USA GM Hikaru Nakamura blasts FIDE. New Delhi: World No. 2 American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has criticized the world chess body FIDE for what he sees as excessive anti-cheating measures at the 2026 Candidates Tournament in Cyprus. Kicking off his fourth qualifier with a loss to fellow American Fabiano Caruana, Nakamura took to his YouTube…
Divya Deshmukh vs Zhu Jiner (Photo by Michal Walusza) New Delhi: The fourth round was always considered a psychological hurdle. With the 2026 edition of the candidates unleashing a new level of competition, Wednesday was the final sprint before a previously scheduled rest day at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Cyprus. However,…
Divya Deshmukh (Photo by Yves Ness) NEW DELHI: If R Praganandha’s opening-round victory over Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri in Candidates was a manifesto of his aggressive DNA, Round 3 was a glaring reminder of the flattering nature of the game.On a day that started with high hopes for the Indian contingent at the Cape…
R Vaishali vs Divya Deshmukh (Photo by Yves Ness) New Delhi: The second round of FIDE Candidates 2026 began on Monday with royalty. Five-time world champion and FIDE Vice-President Viswanathan Anand took the ceremonial first step by stepping next to the board of Divya Deshmukh and Vaishali Ramesh Babu.It was a fitting start to a…
A match during Round 1 of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026. (Image credit: FIDE) The Candidates’ Chess Tournament, which opens in Cyprus on Sunday, has made sure the men don’t lose in time. But only after the 41st move. Until then, they may have suffered because the legendary Bobby Fischer’s rule, which aims to create…
R Praganandha vs Anish Giri (Photo by Michael Waloza) New Delhi: The opening day of the 2026 FIDE candidates at the Cape St Georges Hotel and Resort in Paphos, Cyprus proved that while the rule of chess often predicts a draw when both sides play perfectly, the reality on the board can be far more…
Nihal Sarin and Anish Giri (Photos by Michael Walsza, Lennart Oates and FIDE) New Delhi: As the chess world descends on Cyprus for the 2026 candidates, Anish Giri’s name is synonymous with a single, dismal memory of the past. There were 14 draws in 14 matches. In 2016 the candidates for this legendary race gave…
R Praganandha, Divya Deshmukh, and R Vaishali (Image Credit: Agencies) NEW DELHI: Two years ago, when Domaraju Gokesh stormed the candidates in Toronto, the chess world hailed it as a miracle. By the time he eliminated Ding Liren in Singapore to become the youngest ever world champion, that “miracle” had become something else entirely, more…
Divya Deshmukh (Image credit: FIDE) Nagpur: “I’m sure it will happen soon.” Divya Deshmukh, fresh off becoming the World Junior Girls Chess Champion, had instilled confidence in the candidates to play. It was June 2024.Last July, Divya qualified for the 2026 Contenders by becoming India’s first women’s World Cup winner by clinching the Grandmaster title….
Visual representation of Praveen Thipse’s experience (AI-generated image) New Delhi: Cyprus, an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean, will be home to the best of classical chess over the next fortnight as it hosts both the Open and Women’s categories of the 2026 Candidates tournament starting on March 28. Acting as the only pathway to…