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FIDE Rating list March 2026: Gukesh is the only Indian in the World Top 10

03/03/2026 -

The March 2026 FIDE Rating List brings a reality check for Indian chess at the very top. D Gukesh and Koneru Humpy are the only Indians in the world top 10 in the Open and Women’s categories, respectively. Arjun Erigaisi suffered a significant drop, falling from world No. 5 to No. 11 after the Tata Steel Masters 2026. However, in the Rapid and Blitz formats, Arjun continues to be the only Indian in the world's top 10. R Praggnanandhaa also slipped in the classical rankings, dropping from world No. 8 to No. 13 following his Tata Steel Masters 2026 performance. Koneru Humpy is the only Indian in the world's top 10, currently placed at world No. 5 in the women’s classical rankings. Divya Deshmukh stays at world No. 12 despite not playing any classical events in February, while R Vaishali and Harika Dronavalli each dropped two places, now ranked No. 18 and No. 20, respectively. Overall, India has twelve players in the Open and seven in the Women’s world top 100. Photo: Abhyudaya Ram

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13th National Amateur Chess Championship 2026: 6 new champions crowned

03/03/2026 -

Five out of the six titles were won by Tamil Nadu players in the 13th National Amateur Chess Championships, organized by Ananthi Chess Academy, Madurai, and Viyugam Chess Academy, Hosur, at the Adhiyaman College of Engineering, Hosur, held from 25th February to 1st March. A total of 999 players from more than 20 states participated in the five-day, nine-round event. The championship was conducted under six categories – Under 2300, 2000, and 1700 rating for Open and Women. Check out this report to see all the details of the event. Photos: R Anantharam/Ananthi Chess Academy

Commentator or a Strong GM? Harshit Raja’s Inspiring Run at the Saint Louis Masters 2026

03/03/2026 -

After a small break, Grandmaster Harshit Raja made a fine return to Classical chess at the Saint Louis Masters 2026, an elite invitational tournament featuring a powerhouse lineup of just 100 players. Facing a gauntlet of opponents with an average rating of nearly 2580, Harshit proved what a strong player he is, leading to a performance rating of 2600+ and a gain of 13 Elo points. From daring "coffee house complications" against Oparin to a strategic masterclass in the Najdorf, Harshit shares the insights behind his "chill" and inspired approach to the game. It's quite inspiring how the GM from Pune is balancing his careers as a commentator as well as a player.

12-year-old Vesho Doulo dominates at Chess for Everyone Fide Rating Open 2026 in Nagaland

03/03/2026 -

Vesho Doulo delivered a superb performance of 9/9 points to win the AICF Chess for Everyone Fide Rating Open Chess Tournament 2026 in Nagaland. Vesho won all of his games and increased his rating by 75 points. Ilung Haikam scored 7/9 points to secure the 2nd place. Icicang Haikam scored 7/9 points to finish in the 3rd place. The tournament was organized by the Interschool Chess Association at Ngwalwa Village Council Hall, Peren, Nagaland, from 10th to 14th February with a nominal entry fee of ₹250. The top 3 prizes were ₹3,000, ₹2,000, and ₹1,500 with trophies. Photos: Maciding Doson

Prague Chess Festival 2026 R5: A day filled with decisive results, Divya scores her first win

02/03/2026 -

The fifth day of the Prague International Chess Festival 2026 was filled with decisive results, as in the Masters section, all 5 games were decisive. In the 5th round of the tournament, World Champion D Gukesh suffered a tough loss against Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Jorden van Foreest is showing some wonderful chess this year and won his 3rd game in a row to maintain his sole lead with 4/5 points. In the Challengers section, Divya Deshmukh scored her first win of the tournament against countryman Surya Shekhar Ganguly. 2nd March is a rest day, and players will get some time to ease off their minds and come back prepared on 3rd March. Round 6 of the Masters, Challengers, and Futures starts on 3rd March after the rest day. The open section will have its 5th round today on 2nd March at 3 pm local time, 7:30 pm IST. Photos: Abhyudaya Ram

Aarav Dengla becomes India’s 93rd Grandmaster and Mumbai's third

02/03/2026 -

Aarav Dengla from Mumbai has become India’s 93rd Grandmaster and the third Grandmaster from the city. He completed all the requirements for the GM title in January 2026 at the GM i IM Round Robin "Festival Saha Bijeljina 2026. He delivered a splendid performance to finish first with 7/9 points. He crossed 2500 on the FIDE Rating list in February. He scored his first GM norm at Medjunarodni velemajstorski turnir in 2022, followed by his second GM norm at the Zupanja Celebrates Chess - 70 Years of Pride and Tradition in 2025. His third GM norm came at the GM Mix Bijeljina 2026. Read the article to know more about Aarav's path to becoming a Grandmaster. Photo: Groningen chess

Pranav Anand wins 42nd Cappelle la Grande 2026, GM Rohith Krishna finished on 3rd

02/03/2026 -

GM Pranav Anand scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 points to secure the clear first place at the 42nd Cappelle la Grande International chess tournament 2026. Pranav was clearly half a point ahead of the field after completion of the tournament. 14 players scored 7/9 points, but IM Timothe Razafindratsima of France and GM Rohith Krishna S secured 2nd and 3rd positions respectively due to their tiebreak scores. GM Rohith Krishna S was unbeaten in the tournament with 4 draws, and he drew his game against Pranesh M in the last round. Pranesh secured 4th place on tiebreaks. The tournament was organized at Palais des Arts et Loisirs (Palace of Arts and Leisure) in Cappelle-La-Grande, France, from 21st to 27th February 2026, with a total prize fund of €12,000. Photos: L'Échiquier Cappellois

Your chance to play at Mavens Open International Chess Championship 2026 in Nairobi

02/03/2026 -

Mavens Chess Club is delighted to invite you to participate in the 2nd edition of the Mavens International Open Chess Championship 2026 to be held from 19th March to 22nd March 2026 at the Alx-The Piano Campus in Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. This tournament is organized to promote competitive chess in the county and provide players with an opportunity to enhance their skills and ratings. Mavens Chess Club is excited to offer a well-structured event featuring the classical format in the Open and Ladies sections and the Rapid format in the Junior section. Check out the full details of the event in this report. Photos: Wambugu Wandina/Mavens Chess Club

Prague Chess Festival 2026 R4: Vincent gets his first win, Jorden on a winning streak

01/03/2026 -

After 4 days of action at the Prague International Chess Festival 2026, Jorden van Foreest has emerged as the sole leader of the Masters section after winning his round 4 game against Nodirbek Yakubboev with black pieces. Jorden is on 3/4 points with decisive results in all 4 of his games. In round 4, Vincent Keymer scored his first win of the tournament after beating defending champion Aravindh Chithambaram with white pieces. In the Masters, the other 3 games ended in a draw. In the Challengers section, Divya Deshmukh and Surya Shekhar Ganguly drew their respective games, and in round 5, they will be facing each other. The 5th round for Masters, Challengers, and Futures, and the 4th round of Open starts today at 3 pm local time, 7:30 pm IST. Photos: Abhyudaya Ram

How Vishy and Aruna Anand are silently powering chess in India

28/02/2026 -

In 2019 Gukesh became the second youngest grandmaster in the world of chess at the age of 12 years and 7 months. When he achieved the feat, a lot of possibilities arose for him. However, one that was extremely special was visiting the home of Vishy and Aruna Anand. In this article we tell you how this ritual of young achievers of Indian chess visiting the home of the legend is powering chess in the country! Don't miss the beautiful testimonial by Rajinikanth, Gukesh's father.

Prague Chess Festival 2026 R3: Jorden van Foreest beats Gukesh, Divya lost to Zhu Jiner

28/02/2026 -

It was a bad day for Indian players in round 3 of the Prague International Chess Festival 2026, as in the Masters section, World Champion D Gukesh blundered in the opening and lost to Jorden Van Foreest. Meanwhile, in the Challengers section, both Indian participants, Divya Deshmukh and Surya Shekhar Ganguly, lost their respective games. Gukesh and Divya are on 1/3 points with 2 draws, while Surya is on 0.5/3 points. Defending Champion Aravindh Chithambaram played a solid draw against Parham Maghsoodloo in the 3rd round, and he is on 1.5/3 points. The 4th round for Masters, Challengers, and Futures, and the 3rd round of Open starts today at 3 pm local time, 7:30 pm IST. Photos: Abhyudaya Ram

Can you solve these 15 positions from GM Swapnil Dhopade’s training camp?

28/02/2026 -

GM Swapnil Dhopade has taken a major step by opening his offline chess academy, Chess Pathshala, in Nagpur. He recently conducted the first offline training camp at the academy, where players worked on carefully selected strategic exercises. An advanced offline camp for players rated above 2100 is scheduled from 19th to 25th March. The article also features 15 strategic puzzles from the camp that readers can try solving themselves. Check out the full article to know more about how you can register for the upcoming camp. Photo: Swapnil Dhopade

Punjab State Rapid and Blitz 2026: Shubham wins Rapid, Nikhil shines in Blitz

27/02/2026 -

Top seed Shubham Shukla of Ludhiana scored an unbeaten 8/9 points to win the Punjab State Rapid Chess Championship. Nikhil Chehal of Patiala won the Punjab State Blitz Chess Championship with an unbeaten 8/9 points. The championship also served as a selection tournament, with the top 2 performers earning the opportunity to represent Punjab at the upcoming National Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships. The event was successfully conducted on January 31 and February 1, 2026, at the campus of Amity University, Mohali. The state championship was organized by the Punjab State Chess Association in collaboration with Social Substance. Photos: Ankush Kathuria

Is Gukesh calculating too much?

27/02/2026 -

Is calculation becoming a strength that turns into a weakness? In this opinion piece, Ravi Abhyankar explores the delicate balance between calculation and instinct in modern chess. Can today’s elite players afford to rely only on deep calculation and ignore speed? Why does blitz matter so much for a classical World Champion today? By blending data, history, and modern realities, the article explains what dominance means in modern chess. Photo: Eng Chin Ann

Prague Chess Festival 2026 R2: Aravindh gets the winning start after beating Hans

27/02/2026 -

Defending champion Aravindh Chithambaram scored a big win with the black pieces in the second round of the Prague International Chess Festival 2026. In the Masters section, there were 2 decisive results where Aravindh Chithambaram won his game against Hans Niemann, and David Anton Guijarro beat Jorden van Foreest with white pieces. In another important game, Nodirbek Yakubboev drew against D Gukesh. In the Challengers section, Divya Deshmukh drew her game against GM Daniil Yuffa, and Surya Shekhar Ganguly played a draw against Jonas Buhl Bjerre. In the 3rd round, Divya will be facing the World no.2 Zhu Jiner with black pieces. The third round for Masters, Challengers, and Futures, and Round 2 of Open starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 7:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Abhyudaya Ram

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