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59th Biel Chess Festival 2026 Day 10: Aronian Keeps the Lead, 14-Year-Old Gloeckler Shines in MTO

22/07/2026 -

Action resumed at the 59th Biel Chess Festival as the four qualified finalists in the Masters Triathlon and Three Generations Challenge kicked off their final classical round-robin phase. With 12 massive classical points up for grabs across the final three rounds, Tuesday witnessed Levon Aronian defending his tournament lead after drawing against Le Quang Liem. Meanwhile, 14-year-old German sensation Christian Gloeckler surged further ahead in the Masters Open. Photo: Biel Chess Festival

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Chaos in Chennai: Nihal and Pranesh Cause Major Upsets in Round 6 at Quantbox Chennai GM

22/07/2026 -

The Penultimate round delivered an absolute thriller of a day at 4th Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters 2026. As in the previous round, Gukesh was clearly better, and this time he fumbled against Pranesh M, and Pranesh managed to beat Gukesh to reach 3 points. The tournament leader, Arjun Erigaisi, suffered a tough loss against Nihal Sarin, and now Nihal is also on 3 points. The tournament is open for anyone to grab, and the last round will be most exciting to watch. The final round will start on 21st July at 2:30 PM IST. Photos: Tushar Damor

Md. Imran Wins Colonel Santosh Babu Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026

22/07/2026 -

International Master Md. Imran scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 to win the Colonel Santosh Babu Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026. IM Vignesh Advaith Vemula also scored 8.5/9, but better tiebreaks helped Imran win the tournament. Five players scored 8/9 to finish in 3rd to 7th places according to tiebreak scores. LSK Chess Academy organised the tournament on 11th and 12th July in memory of the late Mahavir Chakra-honoured Colonel Santosh Babu. Photo: L. Satish Kumar

The Battle for Bengaluru: Inside Every Team at Global Chess League 2026

21/07/2026 -

The Tech Mahindra Global Chess League returns for its fourth season, bringing the world's biggest chess stars to Bengaluru from September 3–13, 2026. With six power-packed franchises, fresh team combinations, exciting debutants, and fierce rivalries, here's a complete look at every squad, their strengths, and what makes this season the most anticipated yet. We also give you 10 reasons why you should follow this event and visit Bengaluru to watch the tournament in person.

59th Biel Chess Festival 2026 Days 6-9: The Final Phase Begins

21/07/2026 -

While Levon Aronian unleashed a speed-chess masterclass to tighten his grip on the Masters Triathlon entering the final stage, the spotlight in the open section belonged to 14-year-old German IM Christian Glöckler, who emerged as the sole leader of the Masters Open (MTO) after a dramatic top-board victory over India’s IM Savitha Shri B. After the rest day on Monday, Aronian will take on Le Quang Liem, and Erdogmus will face Suleymanli. Photo: Biel Chess Festival

India No.1 Arjun Erigaisi beats World Champion Gukesh at 4th Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters 2026

21/07/2026 -

Arjun Erigaisi defeated World Champion D Gukesh in a complex battle in the 5th round of the 4th Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters 2026 Chess Tournament. Gukesh played a brilliant game to outplay Arjun, and he was completely crushing, but he couldn't find the perfect finisher, and the game went on. Under time pressure, Gukesh let the chances slip and then made a crucial error to lose the game. In another decisive result, Nodirbek Abdusattorov defeated Nihal Sarin. The 6th round will start on 21st July at 3:30 PM IST. Photos: Tushar Damor

Ankit Das wins 8th Ayodhana International Classical Rating 2026

21/07/2026 -

Ankit Das of West Bengal scored an unbeaten 8/9 to win the 8th Ayodhana International Classical Rating 2026 Chess Tournament. Ankit Das and Arun Kataria of Rajasthan both ended on 8/9, but a better tiebreak score helped Ankit clinch the title. Chess Players Parents’ Forum organised this tournament at Assam Down Town University, Panikhaiti, Guwahati, Assam from 8th to 12th July. The total prize fund was ₹4,00,000, with top 3 prizes of ₹70,000, ₹50,000, and ₹30,000. Photos: Pranab Kumar Nath

Ani Aronian Releases Debut Music Video "Friends"

20/07/2026 -

For years, chess fans have seen Ani Aronian, the wife of GM Levon Aronian, cheering him on from the sidelines. But long before that, she was nurturing a dream of her own. She has been writing songs since childhood, pouring her thoughts and emotions into notebooks, though she wasn't ready to share them with the world. Now, with the release of her debut music video, Friends, Ani takes the first step in a new chapter. Read on to know the story behind her music video. Photo: Elena Tash

4th Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters Round 4: Alireza Maintains his Lead, Arjun Erigaisi Closes In

19/07/2026 -

Alireza Firouzja is maintaining his sole lead after 4 rounds at the 4th Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters Chess Tournament. In the 3rd round, there was only 1 decisive result where Arjun Erigaisi defeated Hans Niemann. In the 4th round, all games ended in a draw. Currently, Alireza is on 3/4 points with 2 wins and 2 draws, while Arjun is chasing him with 2.5/4 points. The 5th round will start on 20th July at 3:30 PM IST. Photos: Tushar Damor

BREAKING: India gets its 99th Grandmaster - Rathanvel VS

18/07/2026 -

Rathanvel V S is India's 99th Grandmaster, achieving the coveted title after crossing the 2500 Elo mark at the 3rd Guwahati Smart City International Open 2026. The Coimbatore-born chess player had already completed his GM norms in 2022, but his journey to the rating milestone became a remarkable story of resilience and perseverance. A World Youth U-10 bronze medallist and one of India's strongest International Masters for several years, Rathanvel has finally earned the title his strength had long deserved.

World Champion D Gukesh loses to Alireza Firouzja at the 4th Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters 2026

18/07/2026 -

Alireza Firouzja defeated World Champion D Gukesh to score his second consecutive win of the 4th Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters Tournament. Alireza is the only player who scored a win in 2 rounds. In the 1st round, he defeated Pranesh M, and now he has defeated Gukesh. With this win, Alireza gained a full-point lead just after 2 rounds, as all other games ended in a draw in the 2nd round too. The 3rd round will start on 18th July at 3:30 PM IST. Photos: Tushar Damor

Alireza Firouzja starts with a win at the 4th Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters 2026

17/07/2026 -

Alireza Firouzja is in red-hot form from the past few events, and he is keeping up the same form at the 4th Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters too. Alireza defeated Pranesh M with white pieces in the 1st Round. The other 3 games ended in a draw. World Champion D Gukesh drew against Nihal Sarin, Hans Niemann drew against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Dmitry Andreikin drew against Arjun Erigaisi. The 2nd round will start on 17th July at 3:30 PM IST. Photos: Tushar Damor

59th Biel Chess Festival 2026 Day 5: R Vaishali Survives a Scare against Kosteniuk

17/07/2026 -

It was a peaceful day at the 59th Biel Chess Festival as all the games in the Masters ended in a draw. Levon Aronian drew against Jose Martinez, Le Quang Liem drew against Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, and Aydin Suleymanli drew against Matthias Bluebaum. In the Genreational Challenge, Marco Materia defeated Carissa Yip, and the other 2 games ended in a draw. Vaishali survived a scare against Kosteniuk and drew the game. The 4th classical game will start on 17th July at 2 PM Local Time. Photo: Biel Chess Festival

"If You Want a GM Norm, Beat a GM" : Michal Krasenkow

16/07/2026 -

GM Michał Krasenkow sits down after a dramatic comeback win to talk about his turbulent game, his storied career, and why he has no intention of making life easy for the Indian players chasing norms. Michal dominated the 2nd Chola Chess Grandmaster Round Robin Tournament and won the event in style. Check out the interview. Photos and Interview: Devansh Singh

59th Biel Chess Festival 2026 Day 4: Le Quang Liem Catches Aronian; 16-Year-Old Finek Dominates

16/07/2026 -

It was an action-packed fourth day at the Biel International Chess Festival, highlighted by a shifting leaderboard in the Masters Triathlon, an absolute masterclass by a 16-year-old rising star, Finek Vaclav, and fierce competition across the open tournaments. In the Masters, Le Quang Liem scored his 2nd consecutive win to get into the joint lead with Levon Aronian in the leaderboards. The 3rd classical game will start on 16th July at 2 PM Local Time. Photo: Biel Chess Festival

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