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Rethinking time controls in the Candidates and World Championship

17/02/2026 -

Are the Candidates and World Championship time controls stuck in the past? Players are still facing brutal time scrambles that hurt the quality of chess we love to watch. Why does the increment start at move 41 for some, but from move one in others? Is tradition really helping, or just stressing players unnecessarily? In this opinion piece, Ravi Abhyankar dives into why FIDE’s current system feels arbitrary and offers a smarter, simpler solution. If you are interested in how time controls shape elite chess, this article offers a thoughtful perspective. Photo: Wikipedia

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Garv Rai Dominates at 1st Uttarakhand Fide Rapid Rating 2026

17/02/2026 -

Garv Rai from Delhi dominated the field at the 1st Uttarakhand Fide Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026. Garv scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 points and won the tournament with a full point lead. Garv was on 8/8 points and drew his last game to win the event, and won a cash prize of ₹31,000. Four players scored 7.5/9 points, and better tiebreaks helped Shreyansh Sahu to secure second place and IM Akshat Khamparia from Madhya Pradesh to secure third place, respectively. This two-day rapid rating event was organized by the DevBhoomi Chess Association at Bhartiyam International School, Rudrapur, on 10th and 11th January, with a total cash prize of ₹3,00,000. Photos: Bhartiyam International School

10 year-old Aarit Kapil wins 1st Shri PL Sharma Memorial Rapid Rating 2026

16/02/2026 -

The 1st Shri PL Sharma Memorial Open International Fide Rated Rapid Chess Tournament was won by CM Aarit Kapil of Delhi. He scored 8 points to win the tournament with 7 wins and 2 draws. Second place was secured by CM Vandan Alankar Sawai of Delhi, as he also scored 8 points with 7 wins and 2 Draws. Third, Fourth, and Fifth place was secured by IM Aaryan Varshney of Delhi, scoring 8/9 points, Anadkat Kartavya of Gujarat, 7.5/9 points, and IM Sharma Dinesh K of LIC scoring 7.5/9 points. The tournament was organised by Queen Chess Academy at Sadhu Vaswani International School for Girls, Sector 4, Shanti Niketan, Delhi, on 31st January-1st February. Photos: IA Shardul Sharma

Magnus Carlsen wins FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026

16/02/2026 -

Magnus does it again!! Magnus Carlsen wins the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026 after defeating Fabiano Caruana in the finals with a score of 2.5-1.5. This is Carlsen's 21st World Championship title; he recently won his 19th and 20th titles at the World Rapid and Blitz Championship in Qatar. Magnus came back from a really tough spot in 3rd game and never looked back after that. Nodirbek Abdusattorov secured third place after winning his match against Vincent Keymer. Arjun Erigaisi lost his match against Hans Neimann and missed the 5th place. This 3-day event comes to an end with Magnus winning his 21st world championship, and Caruana in agony. Read the detailed report of the last day. Photos: Stev Bonhage/Fresstyle chess, Aditya Sur Roy/Chessbase India

15-year-old Arshiya Das from Tripura becomes the first WIM of North East India

16/02/2026 -

Arshiya Das from Tripura has created history by becoming the first Woman International Master of North East India. The 15-year-old completed all three WIM norms within a year. Her final norm came in Serbia, where she won the 42nd Rudar IM Round Robin tournament with 6.5/9 score. Along the way, she also earned her first Woman Grandmaster norm. Arshiya’s journey stands as a strong inspiration for young players, especially girls from the North East region. Discover her rise to becoming the region’s first Woman International Master. Photo: Purnendu Das

Anuj Shrivatri emerges victorious at SBI GIC Fide Rated Rapid Tournament 2026 at IITK

15/02/2026 -

Top seed Anuj Shrivatri wins SBI GIC Fide Rated Rapid Tournament 2026 at IIT Kanpur. Anuj scored 8/9 points to secure the victory. He was leading the event with 8/8 points going into the 9th round, Anuj lost to Arnav Agrawal, a young talent from the host state Uttar Pradesh. This important win helped Arnav to secure second place with 8/9 points. India's latest GM Aaryav Varshney and IM Aaditya Dhingra also scored 8/9 points to secure 3rd and 4th positions, respectively, on tiebreaks. This one-day rapid-rated event was organized in the IIT Kanpur campus on 7th February with a total cash prize of ₹2,00,000. Photos: Akshat Srivastava/ChessClub IITK

FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026: Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana into the finals

15/02/2026 -

Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana will face each other in the finals of the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026. In the semifinals, Magnus won his match against Nodirbek Abdusattorov with a score of 3-1, and Fabiano Caruana defeated Vincent Keymer to secure his spot in the finals. After losing to Carlsen in the World Chess Championship 2018, this is a great chance for Caruana to win his first World Championship title. In the lower bracket, Arjun Erigaisi won his match against Javokhir Sindarov, and Hans Neimann sealed the deal against Levon Aronian. Arjun and Hans will be playing each other in the match for 5th place. The Finals will be played on Sunday, February 15th, at Local Time 3:00 pm CET/ 7:30 pm IST. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy/Chessbase India

Aditya Kiran Borgohain finish first at 1st Namrup Fide Rapid Rating 2026

14/02/2026 -

Aditya Kiran Borgohain wins the 1st Namrup Fide Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026 with a clear half-point lead. Aditya scored 8.5/9 points to clinch the title. He was on 8/8 points and drew his last game. Cheniram Pegu secured second place with 8/9 points. For third place, it was a four-way tie, but Yuwan Das secured third place due to his better tiebreak score. This two-day Rapid event was successfully organized by Namrup Anchalik Parents Group at the picturesque venue of Namrup College Auditorium, Namrup, Dibrugarh, Assam, on 10th and 11th January, with a total prize fund of ₹1,00,000 and time control of 25 minutes + 10 seconds. Photos: R K Pancham Singh

How the Queens of Braille Chess are making their mark on Indian chess

14/02/2026 -

Indian chess has produced many Grandmasters, including current World Champion D Gukesh and Women's World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh. Every year, more young talents continue to emerge across the country. But away from the spotlight are achievers like Himanshi Rathi and Sanskruti More. They play Braille chess, a format that relies on touch, memory, and deep focus. Their journeys have been shaped by challenges and resilience. They want to bring change and greater recognition to the game they love. Read their story and discover a side of Indian chess that deserves to be seen. Photo: BBC

FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026- Group Stage: Magnus Carlsen dominates the field

14/02/2026 -

Magnus Carlsen dominates the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026. In the group stage, Magnus scored 4.5/7 points to secure first place in the round-robin event, and as a reward, he got the chance to choose his opponent for the semi-finals. The other 3 players who secured the position in the top 4 are Vincent Keymer, Fabiano Caruana, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Magnus will take on Nodirbek in the semifinals today, while Vincent will face Caruana. Arjun Erigaisi won a beautiful game against Carlsen, but he lost his last game against Fabiano Caruana, and with it, the possibility of him becoming FIDE Freestyle Chess World Champion this year is over. The semifinals will be played on Saturday, February 14, at Local Time 3:00 pm CET/ 7:30 pm IST. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy/Chessbase India

Phoenix ChessBase India Chess Club celebrates its 4th anniversary with Rs.500,000 rapid and blitz rating event

14/02/2026 -

On 19th March 2026, the ChessBase India Chess Club at Phoenix Marketcity Mall will complete 4 years. To celebrate this milestone, we are organising the 4th Anniversary Phoenix ChessBase India Chess Club FIDE Rapid and Blitz Tournaments 2026 on 28th February and 1st March at Dublin Square, Phoenix Marketcity Mall, Kurla, Mumbai. Both events are FIDE-rated, with a total prize fund of Rs. 3 lakh for Rapid and Rs. 2 lakh for Blitz. Read on to find all the event details and registration information.

Nitish Belurkar clear first at 3rd Late Smt Sunandabai Dayanand Bandodkar Memorial Blitz Rating 2026

13/02/2026 -

Top seed IM Nitish Belurkar of Goa scored 9.5/10 points to win the title of Late Smt. Sunandabai Dayanand Bandodkar Memorial Blitz FIDE Rating Tournament 2026. Mandar Lad Pradip scored 9/10 points to secure second place; he lost his only game against Nitish in the 7th round. IM Rahul Sangma secured third place with 8/10 points. The total prize fund of the event was ₹1,00,000, with top 3 prizes of ₹12,000, ₹10,000, and ₹8,000 respectively. The tournament was organised by the Tiswadi Taluka Chess Association under the aegis of the Goa Chess Association on 30th and 31st January 2026 at the Institute Menezes Braganza Hall, Panaji, Goa. Photos: IA Arvind Mhamal

Books that helped Andy Woodward convert winning positions

13/02/2026 -

Converting a winning position is one of the toughest skills in chess. Many players build an advantage only to see it slip away at the final stage. This article looks at how Andy Woodward mastered this crucial aspect of the game. From solving endgame studies at a young age to relying on classic chess books, Andy built strong technique, calculation, and patience. These skills played a key role in his Tata Steel Challengers 2026 win. This article offers valuable lessons for players at every level. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Apoorv Kamble wins SixDays Budapest January 2026 GM Round Robin

13/02/2026 -

Apoorv Kamble of Karnataka clinched the title of SixDays Budapest January 2026 GM Round Robin Group (B). Apoorv was unbeaten throughout the event. He won 3 games and drew his other 6 games to score 6/9 points. FM Palczert Matyas of Hungary and IM Krallis Christos also scored 6/9 points, but Apoorv secured the first place on a better tiebreak score. Apoorv also scored his 5th IM norm in the tournament. It was a round-robin event with time control of 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment, organized by SixDays Chess in Budapest at the tournament hall of the Hungarian Chess Federation from 25th to 30th January. The next SixDays Budapest event will be conducted from 19th to 24th March. Photos: Apoorv Kamble, Michael Yip

Charvi - the girl who broke 2300 Elo at the age of just 11 years!

12/02/2026 -

11-year-old FM Charvi A made an amazing jump last year. She climbed from 1900 to 2300 in live rating. Former World Under-8 Girls Champion and former Under-8 and Under-10 National Champion, Charvi is now the second youngest girl ever to cross the 2300 Elo mark. Her disciplined habit of analysing games independently, without using an engine, has been a major factor behind her rise. Read the full article to see how this young prodigy thinks, trains, and confidently takes on stronger players.

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