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Aaryan Varshney dominates 16th Andranik Margaryan Memorial 2026, becomes the 92nd Grandmaster of India

19/01/2026 -

IM Aaryan Varshney became the 92nd Indian to achieve the Grandmaster title on Friday 16th January 2026. Aaryan drew against GM Jegor Lashkin (MDA) in the final round to become the champion and also earn his final GM-norm. The 20-year-old from Delhi scored his first norm at 34th Vasilis Theoridis Kavala Open 2025 in August. He reached 2500 in FIDE Rating list November. Aaryan scored his second GM-norm at 3rd Leonine GM Round-Robin in the same month. Aaryan has won a lot of tournaments throughout his career. Since November 2023, his rating kept climbing up, thanks to his meticulous planning of tournaments. This year India might just get the highest number of GMs in a calendar year and reach 100 GMs. Photo: Chess Academy of Armenia

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88th Tata Steel 2026 R2: Sindarov misses big against Giri

19/01/2026 -

R Praggnanandhaa had a rough start at 88th Tata Steel Masters 2026. He lost his second consecutive game. This time against Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB). Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (TUR) had one solitary opportunity against Aravindh Chithambaram. The former could not capitalize on it due to being low on time. World Champion, D Gukesh and World no.5, Arjun Erigaisi drew their respective games against Tata Steel 2021 winner, Jorden van Foreest (NED) and Czech Republic no.1, Thai Dai Van Nguyen. Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO) bounced back with a win over the World no.4, Vincent Keymer (GER). Round 3 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

Kaustuv Kundu wins North 24 Parganas Rating Open 2025

18/01/2026 -

IM Kaustuv Kundu, Soumick Bandopadhyay and FM Jaiveer Mahendru scored 8/9 each at North 24 Parganas All India Rating Open 2025. Kaustuv won the tourament due to better tie-breaks, Soumick and Jaiveer secured second and third place respectively. Both Kaustuv and Soumick remained undefeated. The total prize fund combining all three tournaments was ₹600000. The top three prizes were ₹75000 + trophy, ₹50000 and ₹25000 each. The tournament was organized by North 24 Parganas District Chess Association at Eastern Metropolitan Club in Kolkata, West Bengal from 26th to 30th December 2025. This was Kaustuv's eighth overall, seventh rating tournament triumph in 2025. Photo: Sara Bangla Daba Sangstha

88th Tata Steel 2026 R1: Arjun Erigaisi makes a winning start against the defending champion Praggnanandhaa

18/01/2026 -

The first round of 88th Tata Steel Chess started 1.5 hours after the scheduled due to demonstrations taking place outside of the venue. World no.5, Arjun Erigaisi started the event with a win over the defending champion, R Praggnanandhaa. The World no.8 opted for the Albin-Counter Gambit, possibly avoiding to reveal his Candidates preparation. He landed himself in a worse position out of the opening. Arjun had no trouble seizing his advantage and converting it into a win. World Champion, D Gukesh missed a win against FIDE World Cup 2025 winner, Javokhir Sindarov (UZB). The talented Uzbek showed great resiliency by delivering incessant checks forcing his opponent to go wrong and salvage a draw. Round 2 starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST for both Masters and Challengers section. Photo: Prajwal Bhat

Chola Chess invites a foreign Grandmaster for the GM norm tournament in Chennai

17/01/2026 -

Chola Chess is inviting applications from one foreign Grandmaster for the 1st Chola Chess International Grandmasters Norm Round Robin Tournament, to be held from February 3 to 11, 2026, in Chennai, India. The selected player will receive full hospitality, including travel, accommodation, and food, along with an appearance fee. The tournament will be played in classical format over nine rounds with strong opposition. Grandmasters rated 2500+ except for the players from France, Kazakhstan, and India. The current average rating of the field is approximately 2475. Read the article to know more. Photo: Sagar Shah

Free FIDE-rated classical chess tournament to be held in Kerala from 20th March to 23rd March

17/01/2026 -

Kerala’s Premier Chess Academy is set to organise a different kind of classical chess tournament from 20th to 23rd March. Chess for Everyone, a FIDE-rated tournament, will have no entry fee and no cash prizes! The sole purpose of this event is to focus on learning and long-term growth of chess in Kerala. By bringing opponents to Kerala, the organisers hope to strengthen the state's chess base. This is a unique approach to developing more chess players in India. Read the article to know more. Photo: Premier Chess Academy

Anuj Shrivatri Wins 2nd Khelo Chess India Blitz and Rapid

17/01/2026 -

The title of the 2nd Khelo Chess India FIDE Blitz and Rapid Tournament 2025, held in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, was won by Madhya Pradesh’s top player, Anuj Shrivatri. Anuj secured first place in both the Rapid and Blitz competitions and remained undefeated in both events. In the Blitz competition, Anuj scored 9 points out of 10 games, playing 2 draws, while in the Rapid section, he scored 8.5 points out of 9 games. He was awarded a prize of ₹11,000 in Blitz and ₹21,000 in Rapid. In the Rapid category, Saksham Wadhwa of Maharashtra finished second, and Arun Kataria of Rajasthan secured third place. Both players scored 8 points out of 9 games. In the Blitz category, Vaibhav Tomar of Madhya Pradesh finished second, while Saksham Wadhwa of Maharashtra claimed third place. Both players scored 8.5 points out of 10 games. Along with this, two scholarships of ₹25,000 each were also awarded during the tournament. Ansh Kabra from Uttar Pradesh and Medant Jain from Madhya Pradesh delivered impressive performances and received these scholarships. Photo: Devansh Singh

The fourth edition of the Morphy Residential Chess Camp starts from 3rd to 7th May 2026

17/01/2026 -

A residential chess camp in the calm surroundings of nature is something every player would love. Away from daily distractions, it allows players to focus deeply on their game and reflect on their thinking. This is the approach of the Morphy Residential Chess Camp that is held every year in Trimbakeshwar. The camp is designed for young players to improve their chess while taking part in thoughtful activities like meditation and outdoor games. By blending chess training with personal growth, they want to help children become better players and better thinkers. The fourth edition is scheduled from 3rd to 7th May 2026. Read the article to know more. Photo: Vinod Bhagwat

Egor Bogdanov wins Crikvenica Open - Advent Chess Festival 2025, Muthaiah second and Nitin third

17/01/2026 -

GM Egor Bogdanov (UKR) scored an unbeaten 7/9 to win Crikvenica Open A - Advent Chess Festival 2025. He finished a half point ahead of the competition. IM Muthaiah Al scored sole 6.5/9 to secure second place. IM Nitin S edged past five more players on tie-breaks to finish third with 6/9. The top three finishers remained undefeated. CM Jagreet Misra is the only other Indian to make a top ten finish. He also scored 6/9, to be placed seventh. The total prize fund was €8000, €6500 in Open A and €1500 in Open B. The top three prizes were €1500 + trophy, €1000 and €700 each. 12-year-old Eman P D scored 8/9 to win Open B. He finished a full point ahead of the rest. The top three prizes in Open B were €400, €300 and €200. Nitin won the 6th Zoričić and Zbašnik Brothers Memorial Blitz Open scoring 9.5/11. FM Ivano Sundać (CRO) scored 9/11 to finish second. Jagreet scored 8.5/11 to finish third. Photo: Šahovski klub Crikvenica

Javokhir Sindarov will face D Gukesh in the first round of 88th Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026

17/01/2026 -

The first major Classical chess event of the year 2026 is 88th Tata Steel Chess. Five Indians - four in Masters and one in Challengers will be seen in action. Four out of the eight Candidates will battle on the 64 squares. The reigning World Champion, D Gukesh will face the newly crowned FIDE World Cup 2025 winner - Javokhir Sindarov in the first round. The remaining twelve Masters participants are - Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, Anish Giri, the defending champion - R Praggnanandhaa, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Hans Niemann, Vladimir Fedoseev, Jorden van Foreest, Aravindh Chithambaram, Matthias Bluebaum, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and Thai Dai Van Nguyen. In the Challengers section, IM-elect FM Vedant Panesar is the sole Indian in the field. Round 1 starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST for both Masters and Challengers section. Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Kushal O convincingly clinches Vizag Rating Open 2025

16/01/2026 -

CM Kushal O scored an unbeaten 7.5/8 to win Vizag Rating Open 2025. Seven players scored 7/8 each. Among them, Kota Kalpak Harsha Keertan and Sri Akhil Prasad secured second and third place according to tie-breaks. The total prize fund was ₹600000. The top three prizes were ₹50000, ₹40000 and ₹30000 along with a trophy each. The four-day eight round Rating Open tournament was organized by Sri Chess Academy and Chaitanya Chess Academy at S3 Sports Arena  in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh from 25th to 28th December 2025. This is Kushal's second overall and first rating tournament triumph of 2025. Photo: Dr. Rangala Babu Rao / All Visakha Chess Association

Apoorv Kamble dominates Mynavathi Memorial Rapid Rating Open 2025

16/01/2026 -

IM Apoorv Kamble scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 to win Mynavathi Memorial Rapid Rating Open 2025. He finished a half point ahead of the rest. IM Chakravarthi Reddy M scored sole 8/9 to secure second place. Five players - IM Kushagra Mohan, IM Sai Agni Jeevitesh J, FM Syed Anwar Shazuli, IM Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi and Shivanth M scored 7.5/9 each. They secured third to seventh place respectively. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹500000. The top three prizes were ₹50000, ₹35000 and ₹30000 along with a trophy each. The tournament was organized in loving memory of Mrs. Mynavathi K G. The one-day nine round Rapid Rating Open tournament  was organized by First Move Chess Academy at Manasa Gangothri Indoor Stadium in Mysuru, Karnataka from 25th December 2025. This was Apoorv's eighth overall, third rating tournament triumph in 2025. Photo: Vijetha C K / First Move Chess Academy

Aleksandrov Aleksej wins 16th Chennai GM Open, Rohith S Second, Srihari LR Third

15/01/2026 -

GM Aleksandrov Aleksej of Belarus won the 16th Chennai Open International Grandmasters Chess Tournament with a half-point lead, scoring an unbeaten 8.5/10 points to finish in the top spot. GM Rohith Krishna S secured second place with 8/10 points, and GM Srihari LR also scored 8/10 to secure third place. A total of five players finished with 8/10 points from second to sixth place. GM Fedorov Alexei secured the fourth place while untitle Arnav Agrawal Of Uttar Pradesh secured fifth place in the event and he increased his rating by 58 points, on the sixth place we have GM Nguyen Duc Hoa of Vietnam who drew his last round game against GM Rohith Krishna S. The guest of honours for the prize distribution events were, M.Manickam, Chairman, Sakthi Group in the presence of Shri. M. Tamizh Vendan, I.R.S., Additional Commissioner. Photo Credit: IA S. Paul Arokia Raj

Bled Chess Festival 2026 – Reviving a Chess Jewel

15/01/2026 -

WGM Darja Kapš and Brainiac64 d.o.o. in cooperation with Tajfun-ŠK Ljubljana invites you to Bled Chess Festival 2026. The tournament will take place from 9th to 16th March and it is only for player rated Below 2300. The total prize fund is €6000. The top three prizes are - €1000, €700 and €400. The tournament ambassadors are Austria no.2 - GM Markus Ragger and Slovenia no.1 woman - IM Laura Unuk. The tournament offers various packages which include morning walk, game analysis, evenings with a Grandmaster and a lot more. The tournament mentions that it will treat you like Grandmaster. Check out the invitation and announcement written by the Festival Director - Darja herself. Photo: Bled Chess Festival

New: The Endgame Academy Vol.2: Theoretical Rook Endgames by Dr. Karsten Müller

15/01/2026 -

In “Endgame Academy Volume 2: Theoretical Rook Endgames,” Grandmaster Dr. Karsten Müller teaches the essential knowledge needed to master the most common rook endgames and confidently convert advantages into victories. Using classic motifs such as the Philidor, Lucena, and Vancura positions, he explains all key principles in a clear and practical way. Interactive exercises with a scoring system allow you to track your learning progress and actively apply what you’ve learned. In this new Fritztrainer, improve your knowledge in the endgame by the expert. Grab this new Fritztrainer if you have not got it yet. Now you can study chess on any device either via streaming or on ChessBase Book. Photo: ChessBase

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