Levan Pantsulaia wins KCA God’s Own Country’s 1st GM Open 2025

GM Levan Pantsulaia (GEO) made another quick draw against IM Rajesh Vav to win KCA's God's Own Country's 1st GM Open 2025. IM Semetei Tologon Tegin (KGZ) defeated GM Alexei Fedorov to finish second. Both Levan and Semetei scored 8.5/10 each. However, Levan became champion due to better tie-break score, Semetei had to be content with the runner-up place. GM Karen H Grigoryan (ARM) drew with GM Manuel Petrosyan (ARM) to finish third 8/10. IM Rajesh Vav is the top Indian finisher 8/10. GM Deepan Chakkravarthy, IM Mehar Chinna Reddy C H and GM Laxman R R are the remaining three Indians to make a top ten finish. They scored 7.5/10 each to be placed sixth, eighth and tenth respectively. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹2000000 in Category A. The top three prizes were ₹300000, ₹200000 and ₹150000. Photo: IA R Anantharam

Asian Individual 2025 R1: Paulo Bersamina holds Nihal Sarin to a draw

Asian Individual Open and Women Chess Championship is back after skipping the previous edition in 2024. Why it did not take place or what happens to the qualification spots of that missing edition, is anybody's guess. GM Nihal Sarin is the top seed in the Men section. He was held to a draw by IM Paulo Bersamina (PHI) in the first round. IM Ameya Audi also shared the point with GM Abhimanyu Puranik. The reigning National Classical and Rapid Champions - GM Karthikeyan Venkataraman and GM Iniyan Pa made a winning start. In the Women's event, IM Vantika Agrawal, WGM Rakshitta Ravi and WGM Priyanka Nutakki scored a victory among the top Indians. Round 2 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 4:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Hossam El Baz / Asian Chess Federation

Grosslobming GP R2: Vaishali wins two in-a-row

GM R Vaishali won her second consecutive game at FIDE Grosslobming GP in Austria. IM Lela Javakhishvili (GEO) made a miscalculation which allowed Vaishali to have a center passed pawn and a strong knight at e2. However, she let go of the pawn and the Georgian made another mistake a few moves later. It cost her an exchange and the game. GM Zhongyi Tan (CHN) defeated IM Olga Badelka (AUT) comfortably to win her second game in-a-row. GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) grinded a relatively equal knight endgame to beat GM Jiner Zhu (CHN). Anna is the only one at 1.5/2. Round 3 starts today at 3 p.m local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FIDE/Przemysław Nikiel

Superbet Classic R1: Praggnanandhaa overcomes adversity against Gukesh

Superbet Chess Classic 2025 is off to a great start. D Gukesh had R Praggnanandhaa on the ropes. However, he showed his resiliency and escaped the grasp of the World Champion. The game resulted in a draw. Alireza Firouzja (FRA) and Wesley So (USA) are the only two players to score a win each in the first round. Firouzja spotted a tactic correctly which his opponent, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) missed. So's opponent Bogdan-Daniel Deac (ROU) made a one-move blunder in the endgame which was heading towards a draw. It will be Fabiano Caruana (USA) vs Praggnanandhaa and Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) vs D Gukesh in Round 2. It starts today from 3 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

Clash of Generations: Anand vs. 11-year-old Oro to open Chess Roads Exhibition

The timeless elegance of chess will take center stage in Italy this June, as La Versiliana transforms into a cultural haven for chess lovers across the globe. Titled “Chess Roads – The Exhibition,” the event, scheduled from June 2 to 15, will showcase 40 rare and historic chess sets from Asia and Europe, tracing the game’s journey through art, history, and craftsmanship.

But before the exhibition begins, all eyes will be on June 1, when India’s legendary Grandmaster and five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand faces off against 11-year-old Argentine prodigy Faustino Oro in a symbolic “Clash of Generations.” This grand duel—echoing the legendary battles of chess history—will be streamed live by ChessBase India, offering audiences a chance to witness a historic encounter between past glory and rising promise.

Set against the scenic backdrop of Tuscany, and organized by Unichess, Andrea Bocelli, and Roberto Mogranzini, the event also celebrates chess as a bridge between cultures—firmly placing India at the heart of this global celebration.

Aswath S clear first at 10th Noisiel Open 2025, Muthaiah third

IM Aswath S scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 to win 10th Noisiel Open A (>2200) 2025. He finished a full point ahead of the rest. Three players - GM Sergey A Fedorchuk (UKR), IM Muthaiah Al and FM Mohamed Anees M scored 6.5/9 each. They secured second to fourth place according to tie-breaks. Aswath drew both runners-up, Fedorchuk and Muthaiah in Round 4 and 6 respectively. The total prize fund in Open A was €5000. Top three prizes were €1500, €1100 and €800 each. Apart from the three mentioned earlier, two more Indians made a top ten finish. IM Harshavardhan G B and IM Senthil Maran K scored 6/9 each to be placed at sixth and eighth respectively. This is Aswath's first triumph of the year before he won big at Grenke Open 2025. Photo: Manolis Picault

Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa set to take on Caruana, Abdusattorov and co. at Superbet Chess Classic 2025

The second event of the Grand Chess Tour 2025 season is Superbet Chess Classic. The reigning World Champion - D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa will be the two Indians taking part in this event. The remaining eight are - Fabiano Caruana (USA), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB), Alireza Firouzja (FRA), Wesley So (USA), Levon Aronian (USA), Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) and Bogdan-Daniel Deac (ROU) and David Gavrilescu (ROU). Who do you think will win this tournament? It takes place at Grand Bucharest Hotel in Buchrest, Romania. Caruana has won this event for two consecutive years. Can he score a hat-trick? Round 1 starts today from 3 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

Grosslobming GP R1: Vaishali starts with a win

GM R Vaishali started her campaign with a win over IM Nurgyul Salimova (BUL) at FIDE Grosslobming GP in Austria. Vaishali has never lost a Classical rated game against Nurgyul. She maintained that streak when the Bulgarian went wrong in an already difficult double rook and minor piece endgame. GM Zhongyi Tan (CHN) defeated her compatriot GM Jiner Zhu (CHN). The former Women's World Champion's conversion of her advantage was not smooth. Thus, the game got prolonged to 96 moves. IM Olga Badelka (AUT) was worse for the better part of the game. However, her opponent, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI) went wrong in the final moments. Round 2 starts today at 3 p.m local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FIDE/Przemysław Nikiel

Can Levan Pantsulaia win KCA God’s Own Country’s 1st GM?

GM Levan Pantsulaia (GEO) made a quick draw against IM Semetei Tologon Tegin (KGZ) to maintain his sole lead at KCA's God's Own Country's 1st GM 2025. The Georgian GM is at 8/9, a half point ahead of GM Karen H Grigoryan (ARM), Semetei and IM Rajesh Vav. Rajesh endured a tough battle against GM Tornike Sanikidze (GEO). The IM seized his opportunity when his opponent went wrong in the endgame. Local lad, Ahaz E U drew with GM Laxman R R. FM Aakash G and Balkishan A suffered their second consecutive loss against GM Boris Savchenko and IM David Gochelashvili respectively. Levan needs a win in the final round as a draw might allow Karen to surpass him on tie-breaks if he manages to beat his compatriot, GM Manuel Petrosyan (ARM). Round 10 starts today at 9 a.m. IST. Photo: Shahid Ahmed

The Aurionpro Mumbai Junior International Tournament rolls out the red carpet for Indian National Champions

A very exciting tournament is coming up for young chess talents! The Aurionpro Mumbai Junior (U-13) International Chess Tournament 2025 is all set to take place from 16th to 24th June 2025 in Mumbai. The tournament is offering free entry and accommodation for national champions and free entry for national school champions. There will be four age categories in this event: U-7, U-9, U-11, U-13. This is a great opportunity for young talents to gain valuable international exposure and test their skills against top talent. Read the full article to find out who is eligible and how to confirm your spot.

Manuel Petrosyan wins 3rd Maharashtra GM 2025

GM Manuel Petrosyan (ARM) defeated IM Ayush Sharma in the final round to win 3rd Maharashtra GM 2025. GM Levan Pantsulaia (GEO) and GM Boris Savchenko made a quick 13-move draw. It meant that Ayush needed a minimum draw to become the champion. However, a win meant his final GM-norm and also winning the tournament. This dilemma cost Ayush the game and his opponent Manuel became the winner. Levan and Boris were placed second and third according to tie-breaks. One of the latest IMs of India, Akshay Borgaonkar scored 7/10 to finish fourth. Ayush had to settle for fifth place. The only other IM to make a top ten finish is Neelash Saha. He claimed sixth place. The total prize fund in this tournament was ₹3000000. The top three prizes are ₹450000, ₹350000 and ₹275000 along with a trophy each. Photos: Shahid Ahmed

Jeet Jain dominates 1st Pinnacle Blitz Rating Open 2025

FM Jeet Jain scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 to win 1st Pinnacle Blitz Rating Open 2025. He finished a half point ahead of the rest. Pushkar Dere and Mihir Shah scored 8/9 each. They secured second and third place respectively. Jeet defeated both runners-up, Pushar and Mihir in Round 6 and 8 respectively. The total prize fund was ₹250000. The top three prizes were ₹40000, ₹30000 and ₹20000 along with a trophy each. The one-day Blitz rating tournament was  organized by IA Mohit Ladhe at Korum Mall in Thane, Maharashtra on 13th April 2025. This is Jeet's first rating tournament triumph of the year. Photo: IA Mohit Ladhe

Vaishali set to face World's top Women at FIDE Grosslobming GP

The sixth and final leg of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2024-25 starts today in Grosslobming, Austria. GM R Vaishali will be the sole Indian taking part in this event. The ten-player round-robin tournament will also feature GM Jiner Zhu (CHN), GM Zhongyi Tan (CHN), GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR), GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO), GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) , GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI), IM Lela Javakhishvili (GEO) IM Olga Badelka (AUT) and IM Nurgyul Salimova (BUL). Jiner is the highest rated player of the event. Vaishali will face Nurgyul in the first round. It starts today at 3 p.m local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FIDE/Przemysław Nikiel

KCA 1st GM R8: Levan Pantsulaia maintains his sole lead

GM Levan Pantsulaia (GEO) is virtually unstoppable at KCA's God's Own Country's 1st GM 2025. He defeated Balkishan A without giving him any chance to comeback after the Georgian seized his opportunity. He maintained his sole lead 7.5/8. FM Aakash G's ambitious and unprincipled play against IM Semetei Tologon Tegin (KGZ) did not work out, resulting in the teenager's first loss of the event. Semetei is now the sole pursuer at 7/8. GM Karen H Grigoryan (ARM), GM Deepan Chakkravarthy and IM Rajesh Vav are at 6.5/8 each. Round 9 starts today at 10 a.m. IST. Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Mitrabha Guha wins a double at Melbourne Open for the second year in-a-row

GM Mitrabha Guha won a double for the second consecutive year at Melbourne International Open 2025. This time he won Rapid and Blitz Rating events, unlike last year when he won the Classical and Blitz events. Mitrabha scored 8/9 and 12.5/13 to become the champion in Rapid and Blitz Rating tournaments respectively. IM Felix Xie (NZL) won the Masters section. He scored an unbeaten 7/9. IM Arghyadip Das, GM Sayantan Das and Mitrabha scored 6.5/9 each. They secured second, third and fourth place respectively. The total prize fund in the Masters was AU $7450. The top three prizes were $2500, $1750 and $1250 each respectively. For Rapid, the total prize fund was AU $1050. The top three prizes were $350, $230 and 150. Blitz prize fund was AU $840. The top three prizes were $300, $200 and $140 each. This was Mitrabha's sixth and seventh overall, fifth and sixth rating tournament triumph of the year.