46th Chess Olympiad R8: Savitha Shri makes it 7/7, India draws both matches

Candidate Master Vedant Rupeshbhai Varasada went to play the Catalan Circuit with a FIDE Rating of 1975, and guess what he did? He increased his rating by almost 500 points in 2 months!! Vedant was rated 2222 in 2024, but then his rating went down to 1900; however, he never stopped working hard and came back in style, taking his published rating to 2464 in the FIDE rating list of September. We caught up with Vedant after his trip, where he talked about his journey; read it in full in this article.

Prithvi Raj Prajeesh of India scored an unbeaten 6.5/7 points to win the Bahrain Prathibha Grandmasters Cup FIDE International Rapid Chess Tournament, powered by STC. Aghiad Mero of Syria also scored the same points and secured 2nd place according to tiebreak scores. The top 3 prizes were $600, $400, and $200, along with trophies and medals. The tournament was held on Friday, 11th September 2026, at Yousif Ahmed Abdulmalik Hall, Galali, Bahrain. Photo: Arjun Kakkadath

Team India is back to winning ways after the rest day. In the 7th round, the India Open team defeated England 2.5-1.5. Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh scored important wins, while Nihal suffered a tough loss. In the Women's section, the dominant performance continued as our team defeated Germany 3.5-0.5. Savitha is putting up a masterclasss as she is on a perfect 6/6. In the 8th round, the Open team will face Azerbaijan, and the Women's team will face Kazakhstan. Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz

The PICA Chess Festival 2026 was organised by PICA Chess Academy, founded by Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Pratyusha Bodda. The festival brought together chess players across different age groups and playing strengths, featuring a series of events with Blitz, Rapid and Classical time controls. The PICA Festival witnessed participation from more than 900 players, making it a major gathering of competitive chess. With hundreds of players competing across 64 squares, the festival provided an opportunity for participants to test their skills, gain valuable tournament experience and compete for prizes.|Photo: Pratyusha Bodda.

For years the same question has reached ChessBase India more often than almost any other: where do I find a good coach? Not a famous one, not a cheap one — the right one, for the level you are actually at, in a language you speak, at an hour you are actually free. ChessDial is our answer to it. It is a directory of chess coaches and academies, built and run by ChessBase India, where every listing has been read by a person before it went live and every rating was left by a student who actually booked a session. It is open now at coach.chessbase.in , it is free for coaches and academies to join, and there are already more than 45 listings on it. Here is the full tour — for students who are looking, and for coaches who want to be found.

Bengaluru recently hosted the CircleChess and Tech Mahindra Global Chess League Grand Open Rapid tournament. It was a "Road to GCL" event that drew more than 750 registrations and featured over 20 titled players. The tournament tried something new: a WhatsApp-based system that let prize winners withdraw their money the same day, cutting out the wait of days or weeks that players often face after an event. Photos: CircleChess

Team India suffered a tough loss against Uzbekistan in the 6th round of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad. Games by Praggnanandhaa, Arjun, and Gukesh ended in a draw, leaving Nihal to play against Yakubboev. Nihal got a better position, but he made a few quick moves, and the advantage slipped to Yakubboev; Nihal lost the game. The Indian Women's team defeated the USA by 3-1, with Savitha Shri and Vantika Agrawal scoring wins for the Indian team. Photo: Michal Walusza/FIDE

Atharvaa P Tayade scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 points to win the 1st MindPetal Rising Minds Mumbai Open FIDE Rapid Rating Chess Tournament. Seven players scored 8/9 points; Atharv Soni and Snehal Bhosale secured second and third places according to tiebreak scores. The tournament was organised at Agri Koli Sanskriti Bhavan on 30th August. The total prize fund was ₹50,000 with a nominal entry fee of ₹250. Photos: Mr. Nandakumar T.V.

The most-awaited clash of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad is here; India will face Uzbekistan in the 6th round at Samarkand. In the 5th round, Team India defeated the Netherlands 3-1. Praggnanandhaa defeated Anish Giri, and Gukesh scored a win over Erwin L'Ami. In the Women's section, Team India suffered a tough loss against Poland, where Vaishali lost her game and the other 3 games ended in a draw. The 6th round will start today at 3:30 IST. Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz/FIDE

Indian teams scored their 4th consecutive win in both the Open and Women's sections at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026. In the Open section, World Champion D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi won their games to beat Spain 3-1. In the Women's section, Savitha Shri scored her 4th consecutive win, and Divya Deshmukh also won her game to beat Mongolia 3-1. In the 5th round, the Open team will face the Netherlands, and the Women's team will face Poland. Photo: Michal Walusza

Vishwa E emerged as the champion of the Viyugam Chess Academy International FIDE-rated Below 1700 Chess Tournament 2026, scoring 7.5 points from nine rounds. Held in Chennai from 4 to 6 September, the tournament brought together 395 players from three federations and featured a ₹6 lakh prize fund, 139 trophies and three laptops. Gokul Nandan Reddy Bhumireddy and Muthu Vignesh G also scored 7.5 points to finish second and third, respectively.| Photos: Shivaranjini.

On day 3 of the 46th Chess Olympiad, Indian teams maintained their winning streak, scoring wins in both the Open and Women sections. In the Open section, Gukesh and Nihal won their games to defeat Italy by 3-1. In the Women section, Koneru Humpy, Vantika Agrawal, and Savitha Shri scored wins to defeat Greece by 3.5-0.5. In the 4th round, the Open team will face Spain, while the Women's team will face Mongolia. Photo: Michal Walusza

12-year-old Avirat Chauhan scored his maiden IM norm at the 32nd Abu Dhabi Masters 2026 after scoring 5.5/9 points and a performance rating of 2527. Avirat played some brilliant games throughout the tournament and also increased his rating by 54.8 points. Avirat didn't stop there and was crowned runner-up at the 2026 National U-13 Championship. We caught up with Avirat after his fantastic performance; check out the interview in this report.

Day 2 was a far tougher outing for India than the opener. The Open team needed a dramatic escape to beat Indonesia 2.5-1.5, while World Champion D Gukesh saw his live rating drop below 2700 after being held to a draw. The Women’s team had a smoother time of it, beating Finland 3.5-0.5. Both teams remain unbeaten after two rounds and will look to carry that momentum into the next round. Check out the full report. Photo: Michal Walusza

You would think a room full of chess players would be all business: heads down, silent, serious. But spend a day at the Olympiad and you realize it's the opposite. There is laughter, there is chaos, there are little moments between strangers who just met. Day 2 of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad had plenty of that. Take a look. Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz

The Chess Olympiad is much more than just the games. When thousands of people from different countries come together for one event, there is bound to be plenty happening around the venue. We spotted quite a few interesting moments on Day 1, so let’s take a little break from the chess and have a look. Photo: Michal Walusza

India began the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad with wins in both sections. However, the Open and Women’s teams had very different starts. The Open team faced an early setback as Arjun Erigaisi suffered a shock defeat against Thailand’s IM Prin Laohawirapap on the top board. Nihal Sarin, D Gukesh and Vidit Gujrathi won their games to secure a 3-1 victory. The Women’s team had a comfortable 4-0 victory over the Dominican Republic. Check out the entire report. Photo: Michal Walusza

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad officially opened in Samarkand yesterday. This will be the largest edition in the event's history. The fixed board order is also out. In Round 1, India's Open team takes on Thailand, while the Women's team faces the Dominican Republic. The round starts at 3 PM local time (3:30 PM IST). Photo: Abhyudaya Ram

Candidate Master Vedant Nitin Vekhande scored an unbeaten 8/9 points to win the Runwal Second International FIDE Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026. It was a 4-way tie for first place with 8 points, but better tiebreaks helped Vedant clinch the title. Jaiveer Mahendru, Diptayan Ghosh and Gusain Himal secured 2nd to 4th place according to tiebreak scores. Aryan Institute of Chess Excellence organised this rapid rating tournament with a total prize fund of ₹2,00,000. Photo: Dr. Deepak Vaze

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad opens in Samarkand today. Defending champions India have landed with both eyes on gold - again! Here is a look at the team's departure from India, the full squad and board order, the schedule, and everything else you need to follow the action from Day 1.

The Pursue Your Chess Scholarship has been supporting Indian chess players for the past seven years through the HelpChess Foundation. What started in 2018 with Rs. 50,000 has steadily grown and now reaches Rs. 2,00,000 in its 7th edition. Over the years, several talented players have used the scholarship to continue their chess journeys and pursue their goals. This year, another player gets the chance to receive financial support. Check out the article to learn how to apply.

Ganges Grandmasters defeated APL Alpine Pipers in the final of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2026, Season 4, to win their 1st GCL Title. The 1st match of the finals ended in a 3-3 draw, but in the 2nd match, Ian Nepomniachtchi defeated World No.1 Magnus Carlsen with the black pieces on the Icon board. Player of the Tournament Stavroula Tsolakidou defeated Koneru Humpy to seal the deal. Ganges Grandmasters defeated Alpine by 4-2. FYERS American Gambits defeated CheQ Mumba Masters to secure 3rd place. Photos: Global Chess League

Mission ISC 2027 is our effort to introduce more chess players in India to the fascinating world of chess composition and solving. With the International Solving Contest coming up in January 2027, we want to help more people discover the joy of solving and prepare to take part with confidence. Through affordable webinars, mock solving events, and plenty of free material, we hope to make chess solving accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Details follow in this article.