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Cairns Cup 2026 R4: Tan Zhongyi Gains Sole Lead, Divya Survives a Scare

14/08/2026 -

In the 4th round of the Cairns Cup, Tan Zhongyi defeated Vaishali to gain a sole one-point lead with 3.5/4 points. Alice Lee suffered a loss against Stavroula Tsolakidou. In another decisive game, Bibisara Assubayeva defeated Alexandra Kosteniuk. The game between Divya Deshmukh and Carissa Yip was a rollercoaster ride in which Divya survived a completely lost position to secure a draw. Currently, Divya is in joint second place with 2.5/4. The 5th round will start on 14th August at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

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Ken Chess Academy Invites Chess Lovers of All Ages to a Free Independence Day Camp

14/08/2026 -

Ken Chess Academy, led by Rohit Pol, FIDE D.I. and Senior National Arbiter, brings the Big Chess Camp — the brainchild of ChessBase India and Teach Chess India — to Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur, this Independence Day. As always, the camp is free and open to chess enthusiasts of all ages and playing levels. Whether you are an absolute beginner still learning the rules or a seasoned player looking to sharpen your skills, the event promises something for everyone. Here’s everything you need to know about the camp, including the venue, timings, and what to expect.

Sinquefield Cup 2026 R4: Praggnanandhaa Scores a Win over Jorden van Foreest

14/08/2026 -

In the 4th round of the Sinquefield Cup, there was only 1 decisive game where R. Praggnanandhaa defeated Jorden van Foreest with white pieces. Jorden gave up his queen for 2 pieces, and Pragg managed to keep his advantage and navigated perfectly in the endgame towards victory. With this win, Pragg is now in joint second place with 2.5/4 points; meanwhile, Wesley So maintains his lead with 3/4 points. The 5th round will start on 14th August at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

Nihal Sarin and Arjun Erigaisi enter EWC Chess 2026 Playoffs

14/08/2026 -

After the dust settles in the Group Stage, the final 8 players are confirmed for the Playoffs at the Esports World Cup 2026. Nihal Sarin of S8UL and Arjun Erigaisi of GenG Esports are qualified for the playoffs. Nihal Sarin is going to face Magnus Carlsen in the quarterfinals, while Arjun will face Hikaru Nakamura. The other 4 players who qualified are Alireza Firouzja, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Hans Niemann, and Denis Lazavik. The next two days are going to be very exciting in Paris! Photos: EWC

Your chance to train with GM Harshit Raja at the new ChessBase India office

13/08/2026 -

Grandmaster Harshit Raja is coming to Mumbai. From 17th to 19th August 2026, the 2504-rated GM will conduct two intensive camps at ChessBase India's new Vidyavihar office - mornings on the secrets of positional chess for beginners, evenings on calculation for players rated 1800 and above. Both groups are kept small, so this is closer to private training than a lecture. Registration is open now, and seats are limited.

Story of India's 96th Grandmaster Ethan Vaz

13/08/2026 -

Fourteen-year-old Ethan Vaz landed in Mumbai still riding high from a life-changing trip across Europe. In just a few whirlwind weeks, the young Goan chess player won the Sarajevo GM Mix in Bosnia and Herzegovina, secured his final Grandmaster norm, and became India's 96th Grandmaster. Hardly stopping to celebrate, he kept the momentum going, capping off his trip with a third-place finish at the Serbia Open Masters.

How did 14-year-old Deekshitha Modipalli reached 2400+ from 1985 in just two months

13/08/2026 -

Every once in a while, a young player comes along whose rise is hard to ignore. The most recent one is 14-year-old Deekshitha Modipalli, who, in just two months, gained nearly 450 Elo points, crossed the 2400 mark, and picked up an IM norm along the way. This talented girl has been travelling independently to chess tournaments since she was just 10 years old. Let's take a look at her incredible run!

Sinquefield Cup 2026 R3: Wesley So Beats Caruana Fabiano to Gain Sole Lead

13/08/2026 -

In the 3rd round of the Sinquefield Cup 2026, there were 3 decisive results. Praggnanandhaa lost to Vincent Keymer with black pieces. Sam Sevian defeated Anish Giri, and Wesley So defeated Fabiano Caruana to gain the sole lead. The games between Javokhir Sindarov vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Jorden van Foreest vs. Levon Aronian ended in a draw. The 4th round will start on 13th August at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

Cairns Cup 2026 R3: Divya Deshmukh Beats Former World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk

13/08/2026 -

In the 3rd round of the Cairns Cup 2026, Divya Deshmukh defeated former Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk with black pieces. Divya secured an early opening advantage in a closed Sicilian Defence and converted it smoothly with black pieces. It was the only decisive result of the round, and now Divya is in second place with 2/3 points. The 4th round will start on 13th August at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

Praggnanandhaa Takes Down World Championship Challenger Javokhir Sindarov

12/08/2026 -

R. Praggnanandhaa scored a big win against World Championship Challenger Javokhir Sindarov in the 2nd round of the Sinquefield Cup 2026. Praggnanandhaa was pressing in the Rook Knight endgame, and eventually Sindarov made a mistake, and Pragg won the 6-hour-long marathon game in 95 moves. There were 3 more decisive results where Aronian won against Vincent Keymer, MVL won against Sam Sevian, and Wesley So defeated Jorden van Foreest. The 3rd round will start on 12th August at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

Cairns Cup 2026 R2: Alice Lee and Tan Zhongyi Score 2nd Consecutive Win

12/08/2026 -

Tan Zhongyi and Alice Lee scored their second consecutive wins at the Cairns Cup 2026. In the 2nd round, Tan Zhongyi defeated Koneru Humpy with the white pieces, and Alice Lee defeated Divya Deshmukh with black. In another decisive result, Carissa Yip won against Alexandra Kosteniuk. The Game between Bibisara Assaubayeva and Vaishali ended in a draw. The 3rd round will start on 12th August at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

EWC Chess 2026 Day 1: Andrey Esipenko and Wei Yi Qualify for Group Stage, Aravindh's Run is Over

12/08/2026 -

The Esports World Cup (EWC) Chess Tournament kicks off at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. The Opening Day saw 8 players fighting hard in Play-Ins for the final 2 spots in the Group Stages. Wei Yi of Team Nemesis and Andrey Esipenko of Team Virtus.Pro made their way to the final 16 and will compete in the Group Stages on 12th August. Wei Yi defeated Vladislav Artemiev in the upper bracket, and Esipenko defeated Artemiev in the lower bracket to qualify. Photos: EWC

The Greater Seattle Chess Club to host its 50th meetup on August 12

11/08/2026 -

It's an incredible thing in our country how different communities, especially stand-up comics, share a love for Chess. From figures like Samay Raina, Anirban Das Gupta, Vaibhav Sethia, and Biswa Kalyan Rath, the list goes on. Following these comics, on January 9, 2025, Vaibhav Bajaj, a stand-up comedian, took a step further and launched a Chess Club in Seattle named "The Greater Seattle Chess Club" (GSCC), building an open, inclusive space where tech engineers, casual blitz fans, and serious rated players gather weekly at different locations across Seattle. Photos: Vaibhav Bajaj.

Fabiano Caruana Starts with a Win at Sinquefield Cup 2026

11/08/2026 -

The final Classical Event of the Grand Chess Tour, the 2026 Sinquefield Cup, returns to the Saint Louis Chess Club. On the Opening day, there was only 1 decisive result, where Caruana, Fabiano, defeated Jorden van Foreest with white pieces. The other 4 games, including R. Praggnanandhaa vs. Samuel Sevian, ended in a draw. The 2nd round will start at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

Divya Deshmukh Beats Vaishali Rameshbabu in Round 1 of 6th Cairns Cup 2026

11/08/2026 -

Divya Deshmukh defeated Vaishali Rameshbabu in the Opening Round of Cairns Cup 2026. Cairns Cup is one of the strongest women's super-tournaments in the world, and 3 Indian Players are taking part in it. Koneru Humpy started the event with a draw against Stavroula Tsolakidou. In another decisive result, Alice Lee defeated Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Tan Zhongyi won against Carissa Yip. The 2nd round will start at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

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