Latest News, Updates & Breaking Headlines
R Vaishali vs Divya Deshmukh (Photo by Niki Riga) NEW DELHI: In the zero-sum world of elite chess, the camaraderie between compatriots often has to be set aside at the board. This was evident on Wednesday at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort as India’s two sensations, R Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh, faced off…
World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura questions FIDE’s safety protocols (Photo by Michal Walusza) NEW DELHI: The year was 2015. At 55, veteran Grandmaster (GM) Pravin Thipsay hadn’t won any chess tournament in four years. He arrived at the inaugural Dr. Hegdewar Open in Delhi hoping to break the hex, but by the fifth round, he…
No handshake after Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk defeated Russia’s Kateryna Lagno (Screengrab) NEW DELHI: The cold war at the chessboard reached a freezing point in Round 4 of the Women’s Candidates 2026, as Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk and Russia’s Kateryna Lagno bypassed the traditional courtesies of the game. There was no handshake at the start, no acknowledgement…
USA GM Hikaru Nakamura blasts FIDE NEW DELHI: World No. 2 American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has hit out at FIDE, the world chess governing body, over what he sees as excessive anti-cheating measures at the 2026 Candidates Tournament in Cyprus. Opening his fourth Candidates with a loss to fellow American Fabiano Caruana, Nakamura took to…
NEW DELHI: Chess fans and players have been worried about the upcoming Candidates tournament in Cyprus, mainly due to safety concerns and basic facilities like electricity. The island’s closeness to tensions in West Asia and recent attacks on nearby military bases have raised fears about whether it’s the right place to host such a major…
Koneru Humpy (Photo by Lennart Ootes/FIDE). NEW DELHI: In a move that has sent shockwaves through the global chess community, India’s veteran Grandmaster (GM) and World No. 5 Koneru Humpy has now officially withdrawn from the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament in Cyprus. Citing a “Level 3” travel advisory and escalating tensions in the Middle East,…
FIDE and Freestyle Chess agree terms on World Championship (Photos by Michal Walusza and ChessBase India) NEW DELHI: Late on Wednesday night, Emil Sutovsky, the chief executive officer (CEO) of FIDE, the International Chess Federation, chose a phrase heavy with symbolism.“Burying the hatchet!” he wrote on X, announcing that FIDE and Freestyle Chess had finally…
Magnus Carlsen (Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman) World No. 1 and five-time World champion Magnus Carlsen has returned to take part in the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships in Qatar. Speaking ahead of the tournament in Doha, the Norwegian discussed his relationship with the game’s governing body, FIDE, especially after last year’s much-publicised “jeansgate” controversy. GM…
Returning to the World Rapid & Blitz Championship in Doha, Magnus Carlsen isn’t holding back – he has playfully resurrected the ‘jeansgate’ drama from last year in a recent social media post. With a nod to ‘viral rage moments’ and a commitment to tighter jeans, he teases a fun and defiant stance towards FIDE’s attire…
P Harikrishna Arjun Erigaisi. (Credit: X) Indian Grandmaster P Harikrishna secured a draw against Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara, while Arjun Erigaisi drew with Levon Aronian in the fifth round of the FIDE World Cup in Baku on Friday. The matches were part of the prestigious USD 2 million prize money tournament, where only 16 players…
