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Pranav Venkatesh Golden at World Junior 2025

08/03/2025 -

GM Pranav Venkatesh drew with FM Matic Lavrencic (SLO) to clinch the Gold at World Junior Open 2025. He scored an unbeaten 9/11 with a performance of 2721, gaining 13.3 Elo rating points in the process. His final round opponent, Matic secured Silver scoring 8.5/11. GM Elham Amar (NOR) got Bronze scoring 8.5/11. WIM Anna Shukhman won Gold in the Girls event. She scored 9/11. WIM Ayan Allahverdiyeva (AZE) and IM Miaoyi Lu (CHN) scored 8/11 each to secure Silver and Bronze respectively. The total prize fund of the tournament was €10000. The top three prizes in Open were €3000, €2000 and €1000 along with a medal and trophy each. For Girls, they were, €2000, €1250 and €750 with a medal a trophy each. Photo: Mitar Djukanovic

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

Aravindh Chithambaram dominates Prague Masters 2025 with a 2829 performance

08/03/2025 -

Aravindh Chithambaram drew Ediz Gurel (TUR) to become the champion of 7th Prague International Chess Festival 2025 Masters. Anish Giri's (NED) victory over R Praggnanandhaa ensured Aravindh's clear first place finish with a 6/9 score. Anish finished second 5/9. Wei Yi (CHN) drew with Liem Quang Le (VIE) to finish third with the same score 5/9. Aravindh's performance rating at this event was 2829. He gained a valuable 12 Elo rating points, taking him to World no.14 in the live ratings. Those who have followed Aravindh's career always knew and believed him to have the potential to reach here and beyond. Him winning two Classical super tournaments in-a-row with the exact same rating performance is also quite unique. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Moments that made the Mind Champions Challenge 2025 unforgettable

08/03/2025 -

They can't see the pieces, but they feel the game. They came to play chess but left with so much more. On 23rd February 2025, 35 visually impaired players participated in the Mind Champions Challenge at the Phoenix Matketcity Mall, Kurla. The day witnessed as many exciting matches as beautiful stories. The event was sponsored by the Lions Club of Bombay Uptown with the help of ChessBase India, the All India Chess Federation for the Blind, and Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla. Read the article to relive the unforgettable moments and stories that made this event truly special! Photo: Abhyudaya Ram 

Unleash Your Chess Creativity: 9th Youth Chess Composing Challenge Awaits!

08/03/2025 -

The World Federation for Chess Composition (WFCC) has officially launched the 9th edition of the Youth Chess Composing Challenge (YCCC), an individual competition aimed at fostering the next generation of chess composers. This event invites young talents from around the world to immerse themselves in the intricate and creative art of composing chess problems and studies, providing them with a platform to showcase their ingenuity, develop their skills, and contribute to the rich tradition of chess composition. In this article, we provide a comprehensive overview of the competition's rules and delve into the specific thematic conditions set for this year’s edition, offering participants a clear understanding of the requirements and expectations.

Take part in Khelo Chess India Masters and Challengers on 5th-6th April!

08/03/2025 -

Want to achieve your FIDE Rating in Chess? You are welcome to Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh! On the 5th and 6th of April, Saturday and Sunday, a two-day Khelo Chess India festival is going to be held at Sage International School located in Bhopal Kolar, Madhya Pradesh. In the festival, a FIDE Rapid Rating Chess Tournament will be organized in which anyone can participate, as well as a Masters Chess Tournament in which many strong players from the state and beyond will be seen in action! The total prize fund of the Rapid Rating tournament will be Rs 1 lakh, and the entry fee has been kept at just Rs. 500. In the Masters event, we are going to invite 10 players, whose games will be broadcasted live on the Hindi ChessBase India YouTube channel! Read this article and do not miss the opportunity to get FIDE Rapid Rating!

Street chess event brings the community together in Hyderabad

08/03/2025 -

The Hyderabad chess community is growing day by day. They are organising exciting events one after the other. Recently, they organized a street chess event to connect chess lovers and foster the community. The event happened at People’s Plaza from 6 am to 8 am. It featured a blitz tournament, which saw around 60 participants. It was organized by the Telangana Democratic Chess Development Committee. Check out the article for the full report. Photos: Kandi Ravi

Express Report: Aravindh Chithambaram is the outright champion at Prague Masters 2025

07/03/2025 -

Aravindh Chithambaram drew with Ediz Gurel (TUR) in the final round of 7th Prague International Chess Festival 2025. However, it was not sure whether he will win the tournament. Anish Giri's (NED) win over R Praggnanandhaa secured the first place for Aravindh. He not only won the tournament but also finished a full point ahead of the rest. Round 9 is still in progress. A detailed report with games analysis, interviews, prize distribution ceremony photos and a lot of other stuff will be published after the conclusion of closing ceremony. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

World Junior R9-10: Pranav eyes the Gold

07/03/2025 -

GM Pranav Venkatesh defeated compatriot IM Aswath S in the ninth round of World Junior 2025 Open. Aswath was coming into the round with maximum momentum, six wins in-a-row, however, he was also facing the best version of Pranav. It did not make things easy for the IM. He faltered early in the game and could not recover from it. In the penultimate round, Pranav drew with the two-time Asian Junior champion, GM Aleksey Grebnev. Pranav is the sole leader 8.5/10, heading into the final round. FM Matic Lavrencic (SLO) is the only player at 8/10. They will face each other to determine who clinches the Gold. Pranav needs either a win or a draw to become the World Junior champion. Round 11 starts today at 1 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST.

Young talents shine at the Children’s Champions League 2nd edition in Hyderabad

07/03/2025 -

The Children’s Champions League 2nd Edition took place on 23rd February 2025 in Hyderabad. 190 young players, including 33 FIDE-rated talents, competed across five age groups. The tournament had an exciting prize pool of Rs. 50,000 and was organized by Srikanth Malladi. The event was a huge success, showing Telangana’s bright future in chess. Read the article for the full report. Photos: Srikanth Malladi 

Aravindh Chithambaram on the verge of winning Prague Masters 2025

07/03/2025 -

Aravindh Chithambaram drew with David Navara (CZE) in the penultimate round of 7th Prague International Chess Festival 2025 Masters. He maintains his sole lead 5.5/7. Aravindh had a small opportunity to gain the upper hand. However, he missed it. R Praggnanandhaa also drew his game against Liem Quang Le (VIE). It moved Praggnanandhaa to 5/7. Wei Yi (CHN) defeated Thai Dai Van Nguyen (CZE) to move to 4.5/7. Aravindh winning against Ediz Gurel (TUR) will make him a clear champion. However, a draw means, Praggnanandhaa can catch up and force tie-breaks if he manages to beat Anish Giri (NED). However, there is a mathematical possibility of a three-way tie if Aravindh loses, Praggnanandhaa draws and Wei beats Liem in the final round. Round 9 for Masters, Challengers, Futures, and Karel Janeček Open starts today at 11 a.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Milan Petras is the winner of Solving Competition at Prague International Chess Festival 2025

06/03/2025 -

Prague International Chess Festival is truly a chess festival in every way one can fathom. There are not only tournaments in Masters, Challengers, Futures, Open, Rapid and Blitz conventional events but also Basque, Fischer Random, Pair Blitz, Bughouse and Solving competition. There is something for every type of chess player and enthusiast. On Friday 28th February 2025, F Solving competition took place. Milan Petras won the event scoring 55 points. Dimitra Amiridou (GRE) secured second place scoring 50 points. Sahib Hasanzada (AZE) was placed third scoring 43 points. The special element about this event was all positions were curated by the legendary Grandmaster in Chess Composition - Yochanan Afek (ISR). Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Mumbai International Chess Tournament is Back – Bigger & Better!

06/03/2025 -

After a five-year pause, the Mumbai International Chess Tournament is back with the support of Aurionpro Solutions Limited. The event is set to take place from June 16-24, 2025, at the prestigious World Trade Centre, Mumbai. It will feature two major tournaments: the Aurionpro Mumbai International Grandmaster Chess Tournament (₹25 Lakhs) and the Aurionpro Mumbai Junior International Chess Tournament (₹15 Lakhs). This is going to be the richest junior chess event in the world! Check out the article for more details.  

Prague Masters R7: Aravindh astounds Anish with a majestic play, gains sole lead and now World no.14

06/03/2025 -

Aravindh Chithambaram scored a spectactular win over Anish Giri (NED) to gain sole lead 5/7 at 7th Prague International Chess Festival 2025 Masters. Aravindh found some brilliant tactical shots to beat the super solid Dutch no.1. This win moved Aravindh to World no.14 and India no.4 in the live ratings. R Praggnanandhaa made his best attempt to score a win over Wei Yi (CHN). However, the Chinese defended correctly and did not budge. Liem Quang Le (VIE) blundered an exchange which cost him the game against Sam Shankland (USA). Ediz Gurel (TUR) scored his first win of the tournament against Thai Dai Van Nguyen (CZE). In the Challengers section, previous round leaders, GM Jonas Buhl Bjerre (DEN) and GM Nodirbek Yakubboev (UZB) scored a win each over IM Divya Deshmukh and GM Ivan Salgado Lopez (ESP) to stay ahead 5.5/7. The eighth round for Masters, Challengers, Futures, and Karel Janeček Open starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 7:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

World Champion Gukesh D Honored with ₹1 Crore at Velammal Nexus

05/03/2025 -

On February 28, 2025, the Velammal Nexus School in Chennai organized a felicitation program for the youngest World Chess Champion, D Gukesh. Gukesh is a student of this school! Last time, after he won the Candidates Tournament, the school gifted him a Mercedes-Benz. This time, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian chess, Velammal Nexus Correspondent Shri M.V.M. Velmohan and Deputy Correspondent Mr. Shriram Velmohan awarded him a ₹1 crore cash prize. Read all about the grand felicitation ceremony of the World Champion in this article. Photos: Abhyudaya Ram 

A Celebration of Family, Friends, and Colleagues at the Indonesia Chess Museum

05/03/2025 -

There are few chess museums in various countries - Iceland, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, Turkiye and now in Indonesia. Museum Catur Indonesia (Indonesia Chess Museum) was soft launched on 26th February 2025. Who are the people who made it happen? Peter Long, who was present at this event, shares everything about it with information and attractive photos. It is located together with Cafe Tutur at the Headquarters of the Utut Adianto Chess School (SCUA) in Bekasi, Indonesia, a FIDE Tier 1 Academy also founded by Eka Putra Wirya. Photos: FM FT IA Peter Long

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