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Five Indians in World Top 20 - FIDE Rating list February 2024

02/02/2024 -

FIDE publishes its rating list at the beginning of each month. February 2024 FIDE Rating list witnesses the highest number of Indians in the World Top 20. D Gukesh's fantastic performance at 86th Tata Steel Masters earned him 17.7 Elo rating points. He moved nine places from World no.25 to 16th. There are now five Indians in World Top 20. R Praggnanandhaa moved up one place to World no.13. Vidit Gujrathi maintained his place at no.14. Among the Women, GM Harika Dronavalli moved to World no.11. IM Divya Deshmukh moved to World no.38. There are now four Indians in the World top 40 among women. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Tata Steel Chess Tournment 2024

ChessBase 18 and Mega 2025 are here

ChessBase 18 is an all-new program that helps you manage all your databases as an ambitious player. Mega Database 2025 has 11 million games with over 113,000 games annotated by masters. The cost of ChessBase 18 is Rs.4499/- and the cost of Mega Database 2025 is Rs.6499/- However, if you go for the combo the total amount comes to Rs.8999 (instead of 10,998/-) helping you save Rs. 1999/-.

ChessBase 18 + Mega 2025 Combo

Register for the Late RB Sapre Memorial Chess tournament with a Rs. 1,00,000 prize fund!

02/02/2024 -

RB Sapre is an iconic figure in India's chess history. He is India's first National Champion - Sapre won the first edition of the event held in 1955! His analytical ability was so great that he was invited to the Botvinnik-Smyslov match in Russia in 1954! Celebrating the legacy of this great man, the Late R.B. Sapre Memorial 10th Rapid and Blitz Chess tournament is being organized on 3rd and 4th February in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra! The tournament starts tomorrow - find all the information in the article below, and REGISTER NOW:

Karthik Rajaa and Lokesh N are the winners of 13th and 14th Tamil Nadu IM-norm Closed Circuit 2024

02/02/2024 -

FM Karthik Rajaa scored an unbeaten 7/9 to win 13th Tamil Nadu IM-norm Closed Circuit Chess Tournament 2024. He finished a half point ahead of the competition, performed at 2427 to earn his second IM-norm. He also increased his Elo rating by 33.8 points. GM Manik Mikulas (SVK) scored 6.5/9 to secure second place. IM Muhammad Khusenkhojaev (TJK) was placed third 6/9. Lokesh N scored 7/9 to win the 14th edition. He secured his maiden IM-norm and also finished a half point ahead of the field. GM Evgeniy Podolchenko secured second place 6.5/9. CM Akshay Borgaonkar and IM Harikrishna A Ra scored 6/9. They were placed third and fourth according to tie-breaks. Photos: IA V Vijayaraghavan

12th National Schools Chess Championship 2024 preview

02/02/2024 -

The 12th edition of National Schools Chess Championship will take place from 6th to 10th February 2024. A total of 913 children have registered in six different age groups - Under-7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17. The tournament is organized by All Bihar Chess Association in association with Bihar State Sports Authority at Gyan Bhavan in Patna, Bihar. The total prize fund is ₹504000. The top three prizes in each category is ₹10000, ₹7000 and ₹6000 each respectively. As many as 14 different champions will be crowned in eight days. The newly crowned 48th National Sub-Junior (Under-15) Open 2023 champion, Daksh Goyal (DEL) will be the highest rated player of the event. Photos: Tournament Circular

Shinya Kojima wins Tokai Open 2024

01/02/2024 -

Mayur Gondhalekar and his good friend, Sheldon Donaldson regularly keeps us updated about the Japan chess scene. Sheldon writes a blog about his experience playing his first tournament of the year - Tokai Open 2024 (FIDE U2400). The Canadian origin, currently residing in Japan, Sheldon's article is full of high quality photos and some interesting moments from his games. He loves playing, analyzing and making us enjoy various moments from his games. Check out his experience taking part in the tournament which took place in Nagoya, Japan. IM Shinya Kojima won the tournament scoring an unbeaten 4.5/5. Taro Shinoda secured second place also scoring 4.5/5. Akira Kinoshita was placed third 4/5. Photos: Sheldon Donaldson

Hemanth Raam clinches 11th Tamil Nadu IM-norm Closed Circuit 2024, Harsh Suresh third

01/02/2024 -

Hemanth Raam scored 7/9 to win 11th Tamil Nadu IM-norm Closed Circuit Chess Tournament 2024. He finished a half point ahead of the field, performed at 2478 to earn his maiden IM-norm. He also increased his Elo rating by 72.6 points. IM Muhammad Khusenkhojaev (TJK) scored 6.5/9 to secure second place. FM Harsh Suresh and GM Evgeniy Podolchenko scored 6/9 points each. They secured third and fourth place respectively. IM Semetei Tologon Tegin (KGZ) scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 to win the 12th edition. He finished a staggering 1.5 points ahead of the field. IM David Gochelashvili secured second place 6/9. IM Sevan Buscara (FRA) edged past FM Mohamed Anees M on tie-breaks to finish third 5.5/9. Photos: IA FI M Ephrame

1st SOA GM 2024 R1-5: Teenagers Goutham Krishna H and Vignesh Advaith Vemula are the coleaders

01/02/2024 -

Teenagers FM Goutham Krishna H and Vignesh Advaith Vemula have emerged coleaders 4.5/5 at the halfway mark of 1st SOA GM 2024. They will inevitably face each other in the sixth round. Eight players including the top seed, GM Diptayan Ghosh are in pursuit at 4/5 each. Goutham defeated GM Adham Fawzy (EGY) to stay in the lead. Vignesh got the better of Subhayan Kundu to be the coleader. The total prize fund of the tournament is ₹3500000, ₹2000000 for Category A. The top three prizes are ₹300000, ₹200000 and ₹150000 along with a trophy each. Today is the last double round of the event. Round 6 starts at 10 a.m. IST. Photos: IA R Anantharam

Last chance to sign up for the training camps with GM Jacob Aagaard

31/01/2024 -

It's your last chance to sign up for the training camp with GM Jacob Aagaard that will take place from the 1st to the 4th of February 2024 and 8th to the 11th of February 2024 in Hotel Unicontinental/ Habitat studio in Khar. The camp is open for all and it is sure to help you become a stronger chess player. The first camp deals with principles of attack, while the second one is focussed on professional calculations. Jacob arrived on 30th of January 2024 along with his girlfriend Kallia to India and we bring you some pictures as well as the list of participants who have already confirmed their presence for the camp. 

R Ashwath wins Prague Open 2024 Blitz, 3rd in Rapid

31/01/2024 -

FM R Ashwath scored 9/11 to win Prague Open 2024 D Blitz at 22nd International Chess Festival part of Czech Tour 2024 series. GM Simen Agdestein (NOR), CM Jakub Ocelak (CZE) and FM Pawel Sowinski (POL) also scored 9/11 each. They secured second to fifth places respectively. The top three prizes were CZK 1500, 1000 and 700 each respectively. Vadim Razin (UKR) won the C Rapid event scoring an unbeaten 6.5/7. Five players - Simen, Ashwath, IM Bachana Morchiashvili (GEO), Harshit Amarnani and Jiarong Teng (CHN) scored 6/7 each. They were placed second to sixth respectively. The top three prizes were CZK 2000, 1500 and 1000 each respectively. Photos: Official site

Changes to qualification paths for the Candidates Tournament

31/01/2024 -

FIDE has introduced a series of changes to the qualification paths that will be in effect for the FIDE Candidates Tournament in 2026. Most notably, the runner-up from the World Championship match no longer automatically qualifies for the Candidates. The alterations are aimed at enhancing the competitive landscape, encouraging player participation, and ensuring a fair representation of the top contenders. The amendments will impact the selection process through various paths. The changes to qualification paths for the FIDE Candidates Tournament will come into effect in Candidates 2026. Photos: FIDE

University of Missouri triumphs at Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Championship 2024

30/01/2024 -

University of Missouri Team A wins Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Championship 2024. The winning team scored 5.5/6. GM Harshit Raja contributed a valuable unbeaten 3.5/5. This was the first time ever the school won this event. The chess team was founded in 2019. University of Texas at Dallas Team A secured second place, scoring 5/6. GM Koustav Chatterjee and IM Saksham Rautela scored 2.5/6 and 2/2 each respectively. Webster University Team A was placed third with a score 4.5/6. GM Harsha Bharathakoti scored 4.5/6. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Team A also scored 4.5/6 and they were placed fourth according to tie-breaks. The top four team qualified to the President's Cup. Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club

Himal Gusain convincingly clinches 3rd Tours Open 2024

30/01/2024 -

IM Himal Gusain scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 to win 3rd Tours International Open A 2024. He finished a half point ahead of the field. GM Namig Guliyev (AZE) scored 7/9 to secure sole second place. Four players - GM Sergey A Fedorchuk (UKR), IM Guillaume Lamard (FRA), GM Alexandre Dgebuadze (BEL) and Julian Victor (BEL) scored 6.5/9 each. They were placed third to sixth according to tie-breaks. The total prize fund of the tournament was €8000, €6500 for Open A. The top three prizes were €1200, €1000 and €800 along with a trophy each. Himal won the first tournament he played in 2024 an he also started the year in the exact same way he ended 2023, by a winning a tournament. Check out an annotated game by the winner Himal himself. Photos: François Le Guillou

ChessNeurons - A platform to improve positional and strategic aspects by GM Ankit Rajpara

30/01/2024 -

GM Ankit Rajpara, India’s 36th Grandmaster with his immense treasure of knowledge gathered across two decades and an almost a decade-long experience in coaching, saw something missing in the chess world, a platform specialized in improving positional and strategic aspects of chess players. Keeping this in mind, he founded ChessNeurons.com. What is the website about? When did it launch, what is the concept behind in it, what are people of chess universe saying about it? We get all answers from the founder and the man who conceptualized everything - GM Ankit Rajpara. If you are tired of solving tactics only at various websites, this is your breath of fresh air to focus on the positional chess. Photos: ChessNeurons.com

Wei Yi wins 86th Tata Steel Masters 2024 on tie-breaks with a 2820 performance, Gukesh second

29/01/2024 -

D Gukesh defeated Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI) in Round 13 to advance to the Playoffs. Anish Giri (NED), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) and Wei Yi (CHN) were the remaining three players to also score 8.5/13. Gukesh faced Giri in the Semifinals and Abdusattorov was up against Wei. Despite losing the first Blitz game, Gukesh bounced back by winning the must-win second game. Then he went on to win the sudden death to advance to the finals. Wei drew the first Blitz game against Abdusattorov and won the next. Against Gukesh also, he had same result. Wei Yi became champion of 86th Tata Steel Masters 2024. Gukesh, Giri and Abdusattorov shared second place. Vidit and Praggnanandhaa shared fifth place with Alireza Firouzja (FRA) 7.5/13 each. Photo: Jurriaan Hoefsmit/Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024

Leon Luke Mendonca roars at Tata Steel Challengers 2024 with a 2742 performance

29/01/2024 -

GM Leon Luke Mendonca defeated IM Divya Deshmukh to win Tata Steel Challengers 2024. This triumph earned him a spot at 87th Tata Steel Masters which will take place from 17th January to 2nd February 2025. The win was not easy. Divya had a decisive advantage. However, at a crucial she decided to capture an incorrect bishop which turned the tables in Leon's favor. The teenager had a quiet start as he scored only 3/6 in the first half of the event. However, in the second half, he registered a staggering 6.5/7 which made the huge difference. He mentioned outplaying stronger opponents in complicated position in almost all of them was the key reason for his fantastic finish. Last year he won Baku Open 2023 with a 2732 performance and this time at Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, he became champion by performing at 2742. The boy has certainly made a magnificent start in 2024. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024

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