chessbase india logo

57th Biel Festival MTO R8: Aryan misses against Sasikiran, Leon stays ahead

24/07/2024 -

GM Leon Luke Mendonca drew with GM Arseniy Nesterov in the eighth round of 57th Biel Chess Festival MTO 2024 to stay ahead with a score 6.5/8. GM Aryan Chopra missed a good winning chance against GM Krishnan Sasikiran. IM Ayush Sharma capitalized on his opportunity when his opponent - GM Harsha Bharathakoti made a tactical error. Ayush joined Sasikiran, Aryan and four more players in pursuit of the top spot. They are at 6/8 each. GM Salem Saleh (UAE) defeated GM R Vaishali to win the GMT Challengers. GM R Praggnanandhaa drew his game against GM Haik Martirosyan (ARM). He is in a virtual must-win situation to keep first place chances. GMT Round 2 Final, MTO Round 9 starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Biel Chess Festival

ChessBase '26 and Mega 2026 are here!


ChessBase ’26 has new features like Opening Report, Monte Carlo Analysis, More Power with Remote Engine, New Reference Filters, AI Description of Plans and more. 


Mega Database 2026 has over 11.7M games and 114,000 annotated games.

Get ChessBase '26 and Mega 2026

Saranya Devi Narahari wins the 1st ChessBase India Chess Festival in Hyderabad

23/07/2024 -

Girl power shines in Hyderabad as 12-year-old Saranya Devi Narahari clinches the 1st ChessBase India Chess Festival held at the Sarath City Capital Mall in Hyderabad. On the occasion of FIDE's 100th birthday this chess festival was organized as a part of the Guinness world record attempt. On the 20th of July on International Chess Day, more than 100 players were a part of the event while 100s of people gathered around to witness this one of a kind event. Read the full report for a detailed account of the tournament. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy

Team lineups announced for record-breaking 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest

23/07/2024 -

The 45th FIDE Olympiad is less than 50 days away. It will take place in Budapest, Hungary from 10th to 22nd September 2024. Eight of the World Top ten including Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana will be seen in action. However, among Women, only one out of the World top ten have confirmed her participation. The Indian teams will be: Open - GM Arjun Erigaisi, GM D Gukesh, GM R Praggnanandhaa, GM Vidit Gujrathi and GM Pentala Harikrishna. Women - GM Harika Dronavalli, GM R Vaishali, IM Divya Deshmukh, IM Vantika Agrawal and IM Tania Sachdev. USA will be the top seed in Open and Georgia in Women. Photo: FIDE

Jakub Luberanski wins Polonia Wroclaw Cup 2024, Harshal Patil third

23/07/2024 -

FM Jakub Luberanski (POL), WFM Irena Hertlein (POL) and Harshal Patil scored 5.5/5 each at Wroclaw Polonia Cup 2024. Jakub won the tournament due to better tie-break score. He also remained undefeated. Irena and Harshal were placed second and third respectively. The top three finishers did not face each other. The total prize fund was 3400 PLN + material prizes. The top three prizes were 1200, 900 and 700 PLN each. The tournament was organized by Polonia Wrocław Chess Club Foundation at Polonia Chess Club in Wrocław, Poland from 5th to 7th July 2024. Photo: Klub Szachowy Polonia Wrocław

57th Biel Festival MTO R7: Leon Luke Mendonca maintains his sole lead

23/07/2024 -

GM Aryan Chopra and GM Leon Luke Mendonca signed a 22-move draw in the seventh round of 57th Biel Chess Festival MTO 2024. Leon maintained his sole lead 6/7. GM Arseniy Nesterov and GM Krishnan Sasikiran joined Aryan in pursuit as they defeated Tong Xiao (CHN) and IM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) respectively. GM Harsha Bharathakoti, GM Koustav Chatterjee and IM Ayush Sharma are at 5/7 each. IM Ritviz Parab and FM Kashish Manoj Jain drew with GM Sethuraman S P and GM Frank Holzke (GER) respectively. GMT Round 1 Final, MTO Round 8 starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Biel Chess Festival

Vihaan Dawda dominates 46th Barbera del Valles Open B 2024

22/07/2024 -

14-year-old Vihaan Dawda scored an unbeaten 8/9 to win XLVI Barbera del Valles Open B (<2099) 2024. The teenager finished a half point ahead of the field. Alfons Macaya Ruiz (CAT) scored 7.5/9 to finish second. Josep Sort Sererols (CAT) secured third place 7/9. GM Yuri Solodovnichenko (UKR) won the Open A (>1950) scoring 7.5/9. IM Michel Alejandro Diaz Perez (CUB) and IM Kaustuv Kundu scored 7/9 each. They were placed second and third respectively. The top three prizes in Open A were €1200, €1000 and €800 each, in Open B they were €400, €300 and €250 each. CM Barath Kalyan is the only other Indian to make a top ten finish in Open A. He scored 6/9 to secure seventh place. Photo: Chess Guru Goa Academy

Nderim Saraci triumphs at 57th Biel Festival Blitz Rating Open 2024, Harsha Bharathakoti third

22/07/2024 -

IM Nderim Saraci (KOS) scored 10.5/13 to win Biel Chess Festival Blitz (BTZ) Rating Open 2024. Three players - Haowen Xue (CHN), GM Harsha Bharathakoti and GM Arseniy Nesterov scored 10/13. They were placed second to fourth according to tie-breaks. Harsha drew against the eventual champion, Nderim in the final round. The Indian's sole loss was against the runner-up, Haowen. Total prize fund was CHF 3600 + non-cash prizes. The top three prizes were CHF 800, 700 and 600 along with a medal each. GM Leon Luke Mendonca and GM Sethuraman S P are two more Indians to make a top ten finish. They both scored 9.5/13 each to be placed seventh and tenth respectively. Photo: Biel Chess Festival

Praggnanandhaa tops 57th Biel GMT Blitz with a 2773 performance, secures his place in the final four

22/07/2024 -

R Praggnanandhaa scored 7/10 to finish at the top of 57th Biel Chess Festival GMT Masters Blitz 2024. This performance earned him a spot in the Final stage with Liem Quang Le (VIE), Haik Martirosyan (ARM) and Abhimanyu Mishra (USA). Each player will play with their opponent with a reversed color of their previous Classical encounter at this event. Liem is currently leading with 24 points, followed by Haik at 21, Praggnanandhaa and Abhimanyu are at 19 points each. With 12 points hanging in the balance anyone can win in the Masters. Salem Saleh (UAE) is the leading the Challengers with 30 points. He has a staggering seven point lead which means he just needs to score either a win or two draws in the Final to become a clear champion. Today is the second and last rest day in GMT. Round 1 Final starts tomorrow Tuesday 23rd July at 2 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Biel Chess Festival

Senthil Maran wins 15th Kirchseeon BIBER Open 2024

21/07/2024 -

FM Senthil Maran K, Luca Englert (GER) and GM Oleg Korneev (ESP) scored 4.5/5 each at 15th Kirchseeon BIBER Open A (>1750) 2024. Senthil won the tournament due to better tie-break score. Luca and Oleg were placed second and third respectively. The top three prizes were €500, €300 and €200 along with a trophy each. The tournament was organized by Christian Langer,  Schachclub Kirchseeon e.V. at ATSV hall in Kirchseeon, Germany from 5th to 7th July 2024. This was Senthil's first Classical and second overall rating tournament triumph of the year. Before this, Senthil finished second at Ilirska Bistrica Open in Ilirska Bistrica, Slovenia at the end of June. Photo: Official site

Arpan Das clinches 1st AFCA Rating Open 2024

21/07/2024 -

Arpan Das scored 8/9 to win 1st AFCA Rating Open 2024. He finished a half point ahead of the rest. Five players - IM Srijit Paul, Sudhanshu Ranjan, Naitik R Mehta, Daksh Goyal and Arshpreet Singh scored 7.5/10 each. They were placed second to sixth respectively according to tie-breaks. Arpan defeated both runners-up which included the top seed and only IM taking part in the event. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹700000. The top three prizes were ₹71000, ₹51000 and ₹35000 along with a trophy each. The tournament was organized by All Faridabad Chess Association at DPSG School in Faridabad, Haryana from 26th to 30th June 2024. This was Arpan's first tournament victory of the year. Photo: Neetu Agarwal

57th Biel GMT R5: Praggnanandhaa beats Shankland to keep his chances

21/07/2024 -

GM R Praggnanandhaa ended his Classical win drought as he defeated GM Sam Shankland (USA) in Round 5 of 57th Biel Chess Festival GMT Masters 2024. It was the World no.8's first Classical win of the event. This crucial four point kept him in contention. He still needs to make a top four finish to advance to the Final stage. GM R Vaishali missed a win against GM Salem Saleh (UAE) in the Challengers. She has advanced to the next stage irrespective of the Blitz outcome. GM Leon Luke Mendonca scored an emphatic victory over GM Alxander Moiseenko (UKR) to maintain his sole lead 5.5/6. GM Aryan Chopra is in pursuit at 5/6 after winning against GM Yahli Sokolovsky (ISR). Blitz Round 1 for GMT and MTO starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Biel Chess Festival

Pro Chess Training launches its first video course - Surya Ganguly on Avoiding Blunders

21/07/2024 -

He has been the second of Vishy Anand for 3 World Championship Matches - all 3 of them Vishy won. He was the second of Alexei Shirov. Recently, at the Candidates 2024, he was the trainer of Vidit Gujrathi. The credentials of Surya Ganguly as a chess trainer are simply top notch! This is the reason why whenever he does something instructive, it is important for the chess world to take a note of it. On the International Chess Day, Surya Ganguly has come up with a course on Pro Chess Training on how to avoid blunders. There is a special offer within the article and the first 100 buyers get an online session with Surya.

How Chess Inspired My Startup

20/07/2024 -

On the occasion of International Chess Day, Rasika Ratnaparkhi shares a personal story that reveals the power of chess beyond the board. During her last year in college, she was given the daunting project of starting her own business. When the whole class was confused about the idea, she found clarity by drawing parallels between chess and entrepreneurship. This unexpected fusion of chess principles with entrepreneurship guided her through every challenge. This project transformed her perspective, making her believe in 'Chess as a Lifestyle.' From forming a team of 'pieces' to strategizing every move, chess was not just a game but a guiding philosophy that shaped her approach to business and beyond. Photo Credit: Getty Images.

Srijit Paul dominates 1st Guwahati Smart City Rating Open 2024

20/07/2024 -

IM Srijit Paul scored an unbeaten 9/10 to win 1st Guwahati Smart City Rating Open 2024. He finished a half point ahead of the field. Shrayan Majumder and Arpan Das scored 8.5/10 each. They secured second and third place respectively according to tie-breaks. All podium finishers faced each other. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹500000. The top three prizes were ₹70000, ₹50000 and ₹30000 along with a trophy each. The tournament was organized by All Assam Chess Association at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium Sarusajai in Guwahati, Assam from 2nd to 7th July 2024. This was Srijit's first tournament triumph of the year. Photo: Northeast Chess India

57th Biel MTO R5: Leon Luke Mendonca gains sole lead

20/07/2024 -

GM Leon Luke Mendonca defeated GM Ori Kobo (ISR) to emerge sole leader at 57th Biel Chess Festival MTO 2024. He is at 4.5/5. Eight players are trailing him by a half point. GM Aryan Chopra, GM Krishnan Sasikiran and GM Koustav Chatterjee drew their respective games against GM Rinat Jumabayev (KAZ), IM Mukhiddin Madaminov (UZB) and GM Alexander Moiseenko (UKR). GM Harsha Bharathakoti defeated IM Timothe Razafindratsima (FRA) to join the three Indians at 4/5 each. GM R Vaishali drew with GM Marc` Andria Maurizzi (FRA) in GMT Challengers. She is now World no.9 among Women in the live ratings. GMT Round 5 and MTO Round 6 starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Biel Chess Festival

Contact Us