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Praggnanandhaa Takes Down World Championship Challenger Javokhir Sindarov

12/08/2026 -

R. Praggnanandhaa scored a big win against World Championship Challenger Javokhir Sindarov in the 2nd round of the Sinquefield Cup 2026. Praggnanandhaa was pressing in the Rook Knight endgame, and eventually Sindarov made a mistake, and Pragg won the 6-hour-long marathon game in 95 moves. There were 3 more decisive results where Aronian won against Vincent Keymer, MVL won against Sam Sevian, and Wesley So defeated Jorden van Foreest. The 3rd round will start on 12th August at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

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Cairns Cup 2026 R2: Alice Lee and Tan Zhongyi Score 2nd Consecutive Win

12/08/2026 -

Tan Zhongyi and Alice Lee scored their second consecutive wins at the Cairns Cup 2026. In the 2nd round, Tan Zhongyi defeated Koneru Humpy with the white pieces, and Alice Lee defeated Divya Deshmukh with black. In another decisive result, Carissa Yip won against Alexandra Kosteniuk. The Game between Bibisara Assaubayeva and Vaishali ended in a draw. The 3rd round will start on 12th August at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

EWC Chess 2026 Day 1: Andrey Esipenko and Wei Yi Qualify for Group Stage, Aravindh's Run is Over

12/08/2026 -

The Esports World Cup (EWC) Chess Tournament kicks off at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. The Opening Day saw 8 players fighting hard in Play-Ins for the final 2 spots in the Group Stages. Wei Yi of Team Nemesis and Andrey Esipenko of Team Virtus.Pro made their way to the final 16 and will compete in the Group Stages on 12th August. Wei Yi defeated Vladislav Artemiev in the upper bracket, and Esipenko defeated Artemiev in the lower bracket to qualify. Photos: EWC

The Greater Seattle Chess Club to host its 50th meetup on August 12

11/08/2026 -

It's an incredible thing in our country how different communities, especially stand-up comics, share a love for Chess. From figures like Samay Raina, Anirban Das Gupta, Vaibhav Sethia, and Biswa Kalyan Rath, the list goes on. Following these comics, on January 9, 2025, Vaibhav Bajaj, a stand-up comedian, took a step further and launched a Chess Club in Seattle named "The Greater Seattle Chess Club" (GSCC), building an open, inclusive space where tech engineers, casual blitz fans, and serious rated players gather weekly at different locations across Seattle. Photos: Vaibhav Bajaj.

Fabiano Caruana Starts with a Win at Sinquefield Cup 2026

11/08/2026 -

The final Classical Event of the Grand Chess Tour, the 2026 Sinquefield Cup, returns to the Saint Louis Chess Club. On the Opening day, there was only 1 decisive result, where Caruana, Fabiano, defeated Jorden van Foreest with white pieces. The other 4 games, including R. Praggnanandhaa vs. Samuel Sevian, ended in a draw. The 2nd round will start at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

Divya Deshmukh Beats Vaishali Rameshbabu in Round 1 of 6th Cairns Cup 2026

11/08/2026 -

Divya Deshmukh defeated Vaishali Rameshbabu in the Opening Round of Cairns Cup 2026. Cairns Cup is one of the strongest women's super-tournaments in the world, and 3 Indian Players are taking part in it. Koneru Humpy started the event with a draw against Stavroula Tsolakidou. In another decisive result, Alice Lee defeated Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Tan Zhongyi won against Carissa Yip. The 2nd round will start at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photos: Lennart Ootes

Team Line-ups Confirmed for 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand

11/08/2026 -

The International Chess Federation has officially published the team line-ups for the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad, to be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 15 to 27, 2026. Featuring 11 classical rounds following the opening ceremony on September 15, this edition will be the largest in chess history. A record-breaking 400 teams have been confirmed across two competitions: 208 in the Open section and 192 in the Women's event, surpassing the previous record of 380 teams set at Budapest 2024. Photo: FIDE

11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan crowned Britain’s youngest-ever Women’s champion

11/08/2026 -

England’s 11-year-old prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan, another superstar-in-the-making, became Britain’s youngest-ever Women’s Chess Champion. Her only loss in the tournament was to Shreyas Royal in Round 6. In a tense, rapid-chess playoff between the top female players, Sivanandan defeated Ireland’s 14-year-old Trisha Kanyamarala, a hugely promising talent herself and the first Irishwoman to hold the WGM title. Photo: Yuri Krylov

Ural State Mining University wins inaugural FIDE World University Team Championship 2026

11/08/2026 -

Ural State Mining University has been crowned champion of the inaugural FIDE World University Team Championship Finals, defeating Saint Louis University in Sunday’s final in Almaty. The final day of competition brought the championship down to its two decisive encounters: Ural State Mining University against Saint Louis University for the title and Kazakh National University of Sports against The University of Texas at Dallas for third place. Photos: FIDE

Pranav Anand Wins Brasov Grand Prix Classic 2026

10/08/2026 -

GM Pranav Anand scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 to win the Brasov Grand Prix Classic 2026. Pranav and Top Seed Igor Kovalenko both scored 7.5, but better tiebreaks helped Pranav win the title. In the final round, Pranav defeated Henriquez Villagra Cristobal with white pieces. The tournament was organised in Brasov, Romania, at Hotel Aro Palace from 25th to 31st July 2026. The total prize fund was 36.000€, with the top three prizes being Lei 25000, 15000 and 1000 along with Trophies. Photos: Romanian Chess Grand Prix

The life and journey of Koneru Humpy

09/08/2026 -

Koneru Humpy is one of India’s most accomplished chess players and the country’s first female Grandmaster. She is known for her determination and fighting spirit. She has won the Women’s World Rapid Championship twice, in 2019 and 2024. Humpy is also known for balancing her professional chess career with motherhood and family life. In this interview, she talks about her journey, challenges, motivation, family, and her approach to the game. Photo: Michal Walusza

Elevating Assam Chess: IM Neeraj Kumar Mishra Leads 7-Day Camp in Moranhat

08/08/2026 -

A transformative long-term project by SBG Chess Academy aims to bring structured, high-level coaching to promising talent across remote regions of India. Chess is reaching every corner of India, and the remote regions of Assam are no exception. In a major boost to grassroots chess development, International Master Neeraj Kumar Mishra, alongside Assistant Coach Santanu Borpatra Gohain, is currently conducting an intensive seven-day training camp at the SBG Chess Academy in Moranhat, Dibrugarh district. Photos: R K Pancham Singh

Come and Battle in the City of Lakes: 9th N L Pandiyar Memorial Lakecity International Open 2026

08/08/2026 -

Chess returns to the picturesque City of Lakes as Buddhibal Seva Sansthan (BSS), operating under its Chess in Lakecity unit, proudly announces the 9th N. L. Pandiyar Memorial Lakecity International FIDE Rating Open Chess Tournament 2026. Continuing its legacy of hosting world-class FIDE-rated events in Udaipur, the tournament brings together players from across India and around the globe.

"This is my best Rapid and Blitz performance ever!" R. Praggnanandhaa

07/08/2026 -

R Praggnanandhaa has won the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz 2026, leading from day one to day five and never letting go. It is, by his own assessment, the strongest Rapid and Blitz showing of his career. In this in-depth interview, he takes us through the ambitious c5 that Levon Aronian played against him, the quiet Qb2 that cost Fabiano Caruana the game, the opening idea he liked so much he made a note to reuse it, the antidote to the French Defence that Jorden Van Foreest had prepared, and the thrilling finale with Javokhir Sindarov. Photo: Lennart Ootes

R. Praggnanandhaa Wins Grand Chess Tour Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz 2026

07/08/2026 -

R Praggnanandhaa played tremendous chess at Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz to win the tournament with a round to spare. On the final day, Praggnanandhaa scored 3 wins and won the tournament with a draw against Javokhir Sindarov in the penultimate round. This is Pragg's 1st Grand Chess Tour Rapid & Blitz Title. Pragg drew his final game against Levon Aronian to finish with 23.5/36 points. En route to his victory, Pragg lost only 2 of the 27 games he played, including both Rapid & Blitz. Photos: Lennart Ootes

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