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WR Chess retains World Blitz Team title, Hexamind third

16/06/2025 -

WR Chess Team successfully defended their World Blitz Team title as they defeated KazChess 4-2 in both matches. Hexamind Chess Team won the third place against Uzbekistan by winning by both matches with the same score 2.5-3.5. Only two out of 27 board prizes were won by Indians. GM Arjun Erigaisi (MGD1) got Bronze on Board no.1 and Sarbartho Mani (Freedom) received on Board no.9. The total prize fund was €500000 combining Rapid and Blitz, €310000 in Rapid and €190000 in Blitz. The top three prizes were: €110000, 70000 and 50000 each respectively. For Blitz, the top three were - €75000, €50000 and €30000 each. Photo: FIDE/Rafal Oleksiewicz

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

Sailesh R wins 1st SRM Rating Open 2025

16/06/2025 -

Seven players - Sailesh R, Hari Ganesh T, Vignesh N, Sivan S Roshan, Abinandhan R, Ajjesh J R and Ayyappan P Santhana Prabu scored 7/8 each at 1st SRM Rating Open 2025. Sailesh won the tournament due to better tie-break scores. The remaining six were placed second to seventh respectively. Apart from Ajjesh, the remaining six remained undefeated. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹500000. The top three prizes were ₹50000 + tropy, ₹40000 and ₹30000 each. The four-day eight round Rating Open tournament was organized by Golden Knights Chess Academy and Master Mind Chess Academy at Major Dhyan Chand Indoor Stadium, SRM IST, Kattankulathur in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu from 15th to 18th May 2025. This is Sailesh's fourth overall, second rating tournament triumph of the year. Photo: Shahid Ahmed

IMC India donates Rs. 1,00,000 to HelpChess Foundation to empower Indian chess players

16/06/2025 -

In recent times, there has been a surge in corporate interest in promoting chess. Many companies now align with our mission to support talented players who are facing financial issues. Recently, IMC India stepped forward and donated Rs. 1,00,000 to the HelpChess Foundation. This initiative was led by Debajyoti, who nominated the foundation through their "Make Your Mark" CSR program. This generous contribution will ease the financial burden on a promising chess player. ChessBase India had the opportunity to speak with both Debajyoti, Quantitative Researcher, and Jet, CSR Coordinator at IMC India, about this donation. Read the article to know their insights and what profound impact this support will have on Indian chess.

Abhijeet Gupta clear first at 21st Delhi GM Open, Diptayan Ghosh third

15/06/2025 -

GM Abhijeet Gupta made a quick draw against IM Aronyak Ghosh to win 21st Delhi GM Open 2025. Abhijeet became a clear champion with 8.5/10. He won this event for the fourth time since 2008. Five players - GM Mihail Nikitenko, GM Diptayan Ghosh, IM Aronyak Ghosh, GM Aditya S Samant and GM Duc Hoa Nguyen (VIE) scored 8/10 each. They were placed second to sixth according to tie-breaks. As many as 16 players scored 7.5/10 each. Out of them, top seed of the tournament, GM S L Narayanan was placed seventh according to tie-breaks. The total prize fund was ₹12100000, ₹5100000 in Category A. The top three prizes are ₹700000, ₹600000 and ₹500000 along with a trophy each. This is Abhijeet's first triumph of the year. Photos: Anmol Bhargav

World Blitz Team 2025: WR Chess, MGD1, Freedom, Hexamind, Ashdod and others advance to the KO stage

15/06/2025 -

The defending champion, WR Chess Team, Freedom, Uzbekistan and MGD1 have topped their respective Pools in the Pool stage of FIDE World Blitz Team Championship 2025. Out of them, only WR Chess and Uzbekistan have won all twelve matches. However, in the KO stage, those scores will not matter. World Blitz 2024 Cochampion, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi has joined WR Chess. Surprisingly, GM Alireza Firouzja did not play a single game in the Pool stage. MGD1 would certainly like to make it a double and dethrone the defending champions, WR Chess. Hexamind Chess Team and Ashdod Elit Chess Club have also advanced to the next stage. KO Stage starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photo: John Brezina

Chess dads- The Silent Architects Behind Every Move

15/06/2025 -

The glitz and glory of Indian chess - that’s what we often see. But behind those moments are stories we don’t always hear. This Father's Day, we celebrate the silent strengths of chess dads, the ones who make the early sacrifices, the ones who stand by through the ups and downs. Like Rameshbabu, the father who simply wanted his kids, Vaishali and Praggnanandhaa, to stay busy, never imagining they'd become global chess stars. And Rajnikanth, Gukesh's dad, who even left his job to support his son's dreams. Read their inspiring stories and discover the profound impact of these incredible fathers.

5th Cairns Cup R5: Carissa Yip beats Nana Dzagnidze

15/06/2025 -

IM Carissa Yip (USA) scored the sole victory of the fifth round at 5th Cairns Cup 2025. She defeated GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) after finding the correct sacrifice. Her follow through was not precise which delayed her win. GM Koneru Humpy played a solid draw against IM Alice Lee (USA). GM Harika Dronavalli had a 17-move quick draw against GM Zhongyi Tan (CHN). Humpy, Harika and Alice are still in the lead 3.5/5. They are closely followed by IM Alina Kashlinskaya (POL) at 3/5 and IM Carissa Yip (USA) 2.5/5. Today is the sole rest day. Round 6 starts tomorrow Monday 16th June at 12 p.m. local time, 10:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club

India’s Himal Gusain Wins the 16th Dolomiti International Chess Tournament Title

14/06/2025 -

Forni di Sopra, Italy The 16th Dolomiti International Chess Tournament, held in the UNESCO World Heritage region of the Dolomite mountains in Forni di Sopra, Italy, concluded today, and the title was claimed by India’s International Master Himal Gusain based on a superior tiebreak score. The event was organized by UniChess Italy. After 9 rounds, both Himal and Bulgaria’s top seed Grandmaster Martin Petrov finished with 8 points and were jointly placed at the top. However, due to a better tiebreak score, Himal was declared the champion, while Petrov had to settle for the runner-up position. Romania’s Madalin Andronescu secured third place with 6.5 points. Among the women players, Romania’s EKaterina Pirvulescu, Greece’s Grapsa Georgia, and Colombia’s Angela Franco were the top three finishers. Final Report & Photos by Niklesh Jain.

MGD1 convincingly clinches World Rapid Team 2025 Championship, Hexamind second and Freedom third

14/06/2025 -

Team MGD1 defeated Malcolm's Mates 3.5-2.5 to win FIDE World Rapid Team Championship 2025. They scored 21/24 and finished a full point ahead of the rest. Hexamind Chess Team scored 20/24 to secure second place. Freedom, Uzbekistan and WR Chess scored 17/24 each. Out of them, Freedom was placed third due to better tie-break scores. Hexamind is the only team who managed to beat the eventual champion, MGD1 in Round 8. Freedom drew with MGD1 in Round 5. It is not about remaining unbeaten, it is all about how you take losses and bounce back. MGD1 truly exemplified it. GM Arjun Erigaisi, GM Pentala Harikrishna, GM David Anton Guijarro, GM Leon Luke Mendonca, GM Pranav Venkatesh, IM Stavroula Tsolakidou and Atharvaa P Tayade won Team Gold. World Blitz Team Pool Stage starts today at 2 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Abhyudaya Ram

Win your ticket to Abu Dhabi at the 4th ChessBase India Chess Festival in Hyderabad

14/06/2025 -

For the very first time, the 31st Abu Dhabi chess festival in association with Chessbase India offers an unique opportunity for chess enthusiasts in India to win a ticket to Abu Dhabi to participate at the 31st Abu Dhabi Chess festival to be held from 14th-24th August, 2025. The winner of the tournament will receive a one-way ticket to Abu Dhabi, visa and free entry to play any/multiple events of the festival considering they are eligible to play the particular event. Presenting to you the 4th ChessBase India Chess Festival in Hyderabad with a total prize pool of Rs. 60,000 to be a held at the Maestro Chess Academy in Hyderabad on the 5th of July, 2025 arranged and organised by ChessBase India Hyderabad.

Only 6 days left to register for the Anichess x ChessBase India Spells Open tournament

14/06/2025 -

ChessBase India and Anichess are teaming up to bring you an exciting tournament - the Spells Open! It's chess, but with a magical twist. Play your favourite game, but with spells! We are combining traditional chess with powerful spell mechanics to create a whole new experience for everyone. The prize pool for this tournament is Rs. 2.5 Lakhs ($3,000). along with 7,000 M8 points. This tournament is about having fun, trying something new, and exploring a whole new dimension of chess. This is your chance to become the first-ever Spells Open Champion! Check out the article to find out how you can register. Photo: Anichess

5th Cairns Cup R4: Humpy and Harika score to join the lead with Alice

14/06/2025 -

Two of the best Indian women - GM Koneru Humpy and GM Harika Dronavalli won their respective games in Round 4 of 5th Cairns Cup 2025. Humpy got the better of GM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) who played weak according to the former. Humpy exchanged her two minor pieces for a rook and two pawns in the endgame to gain decisive advantage. Harika dominated with her rook and bishop pair against GM Nana Dzagnidze's (GEO) rook, bishop and knight in the endgame. GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) scored her first win of the tournament versus IM Carissa Yip (USA). The sole leader, IM Alice Lee (USA) held the 16th Women's World Champion, GM Zhongyi Tan (CHN) to a well contested draw. Round 5 starts today at 12 p.m. local time, 10:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club

Can Abhijeet Gupta win 21st Delhi GM Open?

14/06/2025 -

GM Abhijeet Gupta crushed GM Mihail Nikitenko to emerge sole leader, heading into the final round of 21st Delhi GM Open 2025. Nikitenko did not respond correctly to the five-time Commonwealth Gold medalist's attack on the kingside. Abhijeet is now at 8/9. IM Aronyak Ghosh defeated Viresh Sharnarthi comfortably to move to 7.5/9. GM Aditya S Samant won a back and forth battle against GM Aleksej Aleksandrov. He is also at 7.5/9. Abhijeet will face Aronyak in the final round and Aditya will be up against the top seed, GM S L Narayanan. A win in the last round makes Abhijeet an outright champion, whereas a draw might also prove to be enough for him to win the tournament. Round 10 starts today at 10 a.m. IST. Photos: Anmol Bhargav

Subhrajit Dey wins 3rd HDCA Rating Open 2025

14/06/2025 -

Five players - Subhrajit Dey, Rupam Mukherjee, Kishan Kumar, Piyush Kumar and Ayush Das scored 8/9 each at 3rd HDCA Rating Open 2025. Subhrajit won the tournament due to better tie-break scores. The remaining four were placed second to fifth respectively. Among them, Subhrajit, Rupam and Piyush remained undefeated. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹405000. The top three prizes were ₹71000, ₹40000 and ₹25000 along with a trophy each. The five-day nine round Rating Open tournament was organized by Hazaribag District Chess Association at Angel's High School in Hazaribag, Jharkhand from 11th to 15th May 2025. This is Subhrajit's first rating tournament triumph of the year. Photo: IA Vishal Kumar Minz/Hazaribag District Chess Association

How 16-year-old IM Akshay Borgaonkar conquered both chess and academics

13/06/2025 -

A few months back, 16-year-old Akshay Borgaonkar from Pune became an International Master. He earned both his final IM norm and his maiden GM norm at the SixDays Budapest March GM-A Round Robin tournament, scoring an impressive 7/9. Soon after that, he also scored a phenomenal 98% in his Class 10 CBSE exams! While many young athletes are forced to choose between their passion and academics, Akshay, with the right mindset and time management, has shown that it is possible to pursue both and excel. In this article, he shares exactly how he managed to do it. So, read on to learn from his journey in his own words! Photo: Shahid Ahmed

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