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Raahul VS wins 7th Shaastra Rapid Rating 2026

26/04/2026 -

Raahul VS of Tamil Nadu, who recently achieved the GM title by winning the ASEAN Chess Championship, won the 7th Shaastra Rapid Rating Tournament 2026, organized by the Shaastra, a techno entertainment festival of the Indian Institute of Technology Chennai. Seven GMs and eight IMs took part in the star-studded event this year, and grandmasters won the top 3 positions. Raahul was half a point ahead of the others, with eight points. The total prize fund for the tournament was five lakhs rupees. Six players tied for the second to seventh places, and GM Vignesh NR had the best tiebreak score among them. Photos: Prof. Rathinam Anantharam

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Vaishali’s emotional return to Chennai after winning Candidates 2026

25/04/2026 -

R. Vaishali won the FIDE Candidates 2026 on 15th April. After the award-winning ceremony on 16th April in Cyprus, the whole of India, and especially Chennai, was waiting for its Champion!! It was the early morning of 19th April when Vaishali landed in Chennai, and for her welcome, there were her fans, friends, family members, teachers, media, and so many people, but the most important one was her father, Mr Rameshbabu, we saw the sacrifices and the strength of mother Nagalakshmi but even if Rameshbabu was not physcially present during the event, he was supporting the kids from heart. A Grand Felicitation Ceremony was held in Chennai on 20th April by the Tamil Nadu State Chess Association in honour of the Women's Candidate Winner, R Vaishali. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy, Tushar Damor/ChessBase India

Best moments from the FIDE Candidates tournament 2026

24/04/2026 -

Any tournament is mostly remembered for its results. But there still lie stories between the games. Photos capture the beautiful moments of the tournament: champions in their element, teams behind them, and fans who bring the arena to life. Photos don't just document the tournament. They preserve its emotions, its atmosphere, and the stories! Check out this full photo story of the Candidates tournament 2026. Photo: Niki Raga

Goutham Krishna H clear first at 35th RCC STS Blitz Rating 2026

24/04/2026 -

IM Goutham Krishna H played brilliant chess to score 10.5/11 points to win the 35th RCC STS International FIDE Rated Blitz Chess Cup 2026. After 11 rounds of play, Goutham was clear 1.5 points ahead of the field, while 13 players scored 9/11 points to secure 2nd to 14th places. IM CRG Krishna and IM Nitin S secured 2nd and 3rd place, respectively, according to tiebreak scores. The tournament was organized by Rao’s Chess Corner at St. Theresas School, Bethany Institution, Bendur in Mangalore, Karnataka on 29th March 2026. The total prize fund was ₹1,00,000 with top 3 prizes of ₹20,000, ₹10,000, and ₹7,000 respectively. Photos: Rao's Chess Corner

V S Nandish and Pratitee Bordoloi are the Indian Under-17 National Champions

24/04/2026 -

V S Nandish of Tamil Nadu and Pratitee Bordoloi of Karnataka won the 35th National U-17 Open and Girls Chess Championship 2026. In the Open section, FM V S Nandish (TN) scored 9.5/11 points to clinch the National Championship, and Ethan Vaz (Goa) scored 9/11 to secure 2nd place. 7 players scored 8.5/11 to finish from 3rd to 9th place, respectively; Madhvendra Pratap Sharma (MP) secured 3rd place on better tiebreak scores. In the Girls section, Pratitee Bordoloi scored 9/11 to become National Champion, Saranya Devi Narahari (AP) scored 8.5/11 to secure 2nd place, and Anushka Bapu Kutwal (MAH) secured 3rd place after scoring 8/11. The National Championship was organised by the Gujarat State Chess Association in Ahmedabad. Photos: Neelkanth Kagathara

Invitation to Foreign Grandmasters to play at 360 One Global Chess Festival in Mumbai

23/04/2026 -

The 360 One Global Chess Festival returns with its 9th edition, to be held in the vibrant city of Mumbai from 10th to 18th June 2026. Over the years, this tournament has built a strong legacy as one of India’s premier international chess events, consistently attracting top talent and providing a competitive platform for rising stars and seasoned professionals alike. This year promises to be stronger than ever. The Masters section has been carefully curated to ensure a high-quality field, with entry for Indian players restricted to those who have crossed a classical rating of 2400 in the last two years (July 2024 to June 2026 FRL).

Mihir Shah convincingly wins 2025-26 Grand Prix at Phoenix ChessBase India Club

23/04/2026 -

Mihir Shah displayed a dominant performance throughout the year at Phoenix ChessBase India Chess Club in Mumbai. 12 monthly blitz tournaments were held on the 4th Saturday of every month at the club, and the winners secured Cash prizes, ChessBase India gift hampers, as well as Grand Prix points. Mihir participated in all 12 events, starting from April 2025, and won 7/12 tournaments. The Finale was conducted on 4th April with the higher Stakes as the Grand Prix points were double, but Mihir showed his consistency and won the finale too, and finished on 289 points. FM Anirudhha Potawad scored 153 points and secured 2nd place, while Iyer Arvind scored 105 to secure 3rd place. Photos: Nehal Deshmukh, Aanchal Dhakar/ChessBase India

Abhimanyu Puranik wins ₹1,00,000 after dominating at 3rd JKs ECA Rapid Rating 2026

23/04/2026 -

Abhimanyu Puranik scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 points to win the 3rd JKs ECA All India Open FIDE Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026. Abhimanyu drew against Akshay Borgaonkar in the 7th round and won his remaining games. Karthikeyan P, Vaibhav Jayant Raut, and Shlok Sharnarthi scored 8/9 points to finish in 2nd-4th place according to tiebreak scores. The tournament was conducted by JK's Excellence Chess Academy on 19th April at Gulmohor Banquets, Abhiruchi Mall, Pune. The total prize fund was ₹4,00,000 with top 3 prizes of ₹1,00,000, ₹50,000, and ₹25,000, respectively. Photos: Ravindra Potawad/ChessBase India

Viani Antonio Dcunha wins 34th RCC STS Rapid Rating 2026

22/04/2026 -

IM Viani Antonio Dcunha scored an unbeaten 9/10 points to win the 34th RCC STS International FIDE Rated Rapid Chess Cup 2026. Viani Antonio Dcunha, Goutham Krishna H, and Harsh Suresh scored 9/10 points and secured 1st to 3rd places respectively on tiebreak scores. The tournament was organized by Rao’s Chess Corner at St. Theresas School, Bethany Institution, Bendur in Mangalore, Karnataka, from 28th March to 29th March 2026. The total prize fund was ₹2,00,000, with top 3 prizes of ₹40,000, ₹25,000, and ₹12,500 along with trophies. Photos: Rao's Chess Corner

Jaiveer Mahendru perfect at Children's Research University Under 18 Rapid Rating 2026

22/04/2026 -

FM Jaiveer Mahendru scored a perfect 9/9 points to win the Children’s Research University All India Open FIDE Rated Rapid Under-18 Chess Tournament-2026. 10 players scored 8/9 points to finish from 2nd to 11th place; better tiebreak scores helped Viresh Sharnarthi (MAH) and Haridev S (TN) to secure 2nd and 3rd place. The tournament was organised by CR University at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, on 28th March 2026. The total prize fund of this One Day Rapid Rating event was ₹4,00,000, with top 3 prizes of ₹25,000, ₹21,000, and ₹14,000. Photos: IA Prof R. Anantharam

Nitin S wins 33rd RCC STS Classical Rating 2026

21/04/2026 -

IM Nitin S scored an unbeaten 8/9 points to win the 33rd RCC STS International FIDE Rated Classical Chess Cup 2026. Nitin S and Sham R both scored 8/9 points to finish in 1st and 2nd place according to tiebreak scores. Sarvana Krishnan P, Murali Krishnan BT, Nishant TR, and Anilkumar OT scored 7.5/9 points to finish in 3rd to 6th places, respectively. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹5,00,001, and the top 3 prizes were ₹70,000, ₹50,000, and ₹35,000. The tournament was organized by Rao’s Chess Corner at St. Theresas School, Bethany Institution, Bendur in Mangalore, Karnataka, from 27th March to 1st April 2026. Photos: Rao's Chess Corner

R Vaishali secures the World Championship Spot

21/04/2026 -

It's been almost 5 days since the FIDE Candidates 2026 was over, and we have two challengers for the World Championship Title. Vaishali Rameshbabu won her last game against Kateryna Lagno to win the Women's Candidates. Javokhir Sindarov was unstoppable from the start and won the Candidates with a round to spare, remaining unbeaten throughout the event. Vaishali will play the World Championship match against Ju Wenjun, and Javokhir Sindarov will take on D Gukesh for the title. Check out the prize distribution ceremony photos in this article. Photos: Michal Walusza, Niki Riga/ FIDE

Storytime with Viswanathan Anand and Aruna Anand

21/04/2026 -

What if one story could change a child’s life? Across India, many children are still waiting to discover the joy of reading. The Turning Pages Foundation is working to change that through its India Reads Aloud initiative. They collaborate with famous personalities to capture a child’s imagination through storytelling. In a recent episode, Viswanathan Anand and Aruna Anand joined this initiative by narrating a story for young listeners. Read on to discover how this idea is creating a lasting impact. Photos: Turning Pages Foundation

The Real Battle Begins: Gukesh vs Sindarov -Who Has the Edge?

20/04/2026 -

Right now, if there is one player dominating the global chess conversation, it is Uzbekistan’s 20-year-old Javokhir Sindarov. After winning the FIDE Candidates in brilliant style, he earned the right to fight for the world title against reigning World Champion Gukesh. In this article, we explore how he claimed the Candidates title and assess his upcoming World Championship clash with Gukesh. Photo: Maria Emelianova & Michal Walusza / FIDE

10 unknown photos of R. Vaishali

20/04/2026 -

The whole world knows that Vaishali Rameshbabu won the FIDE Candidates 2026, and now she is going to play the World Championship match against reigning Women's World Chess Champion Ju Wenjun. The stories of the candidates and Vaishali's journey are all over the internet. But what if we bring you 10 unseen special photos of Vaishali's Career? Check out this short article with her photos and the backstory behind each one of them.

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