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Heartbreaking - Alireza Firouzja withdraws from Super Chess Classic 2026 Romania

20/05/2026 -

Alireza Firouzja made a huge decision to withdraw from the Super Chess Classic 2026. Alireza made this decision after playing with Fabiano Caruana on the rest day, as their game was postponed due to Alireza's ankle injury. The news came out after the 3rd round; he missed the 4th round but played against Javokhir Sindarov in the 5th round from a hotel room. He played one more round under the same conditions. Check out what happened on the rest day. Photo: Lennart Ootes

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Anand's former second IM V. Saravanan recommends 20 must-read books

19/05/2026 -

What does the study room of a former World Champion's trainer look like? IM Venkatachalam Saravanan has shaped some of the best minds in Indian chess. He is very wise, and that wisdom comes from the books he has read. He is also well known for his deep love of chess books. A few days back, we visited his house in Chennai for a tour of his study room, where he gave several book recommendations. In this article, we present 20 books from Saravanan's personal recommended list.

Injured Alireza Firouzja Plays Super Chess Classic Round 5 From Bed

19/05/2026 -

Have you ever seen a professional chess player playing in an over-the-board tournament while lying down in bed? After suffering an ankle injury after the 3rd round at Super Chess Classic, Alireza Firouzja decided to skip the 4th round against Fabiano Caruana. However, he came back stronger in the 5th round against Javokhir Sindarov and played the game from a bed, as he was unable to walk. The organisers provided a special room next to his hotel room so that he could play in there in the presence of the arbiter. Alireza could have decided not to play rounds anymore, but the love for this game is unreal. The 6th round will start on 19th May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Chakravarthi Reddy M dominates at 4th Unity Club Rapid Rating 2026

18/05/2026 -

IM Chakravarthi Reddy M scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 points to win Unity Club 4th All India Open Fide Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026. Joshua Mark Telles and Mandar Pradip Lad scored 8/9 points to finish in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively, according to tiebreak scores. The tournament was organised by Unity Club, Margao, on 18th and 19th April with a total prize fund of ₹2,00,000. The top 3 prizes were ₹25,000, ₹20,000, and ₹15,000 along with trophies. Photos: Pradeep Gaonkar

Bharat Singh Chauhan unanimously re-elected as the Chairman of Commonwealth Chess

18/05/2026 -

Commonwealth Chess Association unanimously re-elected India’s Bharat Singh Chauhan as Chairman for the 2026–2030 term during its Annual General Body Meeting held in Wasakaduwa, Sri Lanka. Alongside him, G. Luxman Wijesuriya was re-elected as General Secretary, while representatives from Malaysia, South Africa, Mauritius, Barbados, Kenya, New Zealand and Cyprus were elected to key positions. The Association also announced the launch of the inaugural Commonwealth School Chess Championship, set to take place in Malaysia in October 2026.

31 classroom discipline suggestions by GM R B Ramesh and why they matter

18/05/2026 -

In a recent post, R. B. Ramesh shared 31 thoughtful suggestions for students and coaches during training sessions. From concentration and independent thinking to note-taking and stamina, the ideas reflect what serious learning truly looks like. Many of these habits go beyond chess and help shape better learners and individuals. Read the full article and reflect on how many of these lessons you can apply. Photo: Amit Sharma

Vincent Keymer beats MVL to gain the sole lead at Super Chess Classic 2026

18/05/2026 -

Vincent Keymer defeated Maxime Vachier-Lagrave to gain the sole lead after 4 rounds of play at Super Chess Classic 2026. There was only one decisive result in the 4th round, where Vincent scored his 2nd win of the tournament. Another big news of this round was the unavailability of Alireza Firouzja due to health issues. The other 3 games ended in a draw, where Anish Giri drew against Javokhir Sindarov, R Praggnanandhaa played a quick draw against Jorden van Foreest, and Wesley So drew against Bogdan Daniel Deac in a long battle. The 5th round will start on 17th May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Anish Giri beats Alireza, Jorden also scores his first win at Super Chess Classic 2026

17/05/2026 -

In the 3rd round of the Super Chess Classic 2026, Anish Giri defeated Alireza Firouzja to score his 1st win of the tournament. In another decisive result, Bogdan Daniel Deac lost to Jorden van Foreest with white pieces. The battle between R Praggnanandhaa and Vincent Keymer also ended in a draw after a long fight. In the American clash between Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana, both players played solid chess to a draw. Javokhir Sindarov and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave drew quickly. After 3 rounds, 5 players are joint leaders with 2/3 points. The 4th round will start on 17th May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Test your skills with positions from the Chola Chess camp: 2nd Edition

16/05/2026 -

Chola Chess is building a dedicated space for India's strong chess players to train and improve. It is led by R. B. Ramesh and Aarthie Ramaswamy, and supported by a committed team. With consistent camps and serious training, it has already impacted over 1300 players across the country. In this second edition of the series, we bring you another set of instructive positions discussed during a Chola Chess camp. Take your time, calculate deeply, and see how many you can solve.

Sweet Revenge: Praggnanandhaa Topples World Title Challenger Sindarov in Bucharest

16/05/2026 -

R Praggnanandhaa took a sweet revenge against World Championship Challenger Javokhir Sindarov in the 2nd round of Super Chess Classic 2026. In the FIDE Candidates, Sindarov defeated Praggnanandhaa in both games they played. Despite that result, this was a great win for Pragg. In another decisive result, Vincent Keymer defeated Bogdan Daniel Deac, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave won against Alireza Firouzja. After 1st peaceful day, now the games are getting more interesting and exciting for viewers as well as players. The 3rd round will start on 16th May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Praggnanandhaa survives a Scare, Overall a Peaceful day at Super Chess Classic 2026

15/05/2026 -

The 1st Classical event of the Grand Chess Tour 2026 started in Bucharest with a peace as all 5 games ended in a draw. Although the game between R Praggnanandhaa and Alireza Firouzja was a roller-coaster ride, as Alireza was clearly better, Praggnanandhaa managed to escape from a really bad spot to hold a draw. In the second round, R Praggnanandhaa will face the World Championship Challenger, Javokhir Sindarov, with black pieces. The 2nd round will start on 15th May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

IM Soumya Swaminathan conducts virtual camp for differently abled players

15/05/2026 -

IM Soumya Swaminathan conducted a four-day virtual chess camp exclusively for differently abled players. She trained participants through interactive sessions focused on practical chess understanding and decision-making. The camp covered important topics such as positional evaluation, pattern recognition, equal positions, and critical moments in a game. Around 30 players attended the camp. This was a meaningful initiative aimed at creating a more inclusive and accessible learning environment for differently abled chess players. Read the article to know more about.

Grand Chess Tour Super Chess Classic 2026 Kicks Off in Romania

14/05/2026 -

The 1st Classical Chess event of the Grand Chess Tour 2026 will start today at the Old Palace of the National Bank of Romania, situated in the heart of Old Town of Bucharest. The drawing of lots took place yesterday in the opening ceremony, and the rounds will start from today. The sole Indian participant, R. Praggnanandhaa, will take on Alireza Firouzja with the White pieces in Round 1. The 1st round will start on 14th May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photos: Abhyudaya Ram and Lennart Ootes

Snehit Raj Singh clear first at 4th Mandar Rapid Rating 2026

14/05/2026 -

Snehit Raj Singh of West Bengal scored 8/9 points to win the 4th Mandar Fide Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026. Shubham Kumar, Kishan Kumar, and Abhishek Sonu scored 7.5/9 to finish in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place, respectively, according to tiebreak scores. The tournament was organised by Banka District Chess Association at Khel Bhawan in Banka, Bihar, on 5th April 2026. The total cash prize of the tournament was ₹51,500. with top three prizes of ₹10,000, ₹7,000 and ₹5,000 respectively. Photos: All Bihar Chess Association

How a video led to Annanya Chinta receiving a laptop through the S. Krishnan Scholarship

13/05/2026 -

11-year-old Annanya Chinda from Andhra Pradesh has received the S. Krishnan Scholarship, instituted by Kartik Krishnan under the HelpChess Foundation. Kartik first noticed Annanya while watching a video from the Under-11 National Championship in Jalgaon, where she was competing in the Open category. He was impressed by her fearless approach, he later got to know more about her journey. That eventually led him to support her through this scholarship. Read on to know how it all happened.

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