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Deboushnik De reflects on his journey from 1927 to 2430 Elo in one year

28/01/2026 -

In this article, Deboushnik De describes his rise from a 1927 rating to 2430 Elo and two International Master norms within a single year. He highlights the importance of mindset, planning, and trusting the process during difficult phases that helped him overcome setbacks and perform consistently at a higher level. Deboushnik comes from North East India, where access to top-level tournaments and training resources is limited; that's why his journey is especially significant for players from the region. This could be a good reflection on setbacks, breakthroughs, and the realities of chasing norms. Check out the article to understand what worked for Deboushnik and what did not.

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Prraneeth Vuppala prevails at 37th Roquetas Chess Festival Open 2026

28/01/2026 -

GM Prraneeth Vuppala scored 7.5/9 to win 37th Roquetas Chess Festival Open 2026. Prraneeth finished a half point ahead of the rest. FM Pau Marin Ferragut (ESP), IM Filip Cukrowski (POL), IM Nico Chasin (USA) and IM Felix-Antonio Illinca (ROU) scored 7/9 each. They secured second to fifth place according to tie-breaks. The top three prizes were €2600 + trophy, €1600 and €1200 each respectively. GM Diptayan Ghosh, GM Raja Rithvik R and GM Vignesh N R scored 6.5/9 each. They were placed seventh, eighth and tenth respectively. IM Aronyak Ghosh scored an unbeaten 8/9 to secure second place in the 7th The Eve of Magi Blitz Rating Open. Nico won that event scoring 8.5/9. The top three prizes in Blitz were €120, €90 and €70. Photo: Club Ajedrez Roquetas

88th Tata Steel 2026 R9: Praggnanandhaa scores his first win

28/01/2026 -

The World Champion, D Gukesh suffered his third loss in Round 9 of 88th Tata Steel Masters 2026. This was against the World Championship Candidate, Matthias Bluebaum (GER). It was also Gukesh's third loss in the last four games. R Praggnanandhaa scored his first win of the event against compatriot, Aravindh Chithambaram. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) maintains his sole lead 6/9, after a draw against his 44th Olympiad Gold medal winning teammate and FIDE World Cup 2025 winner, Javokhir Sindarov (UZB). Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (TUR) and Jorden van Foreest (NED) won their respective games against Thai Dai Van Nguyen (CZE) and Vincent Keymer (GER) to move to 5.5/9 each. Round 10 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

Rao's Chess Corner invites you to 2nd Grand RCC International Rating Festival 2026

27/01/2026 -

Rao's Chess Corner invites you to 2nd Grand RCC FIDE Rated International Chess Festival 2026. The number of events have been doubled to six from the inaugural edition. There will be a Classical, a Rapid, two Blitz, one Freestyle (Chess960 / Fischer Random) and one Puzzle Solving Tournament. That means there is something for everyone. The total cash prize up for grabs is ₹1400001, ₹500001 in Classical, ₹200000 in Rapid, ₹100000 in each of the two Blitz events, ₹50000 in Chess960, ₹25000 in Puzzle Solving, Grand Prix prize ₹400000 and Academy/Team prize ₹25000. Entry is FREE for GMs, IMs, WGMs and WIMs with accommodation. Read the article to know more about the entire festival. Graphic: Rao's Chess Corner

Join the MeepleCon Blitz Tournament 2026 in Mumbai on 1st February

27/01/2026 -

MeepleCon, India’s biggest board game convention, is coming to Mumbai with the MeepleCon Blitz Tournament 2026! The tournament will take place on 1st February at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla, Mumbai. Players can choose to compete in one of two 7-round blitz events. The first tournament begins at 11:00 AM and the second starts at 4:00 PM. Early bird registration is open at Rs. 250, and all participants will receive free 2-day access to explore the convention. This means you can enjoy not just the chess tournament but also over 200 board games, special game zones, workshops, and other exciting tournaments happening across MeepleCon 2026. Don’t miss this chance to be part of one of India’s largest board game events. Read the article to find out how you can register and secure your spot.

Checkmate at the farm - A unique chess tournament by Akshayakalpa

27/01/2026 -

While most chess tournaments are organised inside closed doors and controlled environment, Akshayakalpa, one of the pioneers in sustainable and organic food production came up with the unique concept of checkmate at the farm. A chess tournament beyond the confinements of concrete, below the open skies and right in the lap of nature. Forty young enthusiasts participated in the unique event and after five fun yet intense rounds of chess, Aarav Kumar and Ishaan Kandi were declared the champions under-nine and under-fourteen categories respectively. But you know what was the most unique part of the event? It's what happened beyond the chess board. A pictorial storytelling by Aditya Sur Roy.

Bristy Mukherjee wins Tata Steel Chess Festival Women Rapid for the third time

27/01/2026 -

WFM Bristy Mukherjee won Tata Steel Chess Festival Women Rapid for the third time. She is the first player to achieve this unique feat of winning any Tata Steel Chess India Festival event for three times. Previously she won it in 2022 and 2024. She along with four more players - IM Nisha Mohota, Debapriya Manna, WIM Chandreyee Hajra and Anushka Gupta scored 6.5/7 each. Bristy won the tournament on tie-breaks. The remaining four secured second to fifth place respectively. The one-day seven-round Rapid Women tournament was organized by Dhanuka Dhunseri Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy at Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata, West Bengal on 9th January 2026. The total prize fund was ₹100000. Top three prizes were ₹20000 + trophy, ₹15000 and ₹10000 each respectively. This was Bristy's first tournament triumph of the year. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

IIT Kanpur To Host Its First FIDE Rated Rapid Chess Tournament

26/01/2026 -

Chess has been an integral part of the intellectual and competitive culture at IIT Kanpur. Beyond classrooms and laboratories, the game has served as a platform for strategic thinking, patience, and fun. As interest in the sport continued to grow, so did the need for an organized platform that could nurture talent, encourage participation, and provide competitive exposure. This vision laid the foundation for the formation of the 'Chess Club IITK' in 2007. With a solid track record in the online domain, Chess Club IITK now sets its sights on expanding into the offline arena, and IIT Kanpur is hosting its first FIDE-rated rapid Chess Tournament, featuring a whopping prize pool of 2,00,000 INR, on 7th February 2026. 9 rounds will be played in Swiss format with the time control of 10+5 Minutes at Yoga Hall, New SAC, IIT Kanpur Campus. Read this Article for more details.

Anatole Vlachos decimates 22nd Bois Colombes Master 2025, Aronyak Ghosh second

26/01/2026 -

IM Anatole Vlachos (GRE) scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 to win 22nd Bois-Colombes Master Open A (≥2000) 2025. He finished a full point ahead of the rest. Ten players scored 6.5/9 each. Out of them, IM Aronyak Ghosh and IM Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan (SRI) secured second and third place respectively. Anatole drew with the eventual runner-up, Aronyak in the seventh round. The total prize fund of the tournament combining three category was €8000. The top three prizes in Open A were €1500, €1000 and €600 along with a trophy each respectively. IM Arghyadip Das is the only other Indian to make a top ten finish in Open A. He scored 6.5/9 and was placed seventh. Photo: Cercle d’Échecs de Bois-Colombes

88th Tata Steel 2026 R8: World Champion D Gukesh bounces back

26/01/2026 -

Anish Giri (NED) handed Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) his first loss in Round 8 of 88th Tata Steel Masters 2026. Despite having a full point lead, Abdusattorov was not in a mood to play a quiet game and stay ahead. He wanted to play for the maximum. Giri got a pleasant position by move no.20 and his opponent's position kept getting worse. The reigning World Champion, D Gukesh bounced back with an emphatic victory against Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO). Aravindh Chithambaram and Yagis Kaan Erdogmus (TUR) drew against Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa respectively. Today is the second of three rest days. Round 9 starts tomorrow Tuesday 27th January at 2 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST for both Masters and Challengers section. Photo: Lennart Ootes / Tata Steel Chess

How much does an International Master spend on chess in a year?

26/01/2026 -

Every year, IM Nikhil Dixit shares an honest breakdown of how much he spends on his chess career. He started this as a personal Reddit post and it has now become a widely read annual reflection, crossing over 500,000 views in the past. In 2025, the numbers were especially significant because this was the year Nikhil finally completed his International Master title. In total, his chess-related expenses for the year amounted to Rs. 9,75,000 (approximately $10,720). Beyond the numbers, this breakdown offers insight into the financial realities of pursuing professional chess in India.

New: Understanding Middlegame Strategy Vol 12: Reversed Colour Systems – King’s Indian/Pirc Defence

25/01/2026 -

Ivan Sokolov’s new course examines colour-reversed King’s Indian and Pirc structures, showing how extra tempi influence typical plans and why these positions feel uncomfortable for humans but not for engines. He analyses key model games from Kramnik, Botvinnik, and Fischer, demonstrating that White usually gets a pleasant setup without a guaranteed advantage, leading to sharp, dynamic battles decided by understanding rather than theory. The course equips practical players, both with white and black, with clear ideas, typical patterns, and concrete plans for navigating these complex reversed-colour systems. Photo: ChessBase

88th Tata Steel 2026 R7: Abdusattorov increases his sole lead, A tough day for Indians

25/01/2026 -

Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) increases his sole lead at the conclusion of Round 7 of 88th Tata Steel Masters 2026. Abdusattorov got the better of World no.4, Vincent Keymer (GER) to move to 5.5/7. He is now a full point ahead of compatriot, Javokhir Sindarov (UZB). The FIDE World Cup 2025 winner, Sindarov drew against Hans Niemann (USA). The World Champion, D Gukesh could not overcome the previous day's grief. He suffered his second loss in-a-row against the off-form Anish Giri (NED). Arjun Erigaisi tried too hard for a win against Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (TUR) and paid a heavy price. Round 8 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

L'Echiquier Du Roy René invites you to 3rd Dole Trophy 2026 offering prize fund worth more than €30000

24/01/2026 -

L'Echiquier Du Roy René invites you to Dole Trophy International Open 2026. It is one of the strongest tournaments in Europe. The total prize fund is more than €30000. The top three prizes are €8000, €5500 and €3500. There are three tournaments - Masters (>2100), Accession (<2200) and Petits Zelos (<1700). It will take place at Pasino Grand Aix in Aix-en-Provence, France from 18th to 26th July 2025. Indians have had a huge successes in the last two editions. So far in both Masters and Accession events were won by Indians. The next one could be you. In the previous edition, 17 players scored 18 norms - a GM, 11 WGM and 3 WIM-norms. It goes without saying that this event should be a norm seekers paradise. Photo: Official site

Elias Ruzhansky clear first at Groningen Chess Festival Open 2025, Vignesh N R shares second place

24/01/2026 -

IM Elias Ruzhansky (BEL) scored an unbeaten 7/9 to win Chess Festival Groningen Open A (>2100) 2025. He finished a half point ahead of the rest. GM Valery Kazakouski (LTU), GM Vignesh N R and FM Mykola Korchynskyi (GER) scored 6.5/9 each. They shared second place. The total prize fund in Open A was €8000. The top three prizes were €2500 + 'The Silver Zwanepol', €1500 and €900 each. The ten-day nine-round Swiss league rating tournament was organized by Stichting Schaakfestival Groningen Sportcentrum RUG & Hanze in Groningen, Netherlands from 21st to 30th December 2026. Rest day was on 25th December. GM Prraneeth Vuppala and GM P Shyaam Nikhil are the only two other Indians to make a top ten finish. They scored 6/9 each and shared fifth place four other players. Photo: Groningen Chess Festival

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