiebreaks helped Vedant clinch the title. Jaiveer Mahendru, Diptayan Ghosh and Gusain Himal secured 2nd to 4th place according to tiebreak scores. Aryan Institute of Chess Excellence organised this rapid rating tournament with a total prize fund of ₹2,00,000. Photo: Dr. Deepak Vaze

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad opens in Samarkand today. Defending champions India have landed with both eyes on gold - again! Here is a look at the team's departure from India, the full squad and board order, the schedule, and everything else you need to follow the action from Day 1.

The Pursue Your Chess Scholarship has been supporting Indian chess players for the past seven years through the HelpChess Foundation. What started in 2018 with Rs. 50,000 has steadily grown and now reaches Rs. 2,00,000 in its 7th edition. Over the years, several talented players have used the scholarship to continue their chess journeys and pursue their goals. This year, another player gets the chance to receive financial support. Check out the article to learn how to apply.

Ganges Grandmasters defeated APL Alpine Pipers in the final of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2026, Season 4, to win their 1st GCL Title. The 1st match of the finals ended in a 3-3 draw, but in the 2nd match, Ian Nepomniachtchi defeated World No.1 Magnus Carlsen with the black pieces on the Icon board. Player of the Tournament Stavroula Tsolakidou defeated Koneru Humpy to seal the deal. Ganges Grandmasters defeated Alpine by 4-2. FYERS American Gambits defeated CheQ Mumba Masters to secure 3rd place. Photos: Global Chess League

Mission ISC 2027 is our effort to introduce more chess players in India to the fascinating world of chess composition and solving. With the International Solving Contest coming up in January 2027, we want to help more people discover the joy of solving and prepare to take part with confidence. Through affordable webinars, mock solving events, and plenty of free material, we hope to make chess solving accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Details follow in this article.

Alpine APL Pipers and Ganges Grandmasters will play the final of Tech Mahindra Global Chess League Season 4, even though both teams lost their last round. Alireza Firouzja handed Magnus Carlsen his first loss of the season as Triveni Continental Kings beat Alpine APL Pipers 11-6, while Ganges Grandmasters lost 9-7 to PBG Alaskan Knights. However, both teams secured a place in the final. CheQ Mumba Masters beat FYERS American Gambits 11-6 to finish fourth, and the two teams will play each other again for third place. The final will be played today, September 13, starting at 3:30 PM IST. Photos: Global Chess League

IM Girinath P.D.S. emerged as the clear winner of the Capa Chess Academy’s 6th International FIDE-rated Open Chess Tournament 2026, scoring an unbeaten 8/9 to finish a full half-point ahead of the field. Ayyappan P Santhana Prabu finished second with 7.5/9. Vijay Shreeram P also scored 7.5/9 to claim third place. |Photos: Capa Chess Academy.

Chola Chess is building a dedicated space for India's strongest young chess players to train and improve. It is led by R. B. Ramesh and Aarthie Ramaswamy and supported by a committed team. The initiative has already registered over 270 players, providing them with consistent, high-quality training through its camps. In this fifth edition of the series, we bring you another set of instructive positions discussed during a Chola Chess camp. Take your time, calculate deeply, and see how many you can solve.

Ganges Grandmasters scored the biggest win of Tech Mahindra Global Chess League Season 4 against CheQ Mumba Masters. It was a one-sided match where Ganges Grandmasters won 5 games and drew 1, making the final score 16-1. In another important clash, Alpine APL Pipers defeated FYERS American Gambits to stay in joint lead with Ganges. Magnus Carlsen defeated Javokhir Sindarov, and Vidit scored the most important win against Daniil Dubov. All teams will play their last match on 12th September; the race for the finals is still tricky. Photos: Global Chess League

Sivaram Ambikasaran emerged as the champion of the Forking Knights Below 1650 Chess Tournament. He remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, scoring an impressive 8/9 points. Devadarsan N S from Kerala secured the second position with another outstanding unbeaten performance, scoring 8/9 points. Barath G secured the third position with an impressive unbeaten score of 7.5/9 points. | Photos: Vishnuram S.

In a boost for Indian sports talent, energy major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has launched the ONGC Sports Scholarship Scheme 2026–27 under the Podium Aspirants Category. A total of 125 scholarships across 19 sporting disciplines are being awarded, with 3 dedicated spots for Chess (FIDE Classical): 2 for men and 1 for women. Selected players will receive monthly stipends ranging from ₹40,000 to ₹70,000 per month, along with travel/daily allowances for domestic tournaments and health insurance coverage.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE), alongside the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF) and the Selangor Chess Association, has announced that registrations are officially open for the FIDE World Amateur Chess Championships 2026. The marquee amateur event will be hosted at the 4-star KSL Esplanade Hotel in Klang, Selangor, Malaysia, running from November 4 to November 13, 2026.

It's been six days since the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2026 started, and after all teams have played 8 games, it's still unclear who will play in the finals and the 3rd-place match. After the matches, Alpine APL Pipers, FYERS American Gambits, and Ganges Grandmasters are on 15 Match points. CheQ Mumba Masters are in 4th place with 12 match points. The final 2 days will see 6 matches in total, deciding who gets the GCL Season 4 crown. Photos: Global Chess League

FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky sat down with Sagar Shah to reveal what has been keeping him busy for the better part of a year: the biggest standalone sponsorship contract FIDE has ever signed with a private company. Salesforce comes on board as title sponsor of the Gukesh vs Sindarov World Championship match in Geneva, in a three-year agreement worth $9 million.

FYERS American Gambits defeated CheQ Mumba Masters in the 20th Match of the GCL 2026 Season 4 to gain a lead in the points table. After 20 Matches and 5 Days of action, Javokhir Sindarov led FYERS American Gambits to the top with 12 Match Points and 60 Game points; Alpine APL Pipers are in second place, just 2 game points behind the Gambits, but Alpine played one fewer game than the Gambits. Ganges Grandmasters also have 12 Match points. The battle for the crown is getting intense day by day. Photos: Global Chess League