Harshavardhan G B Clinches GM Title; Daakshin Arun Secures 2nd IM Norm at Chola Chess

After long games, decisive results, and 2 Norms, the dust has settled at the Chola Chess Academy. The initiative that started with a hope of giving opportunities to our young talents has finally paid off. After the successful conclusion of the Chola Chess 2nd GM Norm and 1st IM Norm Round Robin Tournament, India got its 97th Grandmaster, as Harshavardhan G B scored his final GM Norm. Daakshin Arun scored his 2nd IM norm and is just 1 norm away from becoming an International Master. GM Michal Krasenkow and GM Aleksej Aleksandrov won the GM and IM tournaments, respectively. Photos: Devansh Singh

Stranded with Fever, No Passport, and 2 GM Norms: The Unbelievable Story of 16-Year-Old IM Md Imran

Imagine being 16, stranded in Europe with no passport, no visas, and almost ₹5 Lakhs worth of lost gear after a bus driver unexpectedly abandons you. Now imagine fighting a fever, spending your mornings at embassies, and playing chess in the afternoon. This is what International Master Md Imran was facing before the First Saturday Round Robin Tournament. Refusing to withdraw so he wouldn't ruin the tournament for others, the completely self-taught kid, who has never had a coach, pushed through absolute exhaustion to score 7/9 and made his 1st GM Norm.

Asia's Best Are Headed to Hong Kong: Asian Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2026

The fast-chess fever that grips the elite every December is coming to Asia. From 28 to 30 July 2026, Hong Kong will host the first-ever Asian Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships, an open continental showdown for men and women, modelled on FIDE’s year-end World Rapid & Blitz spectacle and backed by a quarter of a million Hong Kong dollars in prizes. Better still, both halves count toward the FIDE Circuit and, as the calendar currently stands, this is the last Circuit event in Asia in 2026.

Laptop to chess players through the ChessBase India YouTube members program

For a chess player, a good laptop is not a luxury. It is the engine room of their entire training routine: every database, every engine line, every online class and every tournament preparation session runs through it. Yet for many talented players across India, owning a laptop that can actually keep up with modern chess software remains out of reach. This is the gap that the ChessBase India YouTube Members Laptop Initiative was created to close. Now in its third year, the initiative continues to support deserving young talents. Read on to learn how to apply.

GM Abhijit Kunte and Balraj Ghai team up to bring Pune GM Round Robin 2026 at The Fern Habitat

The Title norm hunt has long been the most expensive hurdle for aspiring Indian Grandmasters- but Pune is about to rewrite that script after Tamil Nadu. From June 30th to July 8th, 2026, the inaugural Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Tournament is bringing the titleholders from globe right to Maharashtra's doorstep. This historic event merges the decades-long grassroots dedication of the Kunte family’s Buddhibal Kreeda Trust with the modern, inclusive hospitality of Balraj Singh Ghai’s The Fern Habitat.

The Big Chess Inter-School Tournament returns to Mumbai on 4th & 5th July 2026

The Big Chess Inter-School Tournament returns for its third edition on 4th and 5th July 2026 at Dublin Square, Phoenix Marketcity Mall, Mumbai. Open to school-going children up to 10th standard, the tournament promises exciting competition, attractive prizes, scholarships, and a chance to play a simul against a GM/IM. Registrations are now open, with limited spots available in each category. Read the full article to know all the details and register before entries close.

Zero Fees, Zero Prizes: The Movement Changing Kerala Chess

Great movements often begin with a simple question: What if every aspiring player, irrespective of financial background, had an opportunity to experience serious classical chess? That was the question that gave 1st Chess For Everyone by Premier Chess Academy. When the inaugural edition took place in Thiruvananthapuram back in March 2026, it felt like a bold experiment. A FIDE-rated classical tournament with exactly ₹0 entry fee and ₹0 cash prize. Premier Chess Academy is coming up with its 2nd Chess for Everyone tournament from 20th to 23rd August. Read more about this initiative.

Arkady Dvorkovich to seek third term as FIDE President

With two people already having announced their willingness to run for the post of FIDE President - Wadim Rosenstein and Jan Buettner, it was now time for the incumbent FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich to announce his willingness to seek the post of FIDE President for the third term. Viswanathan Anand will no longer be the one who become the Deputy President if Dvorkovich wins. It would be Timur Turlov.

Magnus Carlsen will come to India for the Global Chess League Season 4

The Global Chess League is one of the best team tournaments in the world of chess. Some of the best players in the world play in the event. This year the 4th edition will take place in Bangalore, India from the 3rd to 13th of September 2026. Magnus Carlsen will make a return to the competition after not playing in the 2025 edition. 29th of June 2026 is when the players will be drafted in the respective teams. We tell you who are the players in the draft.

Harshavardhan G.B. Becomes India’s 97th Grandmaster

Harshavardhan G.B. is India's 97th Grandmaster. He has scored his final Grandmaster norm at the 2nd Chola Chess GM Norm Round Robin Tournament, officially securing his GM title. He remained completely unbeaten throughout the tournament, scoring the required 6.5/9 points, and crossing 2500 rating too!! His path to the final norm was an absolute masterclass in clutch performance. After sitting on 3 points from the first 5 rounds, he needed an intense 3.5 points from his final 4 games to cross the finish line. Check out what happened next. Photos: Devansh Singh

Final Round Showdown: High-Stakes Battle for GM and IM Norms in Chennai

IM Harshavardhan G B is just half a point away from becoming the 97th Grandmaster of India. Harshavardhan already has 2 GM Norms, and in this Chola Chess GM Norm Round Robin Tournament, his live rating went above 2500. A draw is enough for him to secure his final GM Norm. In the penultimate round, he defeated GM Alexei Fedorov with black pieces, and in the final round, he is facing GM Mihail Nikitenko with white pieces. Photos: Devansh Singh

HelpChess Foundation raises Rs. 80 Lakh in 2025–26 to support chess players

The HelpChess Foundation has raised Rs. 80,83,155 in the year 2025-26 through 936 contributions received from the chess community. These funds were directed towards supporting talented chess players across India. This article provides a detailed account of the beneficiaries, their achievements, and how the funds were utilized. Read the full report to understand how every contribution helped strengthen and grow the chess ecosystem.

Ashutosh Banerjee Wins 4th Gujarat GM Below 2000 Rating 2026

Ashutosh Banerjee scored 8.5/10 points to win the 4th Gujarat International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament-2026 (Category B - Below 2000). Vivek Sharma and Shreyas Ghadi also scored 8.5/10 points to secure 2nd and 3rd place according to tiebreak scores. The tournament was held at Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, Ahmedabad, from 1st to 4th June 2026. The total prize fund was ₹15,00,000 with the top 3 prizes of ₹1,25,000, ₹1,00,000, and ₹80,000. Photos: Mr. Bhavesh Patel

Felix Blohberger Wins Friendly Match Against David Navara in Vienna

From June 8 to 13, a fascinating friendly match took place in Vienna, Austria, between 23-year-old Austrian Grandmaster Felix Blohberger and renowned Czech Grandmaster David Navara, a former 2750+ player and for many years the leading player of the Czech Republic. The match ended with a 3.5-2.5 victory for Blohberger and marks an important milestone in the Austrian grandmaster’s journey toward the 2600 mark, a goal he has set for himself. Photos: Emilia loren

World Youth Chess Championship Concludes in Grand Style Six New Champions Crowned

The FIDE World Youth Chess Championships 2026 concluded with six new World Champions emerging across the age categories. IM Anthony Atanasov of Canada (Open Under-18), WFM Valeria Kleymenova of FIDE (Girls Under-18), IM Khagan Ahmad of Azerbaijan (Open Under-16), WFM Veranika Abramkina of FIDE (Girls Under-16), FM Antoni Radzimski of Poland (Open Under-14), and Zahra Allahverdi of Azerbaijan (Girls Under-14) captured the coveted world titles.

From an Indian perspective, the biggest highlight came in the Girls Under-18 section, where WFM Pratitee Bordoloi produced an unbeaten performance to win the silver medal, India's lone medal at this year's World Youth Championship. Read Full Report , Photos by FT Niklesh Jain