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Nihal Sarin dominates 4th President Cup Masters 2025 with a 2836 performance

13/12/2025 -

Nihal Sarin defeated Abdimalik Abdisalimov (UZB) in the final round of 4th International President Cup 2025 Masters. He had already won the tournament, still he went for the maximum. It is clear that Nihal is prioritising Classical chess now and joining forces with GM Vishnu Prasanna has clearly made a big positive impact. He scored 7/9, finished two points ahead of the field, performed at 2836 and gained 14.5 Elo rating points. His live rating is now 2715.5, currently India no.5 and World no. 26. Mukhiddin Madaminov (UZB) and Shamsiddin Vokhidov (UZB) scored 5/9 each. They were placed second and third respectively according to tie-breaks. Nihal has won this event for the second consecutive year. Photo: UzChess

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Rupesh Bhogal wins Dr. Ajit Kasliwal Memorial Rapid Rating Open 2025

13/12/2025 -

Rupesh Bhogal and FM Arun Kataria scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 each at Dr. Ajit Kasliwal Memorial Rapid Rating Open 2025. Rupesh won the tournament due to better tie-breaks, Arun had to settle for the second place. Sheikh Jahan and Aarav Maheshwari scored 8/9 each. They were adjudged third and fourth respectively. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹121000. The top three prizes were ₹21000, ₹15000 and ₹10000 along with a trophy each. The one-day nine-round Swiss league Rapid Rating Open tournament was organized by All Indore Chess Association and Sanjay Ajit Kasliwal Memorial Chess Academy, Indore at Indore Public School in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on 23rd November 2025. This is Rupesh's second overall, first rating tournament triumph of the year. Photo: IM Akshat Khamparia

Indian Oil 51st National Women 2025 R10: Mary Ann beats Nandhidhaa, exciting finish ahead

12/12/2025 -

WGM Mary Ann Gomes (PSPB) defeated the seemingly infallible WGM Nandhidhaa P V (TN) in Round 10 of Indian Oil 51st National Women's Chess Championship 2025. The former three-time National Women champion, grinded a seemingly equal rook and knight endgame until the defending champion blundered and allowed her opponent to win the game. Mary is now coleader with Nandhidhaa at 8.5/10 each. WIM Srishti Pandey (MAH) won against WFM Shubhi Gupta (UP) after the latter wanted to fight and overstretched her pawns, creating weaknesses. Both Srishti and Shubhi are now at 8/10. The tournament is certainly poised for an exciting finish. Round 11 starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Journey of Karnataka’s first Woman Grandmaster Isha Sharma

12/12/2025 -

In a milestone moment for Karnataka and Indian chess, Isha Sharma has become the state’s first and the country’s 27th Woman Grandmaster. She scored her final IM norm at the IM RR SahArt in Subotica, Serbia, on 14th November. The title came after a long wait of two years and three months. She had previously broken ground as Karnataka’s first Woman International Master, and this achievement adds a new chapter to her journey. She has amazing support from her family and her partner, Sharan Rao, with whom she tied the knot in May this year. She hopes her journey inspires other young players in Karnataka to dream bigger and work harder. Read the article to explore her full journey. Photo: Sagar Shah

Levon Aronian dominates Freestyle Grand Slam 2025 Finals, Magnus Carlsen second

12/12/2025 -

Garry Kasparov once famously tweeted, "The chess world is a better place when Levon Aronian is playing well". One can argue about a thousand things which Kasparov said, but it is difficult to disagree with his words on Aronian. The maestro started the Grand Final with a victory over Magnus Carlsen after the latter incorrectly developed his queen. The only two-time World Cup winner in history sacrificed an exchange to gain the upperhand. Later on he got a couple of pawns which he used to win the game. The second game ended in draw. Thus, Aronian won Freestyle Grand Slam Tour 2025 Finals. The Armenian Lion won the event convincingly without conceding a single loss. He also won his second consecutive Freestyle Grand Slam event after winning the Las Vegas leg. Carlsen won Freestyle Grand Slam Tour two days ago when he won the Quarterfinals. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy

Nihal Sarin clinches 4th President Cup Masters 2025 with a round to spare

12/12/2025 -

Nihal Sarin defeated Shamsiddin Vokhidov (UZB) to win 4th International President Cup 2025 Masters with a round to spare. Vokhidov misplaced his queen in the middlegame. It created an opportunity for Nihal use tactics to gain a crucial pawn. That helped him to win the game. It also played a role in Nihal reclaiming his sole lead. The only other pursuer, Mukhiddin Madaminov (UZB) went down against Maxime Lagarde (FRA). Lagarde's win ensured that none of Nihal's pursuers can mathematically catch him in the final round. Thus, Nihal became the champion of this event for the second consecutive year. Only this time it is the Masters section and one round left to go. Round 9 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. IST. Photo: UzChess

Indian Oil 51st National Women 2025 R9: Nandhidhaa juggernaut keeps rolling, Shubhi maintains her pursuit

11/12/2025 -

WGM Nandhidhaa P V (TN) is poised to win Indian Oil 51st National Women's Chess Championship 2025. In a battle of National champion, the reigning and defending Women's champion, Nandhidhaa prevailed over the new Sub-Junior Girls champion, WFM Arshiya Das (TRI). With this win, Nandhidhaa scored a double hat-trick 8.5/9. WFM Shubhi Gupta (UP) maintained her pursuit as her opponent, Shivamshika G (TEL) made a paltry mistake after having a phenomenal run in the last few rounds. WGM Mary Ann Gomes (PSPB) scored a clinical victory over WFM Kheerthi Ganta (TEL). WIM Srishti Pandey (MAH) scored the biggest upset of the round as she defeated the top seed, WIM Arpita Mukherjee (WB). Round 10 starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Praggnanadhaa answers fans questions in a Reddit Ask Me Anything

11/12/2025 -

When a random username called “TechnicalEgg1234” popped up on Reddit, no one expected it to be Praggnanandhaa. But it was and he was there to chat with fans in an Ask Me Anything session. Pragg spoke about everything from his love for dosa, Tamil comedies to big career moments, tough losses and mental strength. He even shared insights on how he handles pressure, prepares for big tournaments, and stays motivated even after setbacks. Check out the article to read all the questions and answers from this fun and honest conversation. Photo: chesscom

Freestyle Grand Slam 2025 Finals: Sindarov makes Carlsen work for his spot in the Grand Final

11/12/2025 -

Magnus Carlsen will face Levon Aronian in the Grand Final of Freestyle Grand Slam Tour 2025 Finals. The FIDE World Cup 2025 winner, Javokhir Sindarov did not go down easily. Despite starting the Semifinals with a loss, he won the must-win second Rapid game, forcing tie-breaks. Carlsen won the first 5'+2" Blitz tie-break comfortably. However, he was losing the second one in the endgame. Sindarov misplayed and could not seize his opportunity, else things would have spilled into Armageddon. Vincent Keymer and Levon Aronian drew the first game. Keymer had some real chances in the second one. He missed it and the game ended in a draw. Aronian won a back and forth first tie-break game. He also won the next to set up a clash against Carlsen. Grand Final starts today at 1 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy

4th President Cup Masters 2025 R7: Nihal showcases his tactical and technical prowess to regain his sole lead

11/12/2025 -

Nihal Sarin showed how resilient he is in Round 7 of 4th International President Cup 2025 Masters. He found a nice tactical sequence to gain upperhand against the reigning Asian Individual champion, Bardiya Daneshvar (IRI). However, the win was not easy for Nihal in spite of material advantage. Then, he showed some fine technique with his double rooks to break down his opponent's virtual fortress. With this win, Nihal regained his sole lead 5/7. Abdimalik Abdisalimov (UZB) and Frederik Svane (GER) defeated the previous round coleaders - Shamsiddin Vokhidov (UZB) and Mukhiddin Madaminov (UZB). It also played a role in Nihal reclaiming his sole lead. Round 8 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Indian Oil 51st National Women 2025 R8: Nandhidhaa gets the better of Sarayu, maintains her sole lead

10/12/2025 -

WGM Nandhidhaa P V (TN) registered her fifth win in-a-row in the eighth round of Indian Oil 51st National Women's Chess Championship 2025. The reigning and defending champion, Nandhidhaa had an inferior position in the middlegame against WGM Sarayu Velpula (TEL). They were teammates last month at FIDE World Women's Team Championship 2025. The reigning and defending champion, managed to turn things around and win the game. WFM Shubhi Gupta (UP) bounced back with an emphatic victory against WIM Kalyani Sirin (KER) to move to 7/8. WGM Mary Ann Gomes (PSPB), the new National Sub-Junior Girls champion - WFM Arshiya Das (TRI) and Telangana State Women's champion, Shivamshika G are at 6.5/8 each. Round 9 starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Freestyle Grand Slam 2025 Finals: Carlsen makes a comeback against Caruana to advance to the Semifinals

10/12/2025 -

Arjun Erigaisi drew the first game of the Quarterfinals against Vincent Keymer at Freestyle Grand Slam Tour 2025 Finals. However, he lost the second game and the hopes of winning the tournament got dashed. Magnus Carlsen started the day with a loss versus Fabiano Caruana. Then he won the second must-win Rapid game, then won the next two Blitz games to win the match and advance to the Semifinals. The Blitz game by Carlsen was a masterpiece. FIDE World Cup 2025 winner, Javokhir Sindarov won Rapid games against Parham Maghsoodloo and Levon Aronian defeated Hans Niemann 3-1 to move to the Semifinals. It will be Sindarov v Carlsen and Keymer v Aronian in the Semifinals. It starts today at 1 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy

R Praggnanandhaa wins FIDE Circuit 2025

10/12/2025 -

GM R Praggnanandhaa has qualified to the FIDE Candidates 2026. Praggnanandhaa topped the FIDE Circuit 2025 by scoring 115.17 points. He made a last-minute entry into the London Chess Classic 2025 Open to ensure he scored enough circuit points, so that his only rival Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) cannot theoretically catch up with him. Despite winning the London Chess Classic 2025 Masters with a fantastic performance, Praggnanandhaa's lead became unassailable, rendering the World Rapid and Blitz 2025 results moot for the FIDE Circuit points. Praggnanandhaa will make his second consecutive appearance at the Candidates. The reigning World Champion, D Gukesh has wanted to face Praggnanandhaa as his next Challenger for the World Championship. It might just happen next year. Photo: FIDE

4th President Cup Masters 2025 R6: Nihal overpushes against Madaminov, pays a heavy price

10/12/2025 -

Nihal Sarin overpushed against Mukhiddin Madaminov (UZB) and paid a heavy price at 4th International President Cup 2025 Masters. Nihal sacrificed a pawn in the early stage of the game. He had enough compensation for it. In the double rook and minor piece endgame, Nihal tried too hard to score a win, sacrificed another pawn to gain some activity and it cost him the game. Shamsiddin Vokhidov (UZB) defeated Bardiya Daneshvar (IRI). Both Madaminov and Vokhidov are the new coleaders 4.5/6. Nihal is the sole player trailing them by a half point at 4/6. Alexander Grischuk scored his first win of the event against Maxime Lagarde (FRA). Round 7 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Alimurod / UzChess

Indian Oil 51st National Women 2025 R7: Nandhidhaa overpowers Shubhi Gupta to become the new sole leader

09/12/2025 -

The reigning and defending champion, WGM Nandhidhaa P V (TN) defeated the sole leader WFM Shubhi Gupta (UP) to move to the top at Indian Oil 51st National Women's Chess Championship 2025. Shubhi misplaced her queen while maneuvering and it eventually moved far away from the action point. Nandhidhaa is the only player now at 6.5/7. Ananya Raman (TN) drew a rollercoaster battle against WGM Mary Ann Gomes (PSPB) which could have gone either player's way. The top seed, WIM Arpita Mukherjee (WB) made a narrow escape against Shivamshika G (TEL) after the latter's knight sacrifice almost worked in her favor. WGM Sarayu Velpula (TEL) won a complex rook and double bishop endgame against IM Nisha Mohota (PSPB). Shubhi is the only player at 6/7. Round 8 starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. IST. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

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