Javakhir Sundaruf (Image credit: FIDE) NAGPUR: World Cup winners Javakhir Sandroof are four wins and three draws away from the candidates’ victory in Cyprus.With five wins, two draws and six points from seven games, the 20-year-old youngest contender from Uzbekistan has achieved their best score halfway through the tournament since the eight-player double round-robin format…
World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura questions FIDE’s safety protocols (Photo by Michal Walusza) New Delhi: The year was 2015. At the age of 55, veteran grandmaster (GM) Praveen Thipse had not won a chess tournament in four years. He arrived at the inaugural Dr. Hegdewar Open in Delhi hoping to break the streak, but by…
India’s Vaishali Ramesh Babu vs China’s Tan Zongyi (Photo by Yvonne Ness) NEW DELHI: If you were to poll the world chess community about the likely winner of FIDE Candidates 2026, the answer would be almost unanimous: Javakhir Sundarov. The Uzbek sensation’s ruthless performance, evidenced by a staggering 6/7 score, suggests that a crown is…
Nodirbek Yakubboev’s ‘Namaste’ gesture to India’s Harika Dronwali (Photo Credit: ChessBase India) NEW DELHI: A light and heartwarming moment at the Greinke Freestyle Open grabbed attention when Grandmaster (GM) Harika Dronvali extended her hand to resign, but Uzbek GM Nodyrbek Yakuboev responded with a polite “Namaste” instead. Both players smiled and walked away, making it…
Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, and Praganananda (Photos by Michael Valoza and Yvonne Ness) NEW DELHI: As the FIDE Candidates Tournament crosses the near-midway mark of its 14-round marathon, a kind of intensity has begun to fill the Mediterranean air. For the Indian contingent, however, the narrative is divided between a desperate scramble for relevance in the…
Bodhana Sivanandan (Photo by John Saunders) New Delhi: Indian-origin chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has become England’s top-rated female player, according to the latest FIDE list. At just 11 years old, she now has a rating of 2366 and has overtaken four-time British women’s champion Lin Yao. Based in North London, Bodhana’s journey is particularly notable…
Alva Norman takes a selfie with Magnus Carlsen (Photo from @ChessbaseIndia) New Delhi: A simple selfie request turned into an unexpected situation at the Greinke Freestyle Chess Festival in Germany. Just before their match, Kazakh player Alva Norman asked Magnus Carlsen For selfies. He agreed without hesitation and posed with her. However, soon after, he…
R Praganananda (photo by Yvonne Ness) New Delhi: You read that right. R Praganandha, India’s lone representative in the open section, squandered an excellent opportunity to claim his second win at the Candidates Tournament at the Cape St George’s Hotel and Resort on Friday. Instead, the 2741-ranked grandmaster settled for a lifeless draw, his third…
R Praganandha’s Hidden Second Vibhu Suri (photo by Michal Walusza) NEW DELHI: Feedmaster (FM) Parson Jeet Dutta, a man whose life has been a series of strategic gambles and late game recoveries, runs a popular academy in the heart of New Delhi. For years, he followed a predictable ritual. Whenever a particularly gifted student walked…
Ukraine’s Anna Mozychyk does not shake hands after defeating Russia’s Kateryna Ligno (screen grab) NEW DELHI: The cold war of chess reached a freezing point in Round 4 of Women Candidates 2026, as Ukraine’s Anna Mozychak and Russia’s Kateryna Ligno defied the traditional decorum of the game. There was no handshake at the start, no…