Making the leap from International Master (IM) to Grandmaster (GM), especially after the age of 20, is a demanding journey. It requires not only immense effort, determination, and adaptability, but also several other important factors. This article explores those factors that shape the final stretch from IM to GM, with the recent success of GM Harikrishnan as an example. He secured his 2nd and 3rd GM norms back-to-back at the Lince Andújar open and the La Plagne Open. This will offer valuable insights into what it truly takes to cross that final hurdle. Photo: Shyam Sundar

One of the most unusual games of the Gibraltar Chess Festival was the one between Sandipan Chanda with the white pieces against Vassily Ivanchuk. We all know that Sandipan is a deep thinker and always put a great amount of thought behind his moves. So it was very surprising that he 'blundered' on the 12th move. Of course, it was not a blunder, it was a well-calculated risk by Sandipan. But the computers don't seem to agree with the Indian GM. GM Shyam Sundar got intrigued by this game and sent us his analysis from a human point of view. We are sure that this will help you to better understand how grandmasters think over the board.