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19 year-old Rohit S becomes India's latest IM at First Saturday IM Tournament in Budapest

24/02/2026 -

Rohit S is India's latest International Master!! Rohit recently crossed the 2400 Elo mark in the live ratings at the First Saturday IM tournament in Budapest, February 2026, completing the requirements for the International Master title. He scored an unbeaten 7/9 points in the event to secure first place and gained 25.6 Elo points to cross the 2400 mark. This result came immediately after a strong performance at the Six Days Budapest GM-B tournament earlier, where he gained 33.2 Elo rating points. His first IM norm came at the Prague International Chess Festival 2024, followed by his second at the Serbia Open 2024. He completed his 3rd norm at the 18th Arad Open GP Classic 2025 in Romania. Photos: IO Nagy Laszlo/First Saturday Chess Tournament

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Jorden Van Foreest wins Head-to-Head Match against Ediz Gürel in Ankara

24/02/2026 -

A 12-game match between Ediz Gürel and Jorden Van Foreest was held in Ankara from 11th to 17th February under the auspices of the Turkish Chess Federation and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The event brought together one of Turkey’s young and accomplished Grandmasters, GM Ediz Gürel, and Dutch Grandmaster GM Jorden van Foreest. The match had six classical games, two Rapid Freestyle (Chess960) games, and four Blitz games, making a total of 12 encounters. Jorden Van Foreest convincingly wins the series with 19.5-6.5 points. The event has been recorded as a significant occasion in terms of contributing to Türkiye’s young athletes’ international experience and supporting the development of chess in the country. News: Kübra Ceylan Photos: Turkish Chess Federation

FM Pranav K P triumphs at AIM Rapid Rating 2026

24/02/2026 -

FM Pranav K P scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 points to win the AIM International FIDE Rated Rapid Tournament with a clear half-point lead over the field. Going into the last round, Pranav was on 8/8 points, and he drew his last game against Gokul Krishna S to win the title. Sham R and Sarveshwaran V scored 8/9 points to finish in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. This one-day rapid rating event was organized by Aim Chess Academy & Nathan Chess Academy at The Navodaya Academy Senior Sec School, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu. The total prize fund was ₹2,40,000, with the top 3 prizes of ₹25,000, ₹18,000, and ₹13,000 along with trophies. Photos: FA & NI R Sivaramakrishnan

Novy Bor Chess Club is leading at Czech Extraliga 2025-26

23/02/2026 -

The Czech Extraliga is one of the best team competitions in Europe, and it started on 29th November 2025. In this long event, the twelve strongest teams are competing and offering exciting, eye-catching matches. The 8th round is finished on the 22nd Feb, and Novy Bor Chess Club is leading the league with 21 points, Exhibition Centre Lysá nad Labem and ŠK ZIKUDA Turnov A are in joint second place with 19 points. Novy Bor Chess Club already won the Czech Extraliga a record 14 times, and this year they are defending their title. Rounds 7 and 8 of the competition were played at the Don Giovanni Hotel in Prague before the start of the Prague International Chess Festival 2026. Photos: Abhyudaya Ram

Vaibhav Jayant Raut clear first at 3rd G H Raisoni Memorial Rapid Rating Amravati 2026

22/02/2026 -

FM Vaibhav Jayant Raut of Maharashtra scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 points to win the 3rd G H Raisoni Memorial International FIDE Rapid Rating Chess Tournament in Amravati. Three players scored 8/9 points, and due to the tiebreaks, Kartavya Anadkat of Gujarat, FM Siddhant Gawai, and Ashish Chaudhari of Maharashtra secured 2nd to 4th positions respectively. This one-day rapid-rated tournament was organized by G H Raisoni Sports and Cultural Foundation & Kalpana Prakash Welfare Foundation at G H Raisoni University, Amravati, Maharashtra, with a total prize fund of ₹2,00,000, and the top 3 prizes were ₹31,000, ₹25,000, and ₹20,000, respectively. Photos: Bhushan Shirwas

Prithvi Raj Prajeesh wins 11th ACA Classical FIDE Rated 2026

22/02/2026 -

After six competitive rounds, Prithvi Raj Prajeesh of India emerged as the Champion at the 11th ACA Classical FIDE Rated Chess Tournament, scoring an unbeaten 5.5/6 points and showing consistent play throughout the event. Lumanog Eddie Jr L, of the Philippines, scored 5/6 points to secure second place. 7 players scored 4/6 points, but a better tiebreak score helped Noel Abraham Punnoose of India secure third place. The tournament was organized by Arjun’s Chess Academy at the Game Arena, Zinj, Bahrain, from 25th January to 3rd February 2026, with the time control of 60 minutes + 30 seconds increment from move 1. Photos: Arjun Kakkadath

How a 12-year-old chess prodigy is balancing content creation and training

21/02/2026 -

Everyone talks about building an online presence today. For chess players, it can definitely help their careers, but it can also begin to affect focus if not handled carefully. 12-year-old Aarav Sarbalia, a FIDE Master with a 2281 classical rating, shows a different way of approaching content. He started content creation to improve his communication skills. Quite a unique approach! Interestingly, he spends just two to three hours a month on it, while his main focus remains on training and tournaments. His parents handle the rest: the scripting, posting, and engagement. Read on to see how this balanced approach is shaping his journey. Photo: Sachin Sarbalia

Loic Travadon wins 32nd Graz Open 2026, Lalit Babu MR second

21/02/2026 -

After the final round at the International Chess Open Graz 2026 Group A, it was a 3-way tie for first place. Loic Travadon scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 points to win the tournament. GM Lalit Babu MR of India, and IM Roman Dehtiarov of Ukraine also scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 points to secure second and third position respectively, on tiebreak scores. In the last round of the event, Loic Travadon and Lalit Babu drew their game, and this result helped Loic win the event. There were sensational 6 IM norms and a GM norm scored in the tournament. The total prize money of the event was €12.000, and the top 3 prizes were €1500, €1000, and €800. The tournament was organized at Novapark Flugzeughotel Graz, Austria, from 14th to 20th of February 2026. Photos: Internationales Schachopen Graz

FIDE Candidates 2026: Pairings are out, who are you rooting for?

20/02/2026 -

The pairings for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 have been confirmed after the Drawing of Lots ceremony held at the Cap St George’s Hotel & Resort in Paphos, Cyprus. The FIDE Candidates Tournaments, which will take place from 28 March to 16 April 2026, will determine the challengers for the World Championship and Women’s World Championship titles. The drawing of pairings was conducted by the Chief Arbiter, Takis Nikolopoulos. For the participants, the announcement of pairings marks a decisive shift in preparation. Opening repertoires, rest-day planning, and strategic approaches are refined months in advance based on the confirmed opponents. Photos and Details: FIDE Chess

CRG Krishna wins 2nd Aspiring Minds Open Rapid FIDE Rating 2026

20/02/2026 -

International Master CRG Krishna scored an unbeaten 8/9 points to win the 2nd Aspiring Minds Open International Rapid FIDE Rating Chess Tournament 2026. It was a 6-way tie for first place, as six players scored 8/9 points, but a better tie-break score helped CRG Krishna to secure the title. Sri Sai Baswanth P, Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad, Jain Kashish Manoj, Dhruva Thota, and Nidhish Shyamal finished in second to sixth place, respectively. The tournament took place on 14th & 15th February 2025 at Saroor Nagar Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, by Aspiring Minds Chess Academy, with a total prize money of ₹4,00,000, and top 3 prizes of ₹60,000, ₹40,000, and ₹25,000 along with trophies. Photos: FT IM Ravi Teja S

Neelash Saha victorious at Marienbad IM Norm Round Robin 2026

20/02/2026 -

International Master Neelash Saha won the Marienbad IM Norm Round Robin 2026 by scoring 8/9 points. Neelash remained unbeaten throughout the event and won the tournament with a 2-point lead. FM Mostbauer Florian scored 6/9 points, and he secured second place. FM Avila Bautista Roberto Al finished in the third place. This wonderful performance helped Neelash to gain 7.6 Rating points and the championship. This result came after Neelash finished on the podium at the 24th Prague Open 2026. The Marienbad IM Norm Round Robin happened at the Continental Hotel in Marianske Lazne, Czech Republic. The top three prizes of the tournament were CZK 5000, 3000, and 2000. Photos: Czech Tour

Tanmay Rajbongshi dominates with 9/9 at 1st Haflong FIDE Rapid Rating 2026

19/02/2026 -

Tanmay Rajbongshi dominated the field at the 1st Haflong FIDE Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026. Tanmay scored a perfect score of 9/9 to secure first place in the event. Second place was secured by Dhar Rajib with 8/9 points, and Iftikar Alom Mazumdar scored 7.5/9 points to finish in third place. The total prize fund of the event was ₹1,00,000, with the top three prizes of ₹15,000, ₹10,000, and ₹8,000. The 1st Haflong FIDE International Rapid Rating Chess Tournament was successfully held on 8th February 2026 at NL Daulagupu Stadium, Haflong, Dima Hasao. The tournament was organized by the District Sports Office, Dima Hasao, in association with the Dima Hasao Chess Association. Photos: Ronit Dey/Dima Hasao Chess Association

Gokula Vishnu R triumphs at 11th BBCF International FIDE Rated 2026

18/02/2026 -

Gokula Vishnu R of Tamil Nadu wins the 11th BBCF International FIDE-Rated Open Chess Tournament. Gokula scored an unbeaten 8/9 points with 7 wins and 2 draws to secure first place. There was a tie for second place between FM Vinoth Kumar M and Rejath Renjith as both scored 7.5/9 points, but a better tiebreak score helped Vinoth Kumar M secure second place and Rejath Renjith secure third. The total prize fund of this 5-day FIDE-rated classical event was ₹7,00,001. The event was organized by the Brains Behind Chess Foundation at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, from 4th to 8th February. Photos: Balaji S /Brains Behind Chess Foundation

Bournel Antoine clear first at 1st Harda International Rapid Rating 2026

17/02/2026 -

International Master Bournel Antoine from France scored an unbeaten 8.5/9 points to win the 1st Harda International Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026. He finished half a point ahead of Kartavya Anadkat and Prakhar Bajaj, who scored 8/9 points and secured 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. The total prize money of this one-day rapid-rated event was ₹1,51,000, with the top 3 prizes ₹25,000, ₹20,000, and ₹15,000 respectively. The tournament was organized at Harda Degree College, Harda, Madhya Pradesh, on 24th January. Time control was 15 minutes+5 seconds increment from move one. Photos: IM Akshat Khamparia

Rethinking time controls in the Candidates and World Championship

17/02/2026 -

Are the Candidates and World Championship time controls stuck in the past? Players are still facing brutal time scrambles that hurt the quality of chess we love to watch. Why does the increment start at move 41 for some, but from move one in others? Is tradition really helping, or just stressing players unnecessarily? In this opinion piece, Ravi Abhyankar dives into why FIDE’s current system feels arbitrary and offers a smarter, simpler solution. If you are interested in how time controls shape elite chess, this article offers a thoughtful perspective. Photo: Wikipedia

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