FIDE Rating list February 2026: Arjun Erigaisi continues to be India no.1 in all formats

India has thirteen players in the world’s top 100 in the Open category and seven in the Women’s category. Arjun Erigaisi continues as World No. 5 in classical, while remaining World No. 4 in Rapid and World No. 7 in Blitz. He is the only Indian in the world's top 10 across all formats. R Praggnanandhaa and World Champion D Gukesh remain at World No. 8 and No. 9. Nihal Sarin is at World No. 26. In the Women’s rankings, GM Koneru Humpy slipped one spot to World No. 6, GM Divya Deshmukh and GM R Vaishali remain at World No. 12 and No. 16, and GM Harika Dronavalli moved up to World No. 18. India maintains World No. 2 status across the Open, Women’s and Mixed federation rankings. Check out the article to know more. Photo: Prajwal Bhat

Come and witness the game of chess in the dark where minds see what eyes cannot

There are some chess events which are a little extra special because some really special people become a part of it. One such event was organised at the Agriculture Colony Community Hall, Hasthinapuram, in Hyderabad, India. Venkat Reddy S became the undefeated champion with a perfect score of 5/5. A total of thirty-three players participated in the one-day rapid event. The event was organised by Mahender Vaishnav who is former member of Indian visually challenged national cricket team. The entry fees was only Rs. 200 for all and for students just Rs. 100. The players were provided breakfast, lunch, evening tea and dinner. Each and every player got cash prizes, trophies and participation certificates making this an absolutely unique chess event. We wish more tournaments like these are organised at every part of the world regularly so that these players can get more chances to play. Photos by Aditya Sur Roy.

Chola Chess GM Norm RR D1: Audi Ameya starts with a win

The Chola Chess International GM Norm Round Robin Tournament 2026 started today in Chennai. There was only one decisive game in the first round of the event, where IM Audi Ameya won his game against GM Mahel Boyer of France with the black pieces. Audi played a great attacking game to secure the victory in the first round. Other four games ended in a draw, but not without a great fight. The event consists of a very strong field of 6 Indian IMs and 4 GMs from outside the country. The 2nd round starts on 4th February at 2 PM IST. Photos: Himank Ghosh

Sriram Adarsh Uppala, Prishita Gupta and Aamuktha Guntaka receive the 6th edition of the Pursue Your Chess Scholarship

Among all HelpChess initiatives, "Pursue Your Chess Scholarship" stands as the longest-running support for young talents. It began six years ago with Rs. 50,000, supporting just one player, and has since helped nine players on their chess journeys. This year, three more names join that list: Sriram Adarsh Uppala (Rs. 1,00,000), Prishita Gupta (Rs. 50,000), and Aamuktha Guntaka (Rs. 25,000). With this, the impact of the scholarship continues to grow, reaching players at crucial stages of their careers. Read on to learn more about the scholarship’s journey.

Top seed Augustin A dominates at 2nd LikeChess Rated Rapid Chess Tournament 2026

Top seed Augustin A won the 2nd LikeChess Rated Rapid Chess Tournament 2026 with a clear half-point lead. He scored 8.5/9 rounds in this one-day FIDE-Rated Rapid event and won ₹11,000. The second place in the event was secured by Arushi Severin Helen D Silva, who scored 8/9 points and won ₹8,000. For the third place, it was a tie between three players, but Farhaan M secured the third prize because of better tiebreaks. The event was successfully organized by LikeChess Academy, led by Chiranth M D, in association with the Khannur Group of Institutions on 1st February. The tournament saw a competitive prize pool of ₹1,40,000, along with 113 trophies and 40 medals. Photos: Chiranth M D

First Chola Chess International GM Norm Round Robin Tournament 2026 starts today

The First Chola Chess International Grandmasters Norm Round Robin Tournament 2026 kicks off today in Chennai. It is a FIDE-rated international chess tournament hosted at Chola Chess, Chennai. The event is conducted under FIDE laws of chess and provides a structured, professional platform for players to pursue Grandmaster norms through a competitive round robin format. The opening ceremony and drawing of lots for the tournament took place yesterday in Chennai. The event will be played from 3rd to 11th February 2026. The 1st round starts today at 2 PM IST. Photos: Himank Ghosh

Nodirbek Abdusattorov wins Tata Steel Masters 2026, Andy Woodward wins the Challengers

After the long wait of 4 years, Nodirbek Abdusattorov finally won the 88th edition of Tata Steel Masters, or famously referred to as 'Wimbledon of chess.' Nodirbek had a half-point lead going into the last round, and he maintained that lead after winning his last round game against Arjun Erigaisi. In the last three editions of the Tata Steel Masters, Abdusattorov came really close to winning the event, but this time he managed to win it in style by half a point lead over his fellow countryman Javokhir Sindarov, scoring 9/13. In the Challengers section, Andy Woodward clinched the title with a half-point lead over Vasyl Ivanchuk, and we will be seeing him taking part in the Masters Section next year, as he qualified for it after winning the Challengers title. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Tata Steel Chess

Pranay Akula and Naga Sai Sarthak Karanam are the Telangana Rapid and Blitz 2026 state champions

The Telangana state rapid and blitz 2026 championships were held on the 31st of January and 1st February respectively at the Yoga Hall, Lal Bahadur Stadium, Basheerbagh in Hyderabad. The top two finishers of the rapid - Pranay Akula and Adhyayan Banerjee and blitz - Naga Sai Sarthak Karanam and Shreyan Thipparthi qualified to represent the state of Telangana in the upcoming National rapid and blitz championships respectively. They received cash prize of Rs. 3,000 each. Around 135 players and 120 players participated in the rapid and blitz championship respectively. Photos by Aditya Sur Roy.

Top Seed Nubairshah Shaikh Wins 4th KTBS Rapid Rating 2026

International Master Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh lived up to his top-seed status by winning the 4th KTBS Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026, held at The Cambria International School. The event saw over 290 players competing for a total prize fund of ₹3,00,000. Nubairshah dominated the field, finishing with an impressive score of 8.5/9. His victory earns him the top prize of ₹50,000. IM Nikhil Dixit and Sharnarthi Shlok of Maharashtra scored 8/9 points, but better tiebreaks helped IM Nikhil Dixit to secure the second place and ₹35,000, while Sharnarthi Shlok secured third place and won ₹20,000. Photo Credit: Akshat Prajapati

How Chess Helped Me Through Cancer and Recovery

This article talks about how a frightening diagnosis unfolds into an unexpected but tender journey. Ariana Hinckley-Boltax is diagnosed with cancer and undergoes surgeries and chemotherapy. During such an uncertain period, chess became an escape and a comfort zone for her. Her dream of attending the World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025 leads her to Doha, where the experience proves far more beautiful than she imagined. Her mission was to get her chessboard signed by the players. Read on to see how things unfolded and whether she was finally able to fulfil her wish.

Photos: Ariana Hinckley-Boltax

88th Tata Steel 2026 R12: Uzbek domination in Wijk Aan Zee

In the penultimate round of the Tata Steel Masters 2026, Nodirbek Abdusattorov took a massive leap towards the title. After starting the day tied with his fellow countryman Javokhir Sindarov, Abdusattorov stands alone at the top of the leaderboard with 8.0/12. Nodirbek Abdusattorov played a masterful game with the White pieces against Germany's Matthias Bluebaum. Javokhir Sindarov played a quick draw against Praggananandha and currently he's in second place. Round 13 starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST for both Masters and Challengers section. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Tata Steel Chess

Riyan Amit Shah Clear First at 2nd Chesskraft Academy Below 1800 Classical

The 2nd Chesskraft Academy All India Below 1800 FIDE Rating Classical Chess Tournament 2025 was organized by Chesskraft Chess Academy at Swami Vivekanand International School, near Country Club, Kandivali West, Mumbai, from 9th to 11th January 2026. Riyan Amit Shah scored 8.5/9 to secure first place in the event. Riyan was unbeaten throughout the event and had one draw in the last round. Kagwade Kavish scored 8/9 to secure second place in the event. Three Players scored 7.5/9, but Lakshya Agrawal secured third place because of better tiebreaks. The top 3 Prizes were 40,000/-, 25,000/-, and 15,000/- respectively. Photos: Ravindra Potwad

Journey of Ambit Chess Club as it completes one year

Last year, on 18th January 2025, Ambit Chess Club was launched. As it completes one year, this article captures the journey of a space that grew from a cafeteria corner into a vibrant chess club. It reflects how community and competition can coexist beautifully under one roof. Mitali Naik, the Club Manager at Ambit Chess Club, takes you through the club’s first year, sharing moments, milestones, and the people who shaped its journey. The club carries a welcoming energy that makes everyone feel at home.

Remembering IM Arun Vaidya (1949-2025) - a strong chess player and coach

On 24th of December 2025, one of the gems of Indian chess passed away - IM Arun Vaidya. He was India's 7th IM and had represented the country at the Chess Olympiad 1984 in Thessaloniki, Greece. Apart from being a competent chess player, he was also a wonderful chess coach, helping the careers of many strong players. We speak about his life, his achievements and also have tributes from some of the greats of Indian chess - GM Vishy Anand, Pravin Thipsay and more.

Leon Luke Mendonca wins Muscat Nights International Open 2026, Pranesh M second

GM Leon Luke Mendonca, GM Pranesh M, GM Arkadij Naiditsch (BUL), GM Mikhail Mozharov, IM Mayank Chakraborty and GM Adly Ahmed (EGY) scored 6.5/9 each at Muscat Nights International Open A (>2000). Leon won the tournament on tie-breaks. The remaining four were placed second to fifth according to tie-breaks. Both Leon and Pranesh remained undefeated. Total prize fund was US$ 24500. The top three prizes were US$ 6000 + trophy + medal, 4000 and 3000 each. Raghav Srivasthav V scored 8/9, finished a half point ahead of others to win Open B (<2000). He received US$ 2000 + trophy + medal. Mayank won the Blitz Rating Open scoring an unbeaten 10/11 and finished ahead of the rest by a full point. GM Adham Fawzy (EGY), Pranesh and FM Radin Yadegar (IRI) scored 9/11 each. They were placed second to fourht respectively. The top three in Blitz were US$ 400 + trophy + medal, $300 and $200 each. Photo: Oman Chess Committee