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Spirit vs. Circumstance: The Impact of Firouzja’s Mid-Tournament Withdrawal

22/05/2026 -

Alireza Firouzja's fighting spirit was absolutely commendable at the Super Chess Classic 2026. He injured himself after his game against Anish Giri in round 3. But he played his rounds 4 and 5 from the bed against Caruana and Sindarov. After the 5th round, Firouzja made the tough call of withdrawing from the tournament. While his pulling out from the event is completely understandable, it has left the remaining players in such a situation that there are no good options left. Read this article and let us know what your thoughts are about this situation.

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Arun Kataria dominates at 1st LNJ Bhilwara Rapid Rating 2026

22/05/2026 -

Arun Kataria scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 to win the 1st LNJ Bhilwara International Fide Rapid Rating Chess Tournament, Hurda 2026. Mohd. Amin Khan, Alokik Maheshwari, and Rishen Jilowa secured 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place, respectively. The tournament was organised by Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya Hurda and Zila Shatranj Sangh, Bhilwara, on 19th April 2026. The total prize fund was ₹2,00,000, with the top 3 prizes of ₹ 35,000, ₹25,000, and ₹15,000 along with trophies. Photos: Mr Ajay Kumar Gupta

Javokhir Sindarov starts winning again, beats Vincent Keymer at Super Chess Classic 2026

22/05/2026 -

Javokhir Sindarov defeated the sole leader, Vincent Keymer, in the 7th round of the Super Chess Classic Romania 2026. This win changed the race for the title as now 3 players are in a joint lead with 4.5/7 points. Fabiano Caruana defeated Praggnanandhaa with black pieces, while Jorden van Foreest received a forfeit point after the withdrawal of Alireza Firouzja. Now Caruana, Vincent, and Jorden are co-leading with 2 rounds to go. Who is going to prevail? What do you think? The 8th round will start on 22nd May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Ayaan Phutane and Nakshatra Gumudavelly are Karnataka State U-11 Champions

21/05/2026 -

Ayaan Phutane scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 points to win the Karnataka State Under-11 State Championship 2026. Sragvidha S and Shreyansh Das scored 7.5/9 to finish in 2nd and 3rd place according to their tiebreak scores. In the Girls category, Nakshatra Gumudavelly scored an unbeaten 8/9 to emerge as the champion, while Saanvika NA and Kaushi Kulkarni secured 2nd and 3rd place. The state championship was organised by Rao's Chess Corner at St Theresa's ICSE School, Mangaluru, Karnataka. Photos: Rao's Chess Corner

Calm before Chaos at Super Chess Classic 2026

21/05/2026 -

It was a peaceful day at the Super Chess Classic 2026 as all 4 games ended in a draw. After Alireza's withdrawal, his next opponents will get points without playing. In the 6th round, Vincent was paired up against Alireza, and as he was unavailable, Vincent secured a point and gained a full-point lead with 4.5/6. R Praggnanandhaa drew against Bogdan Daniel Deac. The all-Dutch clash between Anish Giri and Jorden van Foreest also ended in a draw, and Wesley So and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave drew after a long battle. Fabiano Caruana and Javokhir Sindarov made a quick draw. 4 players are chasing Vincent with 3.5/6 points. The 7th round will start on 21st May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

The Most Player-Friendly Tournament in India? Inside the VIT-AP Amaravati

20/05/2026 -

The Andhra Chess Association, in collaboration with VIT-AP University, is set to host the VIT-AP Amaravati Chess Festival, a landmark event designed to be one of the largest and most player-friendly chess celebrations in India. With a mission to nurture grassroots talent and alleviate the financial hurdles often faced by young athletes, the organisers are offering free food and AC accommodation for the first 500 registered Under-15 players and an accompanying parent. The tournament will be played in 2 categories: Open and Below-1800 from 1st to 8th June, with a ₹15,00,000 cash prize in each. Register yourself as soon as possible!

Heartbreaking - Alireza Firouzja withdraws from Super Chess Classic 2026 Romania

20/05/2026 -

Alireza Firouzja made a huge decision to withdraw from the Super Chess Classic 2026. Alireza made this decision after playing with Fabiano Caruana on the rest day, as their game was postponed due to Alireza's ankle injury. The news came out after the 3rd round; he missed the 4th round but played against Javokhir Sindarov in the 5th round from a hotel room. He played one more round under the same conditions. Check out what happened on the rest day. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Anand's former second IM V. Saravanan recommends 20 must-read books

19/05/2026 -

What does the study room of a former World Champion's trainer look like? IM Venkatachalam Saravanan has shaped some of the best minds in Indian chess. He is very wise, and that wisdom comes from the books he has read. He is also well known for his deep love of chess books. A few days back, we visited his house in Chennai for a tour of his study room, where he gave several book recommendations. In this article, we present 20 books from Saravanan's personal recommended list.

Injured Alireza Firouzja Plays Super Chess Classic Round 5 From Bed

19/05/2026 -

Have you ever seen a professional chess player playing in an over-the-board tournament while lying down in bed? After suffering an ankle injury after the 3rd round at Super Chess Classic, Alireza Firouzja decided to skip the 4th round against Fabiano Caruana. However, he came back stronger in the 5th round against Javokhir Sindarov and played the game from a bed, as he was unable to walk. The organisers provided a special room next to his hotel room so that he could play in there in the presence of the arbiter. Alireza could have decided not to play rounds anymore, but the love for this game is unreal. The 6th round will start on 19th May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Chakravarthi Reddy M dominates at 4th Unity Club Rapid Rating 2026

18/05/2026 -

IM Chakravarthi Reddy M scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 points to win Unity Club 4th All India Open Fide Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026. Joshua Mark Telles and Mandar Pradip Lad scored 8/9 points to finish in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively, according to tiebreak scores. The tournament was organised by Unity Club, Margao, on 18th and 19th April with a total prize fund of ₹2,00,000. The top 3 prizes were ₹25,000, ₹20,000, and ₹15,000 along with trophies. Photos: Pradeep Gaonkar

Bharat Singh Chauhan unanimously re-elected as the Chairman of Commonwealth Chess

18/05/2026 -

Commonwealth Chess Association unanimously re-elected India’s Bharat Singh Chauhan as Chairman for the 2026–2030 term during its Annual General Body Meeting held in Wasakaduwa, Sri Lanka. Alongside him, G. Luxman Wijesuriya was re-elected as General Secretary, while representatives from Malaysia, South Africa, Mauritius, Barbados, Kenya, New Zealand and Cyprus were elected to key positions. The Association also announced the launch of the inaugural Commonwealth School Chess Championship, set to take place in Malaysia in October 2026.

31 classroom discipline suggestions by GM R B Ramesh and why they matter

18/05/2026 -

In a recent post, R. B. Ramesh shared 31 thoughtful suggestions for students and coaches during training sessions. From concentration and independent thinking to note-taking and stamina, the ideas reflect what serious learning truly looks like. Many of these habits go beyond chess and help shape better learners and individuals. Read the full article and reflect on how many of these lessons you can apply. Photo: Amit Sharma

Vincent Keymer beats MVL to gain the sole lead at Super Chess Classic 2026

18/05/2026 -

Vincent Keymer defeated Maxime Vachier-Lagrave to gain the sole lead after 4 rounds of play at Super Chess Classic 2026. There was only one decisive result in the 4th round, where Vincent scored his 2nd win of the tournament. Another big news of this round was the unavailability of Alireza Firouzja due to health issues. The other 3 games ended in a draw, where Anish Giri drew against Javokhir Sindarov, R Praggnanandhaa played a quick draw against Jorden van Foreest, and Wesley So drew against Bogdan Daniel Deac in a long battle. The 5th round will start on 17th May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Anish Giri beats Alireza, Jorden also scores his first win at Super Chess Classic 2026

17/05/2026 -

In the 3rd round of the Super Chess Classic 2026, Anish Giri defeated Alireza Firouzja to score his 1st win of the tournament. In another decisive result, Bogdan Daniel Deac lost to Jorden van Foreest with white pieces. The battle between R Praggnanandhaa and Vincent Keymer also ended in a draw after a long fight. In the American clash between Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana, both players played solid chess to a draw. Javokhir Sindarov and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave drew quickly. After 3 rounds, 5 players are joint leaders with 2/3 points. The 4th round will start on 17th May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Test your skills with positions from the Chola Chess camp: 2nd Edition

16/05/2026 -

Chola Chess is building a dedicated space for India's strong chess players to train and improve. It is led by R. B. Ramesh and Aarthie Ramaswamy, and supported by a committed team. With consistent camps and serious training, it has already impacted over 1300 players across the country. In this second 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.

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