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Simul with GM Aravindh Chithambaram at Chola Chess Club, Chennai on 22nd August!

18 Aug 2026

14-year-old Aadik Lenin scores his 2nd IM norm in Hungary

15 Aug 2026

Latest News

Awonder Liang on Chess, Statistics, AI and the Pursuit of Small Gains

02/09/2026 -

In a candid January 2026 interview, 2700-level chess prodigy Awonder Liang reflects on his unique journey from a teenage sensation to a serious competitor while balancing a degree in economics and applied math. Liang challenges the notion that elite chess requires sacrificing a normal life, arguing that at the low 2700s, massive gains are still possible through fundamentals and doing what you enjoy. Read the full interview for his fascinating insights into chess and what drives his journey. Photo: Lennart Ootes

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CHESSBASE '26 + MEGA DATABASE '26

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From Engineering to International Master: The Incredible Journey of Nithin Babu

02/09/2026 -

Nithin Babu crossed the 2400 rating barrier at the 2026 Kanizsa Open to become one of India's newest International Masters. Widely regarded as a formidable talent, his title was only a matter of time. The real proof of his chess strength is that he earned all four of his IM norms in Open Swiss events rather than closed round-robins and achieved three of them right here on home soil. Read on to explore the full story of Nithin's incredible journey. Photo: David Llada

FIDE Rating list September 2026: Praggnanandhaa back in the top 10

01/09/2026 -

The September 2026 FIDE rating list is out. Praggnanandhaa has returned to the World Top 10 after seven months. India has 15 players in the Open Top 100 and 11 players in the Women’s Top 100. Several Indian women have also made notable gains, including Deekshitha Modipalli and Kalyani Sirin. Here’s a look at the biggest rating and ranking changes among Indian players this month.

GM Aaryan Varshney Clear First at 2nd Siliguri SCGC Classical Fide Rating 2026

01/09/2026 -

GM Aaryan Varshney of Delhi scored an unbeaten 9/10 to win the 2nd Siliguri SCGC International Fide Rating Chess Tournament 2026. Parambrata Sarkar also remained unbeaten and scored 8.5/10 to finish in 2nd place. Aritrya Pal secured 3rd place with 8/10 points and the best tiebreak score. The tournament was organised at Shilpanchal Bhawan, Burdwan Road, Siliguri, West Bengal. The total prize fund was ₹4,50,000, and the top 3 prizes were ₹80,000, ₹60,000, and ₹40,000, along with trophies. Photos: Sekhar Paul

How CircleChess and Neurostellar are bringing cognitive science into chess training

31/08/2026 -

Chess is a game of skill, calculation and concentration. But how much do we really know about what happens in a player's mind during a game? CircleChess and Neurostellar are exploring this question by bringing cognitive science to chess training. Their initiative combines chess data with cognitive-performance tracking to study focus, endurance and decision-making. Here’s a look at how this could add a new dimension to understanding chess performance. Photos: CircleChess

Aditya Savalkar Wins Vish: 2nd Makarand Aaba Patil Chashak Rapid Rating 2026

30/08/2026 -

Aditya Savalkar scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 points to win the Vish: 2nd Makarand Aaba Patil Chashak FIDE Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026. CM Ashish Chaudhari also scored 8.5/9 to finish in second place according to tiebreak scores. Nirgun Keval scored 8/9 points to secure third place. The tournament was organised by Vishwaganga Pratishthan, Satara, on 9th August 2026. The total prize fund of this one-day rapid rating tournament was ₹1,50,000, with top 3 prizes of ₹15,000, ₹10,000, and ₹7,000 along with trophies. Photo: Aparna Shinde

Ken Chess Academy and Lions Club of Ichalkaranji to Organise the 1st Ken Chess Solving Cup

30/08/2026 -

In April 2026, ChessBase India was awarded a grant by the World Federation for Chess Composition (WFCC) to promote the art of chess composition across India. A portion of this fund has already helped us conduct solving competitions in Chennai, Delhi NCR, and Mumbai — and now, the journey takes us to Ichalkaranji, in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district. On 5 September, Ken Chess Academy and Lions Club of Ichalkaranji, in association with ChessBase India, is set to host the city's first-ever chess solving contest. Details follow in this article.

15-Year-Old Jval Saurin Patel Becomes Gujarat's Youngest International Master

29/08/2026 -

Jval Saurin Patel secured his final IM norm at The Kanizsa Open 2026 to become one of the latest International Masters of India and the youngest in Gujarat. Jval scored his 1st IM Norm at the Vezerkepzo GM November 2025 in Budapest, where he scored 5.5/9. He scored his 2nd Norm at the Sixdays July Chess Tournament in Budapest, again scoring 5.5/9, and finally he scored his Open IM Norm at the Kanizsa Open, where he again scored 5.5/9. Read the life story of Gujarat's Youngest International Master.

Praggnanandhaa Creates History After Winning The Grand Chess Tour 2026

29/08/2026 -

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu made history by becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour 2026. Pragg defeated Fabiano Caruana in the final 15-13 to win the GCT. For almost a month, Pragg has been playing at Saint Louis Chess Club. He started by winning the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz; after that, he finished 2nd in the Sinquefield Cup and finally won the whole tour for the 1st time. With this win, Pragg also qualifies for the Grand Chess Tour 2027. Photos: Lennart Ootes

The 15-Year-Old Who Beats Magnus in Titled Tuesday: The Story of Vandan Alankar Sawai

29/08/2026 -

Defeating Magnus Carlsen in any format remains one of the most difficult tasks in modern chess. For 15-year-old Vandan Alankar Sawai of Delhi, that milestone arrived on August 18 during the late Titled Tuesday. Paired with the white pieces against the former World Champion in Round 2, Vandan kept pressing, but at one point Magnus mouse-slipped, and after that Vandan gave him no chance to come back. Read the story of this talented boy.

Jaffna to Host Landmark First-Ever IM Norm Round Robin Event in December 2026

29/08/2026 -

Sri Lankan chess is set to witness a historic breakthrough as the Jaffna District Chess Association (JDCA) announces the First-Ever International Master (IM) Norm Round Robin Tournament in Jaffna. Held under the banner of the Jaffna International Chess Championship 2026, the landmark 9-round classical event will take place from December 5 to December 9, 2026, at Chelva Palace, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Mayank Chakraborty becomes 2026 Asian Junior Champion; Daksh Goyal Secures Bronze

28/08/2026 -

GM Mayank Chakraborty scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 points to become the 2026 Asian Junior Champion. In the final round, Mayank drew against IM Artem Pingin to clinch the title. Three years ago, Mayank won the Asian Junior Rapid Championship, and this time he won the classical title. Mayank started the tournament as the top seed and finished in 1st place. Artem Pingin secured the silver medal with 7/9 points. Daksh Goyal of India scored 6.5/9 and had the best tiebreak score to finish in 3rd place. Photos: Nehal Deshmukh

13-Year-Old Pratitee Bordoloi Creates History to Become 2026 Asian Junior Girls Champion

28/08/2026 -

WFM Pratitee Bordoloi scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 points to become the 2026 Asian Junior Girls Champion. Pratitee started the tournament as the top seed, and she gained an early lead, which she kept throughout the tournament. In the final round, she drew against Sravyasree Bheemarasetty to clinch the title. Pratitee's FIDE rating has now crossed 2350, and she also directly earns the Woman International Master title. Photos: Nehal Deshmukh

GothamChess Joins BASILISK, Science's Esports Team, as Head of Chess

26/08/2026 -

Basilisk is an esports team that champions science. The first chess player to join their team was GM Vincent Keymer. Next one was Anish Giri. Two world class players. And now on 26th of August Basilisk made a huge announcement! World's Biggest Chess Content Creator - Gotham Chess aka Levy Rozman will join them as the head of Chess!

Pranesh M Wins Kanizsa Open 2026, 10 Indians Score Norms

26/08/2026 -

GM Pranesh M scored an unbeaten 7/9 points to win the Kanizsa Open 2026 Group A (Above 2200). In the final round, Pranesh scored a win on demand against IM Petrovskiy Vadym to reach 7 points. 3 other players, including Or Bronstein, Andrei Volokitin, and India's Karthik Venkataraman, also scored the same points to finish in 2nd to 4th place according to tiebreak scores. It was a great event for other Indian players as 10 Norms were scored by the Indian Contingent. Photos: David Llada

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News Bites

PM of India gifts Uzbek President chess scoresheet

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Sahithi Varshini scores her 2nd WGM norm at the Kanizsa Open 2026

Live FIDE Presidential Debate With Buettner, Rosenstein, Turlov on chess.com

Vidit Gujrathi launches the chess vertical of Physics Wallah

Vidit Gujrathi and Divya Deshmukh feted with Arjuna Award

Simul with GM Aravindh Chithambaram at Chola Chess Club, Chennai on 22nd August!

14-year-old Aadik Lenin scores his 2nd IM norm in Hungary

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CHESSBASE '26 + MEGA DATABASE '26