ChessBase India

BREAKING NEWS: Aswath S becomes India's 98th and latest Grandmaster!

Born in 2008, Aswath scored his 3rd and final Grandmaster norm at the Pune International GM Round Robin 2026 to become a Grandmaster. He had to win on demand in his final round game today! And he did - Aswath took down FM Kannan Vaidyanathan with the Black pieces, finishing the tournament with 7/9 points and clinching the norm.

Aswath scored his first GM norm by winning the strong Grenke Open A 2025 ahead of several strong Grandmasters. His 2nd GM norm came at the First Saturday GM Round Robin Budapest in December 2025 - he won that event as well scoring 7/9 points! He crossed 2500 FIDE Rating as well in the same event. And the final norm came in India, at Pune!

Speaking to Aswath's trainer GM Shyam Sundar, he said: " Aswath is Hardworking and a dedicated player. He has no social media distractions, and he is fully focused and a determined player. He is also a very good person!"

A huge congratulations to Aswath, his team and his family for this amazing achievement. And what a special moment for Indian Chess as well - the 97th Grandmaster, Harshavardhan GB came from the Chola Chess GM Norm Invitational. And the 98th GM Aswath comes from the Pune International GM Round Robin 2026!

PS: it was a dream of Prakash Kunte, who organized this event to see an Indian scoring a GM norm. It happened! But when it happened he wasn't there to witness it. Prakash Kunte passed away at the age of 80 years on 7th of July 2026. "It is a tribute to my father and all credit goes to him." - GM Abhijit Kunte.

A big shoutout to Balraj the Gentleman Ghai - who opened the doors of Habitat Pune to do this event! 😍 The Habitat in Pune after hosting the Super Heroes Cup, the GM Round Robin tournament and also the first session of the weekly chess club is all set to become a chess hub in Pune!

Photos: Vivek Sohani

#chess #chessbaseindia #aswath

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3 days ago | [YT] | 3,815

ChessBase India

Daniel Naroditsky's contribution to chess will never be forgotten - his games, his commentary, his writings and his teachings! But thanks to the chess community that came together and raised US$ 1.2 million along with the Charlotte Chess Center Foundation two amazing things will happen:

1. There will be annual rapid and blitz tournament that will be held in the memory of Danya with some of the best players in the world taking part.

2. The Daniel Naroditsky Fellowship of US$50,000 for a young American talent has been instated. This will be launched in August 2026 and the winner will be chosen at the start of 2027.

Both these initiatives are related to things that were close to Danya's heart. He loved playing rapid and blitz. And when he was young, he got the Samford fellowship of US$ 50,000 which helped him immensely in his chess career! A huge shoutout to the Charlotte Chess Center Foundation and the entire chess community for making this happen!

You can contribute to the fund and further strengthen it. More contribution would mean more amount for the fellowship and a better annual event every year!

givebutter.com/naroditsky-memorial-2026

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1 week ago | [YT] | 6,790

ChessBase India

Praggnanandhaa remains the man of comebacks. Just like he won 4 games in a row to win Norway Chess 2026, Praggnanandhaa beat Saric, Deac and Anish Giri in a row in Day 3 of the GCT Super Rapid Zagreb to tie for the top spot with Alireza Firouzja - both are on 12/18 points!

After a decent start, Pragg had 2 losses in Round 5 and 6 and went down in the standings. With a strong showing in the final day, he now catches up with Alireza - who had an amazing start, but lost 1 and drew 2 games today!

Up next is 2 days of Blitz - 9 rounds of Blitz tomorrow, and 9 more rounds in the final day. Who do you think will win the GCT Super Rapid and Blitz 2026?

Photo: Lennart Ootes/ Grand Chess Tour
#chess #chessbaseindia #praggnanandhaa #grandchesstour #zagreb

1 week ago | [YT] | 5,579

ChessBase India

If you visit the ChessBase India YouTube channel, you will notice the "Join" button sitting next to "Subscribe." Clicking it lets you pick a membership option and become part of something larger than just a subscription. Every rupee contributed by our YouTube members goes directly towards supporting Indian chess talent, and over the years, that simple click has changed lives.

Building on the response from the previous two editions, in which 23 players received laptops, this year's program (2025-26) continues in the same spirit. The funds raised through YouTube memberships over the past year will once again be pooled together and used to provide laptops to a fresh group of deserving young players from across the country. These funds were collected between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026 and the total amounts to Rs. 7,79,477.3.

In the first year, the selected players received the Lenovo Yoga Slim, while in the second year, we offered the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED. This year as well, we will provide a laptop that meets the training and preparation needs of chess players. As always, tech expert Ashwin Subramanian (who has helped some of the best players in the world with their tech requirements for chess) will help us identify the best possible option.

The players who received laptops in earlier editions are now using them to chase IM and GM titles, to compete in national and international events, and to dream bigger than they could before. We cannot wait to see what this year's group of recipients goes on to achieve with the support of this community behind them.

Thank you dear ChessBase India YouTube community for enabling this program and keeping it going! :) The details of every single member who has contributed is in the article link given below and we also have the link for young talents to apply for a laptop this year.

www.chessbase.in/news/laptop-to-chess-players-thro…

Below are photos of all 23 youngsters who have received laptop from our YouTube memberships program.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 2,534

ChessBase India

BREAKING NEWS! Harshavardhan G.B. is India's 97th Grandmaster!
A day after Ethan Vaz became India's 96th GM, it is now time for the next one already! Harshavardhan G.B. scored his final Grandmaster norm at the 2nd Chola Chess GM Norm Round Robin Tournament, officially securing his GM title. He remained completely unbeaten throughout the tournament, scoring the required 6.5/9 points, and crossing 2500 rating too!

His path to the final norm was an absolute masterclass in clutch performance. After sitting on 3 points from the first 5 rounds, he needed an intense 3.5 points from his final 4 games to cross the finish line.

He did exactly that by defeating IM Kushagra Mohan in the sixth round, taking down the tournament leader GM Michal Krasenkow in the seventh round, and winning a highly complex rook endgame against Alexei Fedorov in the eighth round. Needing just a draw in the final round, he comfortably split the point with the white pieces against Mihail Nikitenko.

Harshavardhan earned his first GM norm by winning the Asian Juniors in 2022, and his second at the Asian Continental in 2025, from which he also qualified for the FIDE World Cup.

Speaking to ChessBase India, Harshavardhan shared how he started playing chess at the tender age of 4 because of his dad, FT Gopalakrishnan K. He is currently working with Grandmaster Deepan Chakkravarthy, having previously trained under the renowned Visweswaran Kameswaran.

Yesterday, Ethan Vaz became the 96th GM, and today Harshavardhan G.B. joins him. It is a truly spectacular sign for Indian chess. A huge congratulations to Harshavardhan for this monumental achievement! 🏆🎉

Read the full report: chessbase.in/news/harshavardhan-gb-becomes-97th-gr…

#ChessBaseIndia #chess #grandmaster #Harshavardhan

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1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 9,698

ChessBase India

BREAKING NEWS! ETHAN VAZ IS INDIA'S 96th GM

14-year-old Ethan Vaz has become the 96th GM of India today! The youngster from Goa (born on 3rd September 2011) achieved his final GM norm at the Sarajevo GM Mix in Bosnia and Herzegovinia.

Playing the open tournament, Ethan not just achieved his final GM norm with a rating performance of 2643, he remained undefeated, scoring 7.0/9 and also won the tournament ahead of 10 GMs. Ethan's live rating is 2529.

Ethan's first GM norm came at the GM4 Festival Saha Bijeljina 2025 in Bosnia and Herzegovinia in October 2025 where he achieved his norm with a round to spare before going ahead and winning the tournament. His 2nd GM norm was at the GM Mix 11 Fantastico tournament in Senta, Serbia in January 2026. equiring a victory in the final round to achieve the norm, Ethan delivered under pressure by defeating a 2395-rated FIDE Master to secure both the tournament title and his second norm.

Speaking to ChessBase India Ethan's father Edwin says, "I want to thank Ethan's coaches Prakash Vikram Singh sir, Swayams Mishra sir and Srinath Narayanan sir for helping Ethan improve as a player. A big thank you to Chola Chess Academy and through them the Pro Chess Training and all their coaches including RB Ramesh sir for the guidance. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the sponsors who have helped us - Helpchess Foundation, Geno, Quantbox, Group e4, Chola Chess, The King's School and our friends who donated towards Ethan's crowdfunding campaign"

Ethan has become the third GM from the state of Goa after Anurag Mhamal and Leon Mendonca and is one of the brightest young talents of Indian chess and the world right now. It is almost certain that the boy will become a world class player in the years to come. We wish him the best in his journey to becoming a World Class GM!

Photos: From different ChessBase India articles over the years

#chess #chessbaseindia #ethanvaz

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 4,273

ChessBase India

ChessBase India is heading towards the Americas.

From 25th to 28th of June is the World Chess Marathon in Lima, Peru. And from there we will be travelling to Charlotte, North Carolina in the USA.

A world class event in the memory of Daniel Naroditsky will take place in Charlotte from 3rd to 5th of July. Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Javokhir Sindarov and many other top players will play there.

There's also a creator blitz tournament that will take place on 5th of July. IM Sagar Shah will play in it as well along with Gotham Chess, Botez sisters and many of the top chess creators!

We will keep you posted about all the happenings on our channel 😍

#chess #chessbaseindia

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 3,533

ChessBase India

Just two days after clinching the World Rapid Team Championship, the Chinese squad Dragon Chilling has completed a historic double by securing the World Team Blitz Championship 2026 title. Despite the presence of heavyweights like Magnus Carlsen’s WR Chess and India’s formidable Team MGD1, this Chinese unit maintained its dominance throughout the event to walk away with both trophies. In the Blitz Endgame, AI secured 2nd place while the Uzbekistan team secured 3rd position.

Double Gold of Dragon Chilling: The final was surprisingly one-sided, as Dragon Chilling faced off against Endgame.AI. The Chinese team dominated both Matches in the final, winning 5-1 in both. On the top board, Ding Liren scored 1.5/2 against Hans Niemann. Wang Zihao dominated on the amateur board, winning both of his games.

The most shocking moment of the tournament occurred in the quarterfinals. The defending champions and tournament favorites, WR Chess featuring Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, were knocked out by Uzbekistan.

Read the full report by Devansh Singh: chessbase.in/news/world-team-blitz-2026-day-final-…

#chess #rapidblitzteams #hongkong

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 3,100

ChessBase India

Team Dragon Chilling is the champion of the FIDE World Team Rapid Championship 2026. The last day delivered high-stakes drama and action over the board. The champions were not clear till the last round. Still, ultimately, it was the powerhouse Chinese Team Dragon Chilling that clinched the championship title on tiebreaks, with India's MGD1 securing a phenomenal second-place finish, and Hexamind taking third.

One of the most heartwarming yet poignant storylines of the tournament belonged to the team Mr Birdie and Friends. The team name carried a deep personal significance, named in honour of Carissa Yip’s beloved pet bird, Mr Birdie, who recently passed away. The team came together to play as a tribute to his memory. They proved to be a formidable force on the final day, playing exceptionally well to grab the sole lead heading into the final round. Two players of the team performed exceptionally well in their dream run,

It was an exceptional tournament overall for the Indian grandmasters across multiple teams:

1. R Praggnanandhaa put on a masterclass for Chessgurukul, dominating Board 1 with a phenomenal 2851 performance rating, scoring 8.5/11

2. Nihal Sarin put up a consistent, world-class display for MGD1 on Board 2, yielding an elite 2749 performance rating. scoring 8.5/10

3. The legendary Viswanathan Anand rolled back the years with an elegant, highly resilient performance. Showing his characteristic defensive steel, Anand suffered only a single loss over the entire tournament, remaining otherwise unbeaten to post a rock-solid 7 points #chess #chessbaseindia #worldrapidteam

Read the final report by Devansh Singh: chessbase.in/news/world-team-rapid-2026-final-repo…

#hongkong #arjunerigaisi #magnuscarlsen

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 3,052

ChessBase India

The FIDE World Rapid Teams 2026 came to an end today!

Team Dragon Chilling from China are the World Rapid Team Champions 2026. The team scored 18.0/24, the same as a few other teams, but thanks to a superior tiebreak are the champions! The top board of the team was former World Champion Ding Liren and the team also had current women's world champion Ju Wenjun! A huge congratulations to the entire team for this amazing achievement!

Team Members and their performance:
1. Ding Liren (2716) - 6/12
2. Wei Yi (2726) - 7.5/12
3. Yu Yangyi (2660) - 8.5/12
4. Lu Shanglei (2601) - 1.5/3
5. Bai Jinshi (2560) - 5/9
6. Ju Wenjun (2481) - 4.5/6
7. Lei Tingjie (2494) - 4/6
8. Wang Zihao (1763) - 9/11

Team MGD1 takes home the silver medal at the FIDE World Rapid Team Championships 2026. All the players of the team are from India including the coach of the team GM Narayanan Srinath. MGD1 was the defending champion as they had won last year. This year they came very close and tied on the same points with Dragon Chilling (18/24) and Hexamind and had to be content with the 2nd place.

Team Members and their performance:
1. Arjun Erigaisi (2741) 8/12
2. Nihal Sarin (2689) 6.5/10
3. Abhimanyu Puranik (2535) 2.5/6
4. Pranav V. (2564) 5/10
5. Leon Mendonca (2544) 6/10
6. D. Harika (2410) 7.5/12
7. Aryan Shah (1932) 10.5/12

Team Hexamind win the bronze medal at the FIDE World Rapid Team Championships 2026. The team had an amazing final day where they won 3 and drew 1 out of their 4 matches to clinch the podium spot. Leading from the front both Firouzja and Aronian played some incredible chess! Volodar Murzin was the star of the team and the tournament.

Team members and their performance:
1. Alireza Firouzja (2732) 8.5/11
2. Levon Aronian (2730) 8.0/11
3. Anish Giri (2689) 5.5/11
4. Volodar Murzin (2602) 10/12
5. Vidit Gujrathi (2638) 1/3
6. Kateryna Lagno (2435) 3.5/5
7. Divya Deshmukh (2416) 4.5/7
8. Murat Omarov (1883) 4/11
9. Platon Panarin 0/1

The prize money won by the teams:
Dragon Chilling - €110,000
MGD1 - €70,000
Hexamind - €50,000

The big news of the day was Magnus Carlsen losing 2 back to back games - one against Javokhir Sindarov and the other against Aydin Suleymanli. As Magnus had lost 2 games yesterday, this took his loss tally to 4 in a row! No one remembers when was the last time such a thing happened!

Praggnanandhaa performed incredibly well on board 1 for Chess Gurukul. Their team just fell short and finished 5th. Pragg scored 8.5/11 winning the individual gold medal with a 2851 performance, just edging out Firouzja who also scored the same points but had 2850 elo performance! Arjun Erigaisi got the bronze on board 1 with a 2766 performance.

Nihal Sarin was impeccable on board 2 for MGD1 as he won the individual bronze with a 2749 performance. Aravindh Chithambaram clipped the bronze for Chess Gurukul with a 2621 performance on board 3. Leon Mendonca got the gold medal on board 5 while Harika and Vaishali got the silver and bronze medal respectively on board 6. Aryan Shah of MGD1 won the silver medal on the recreation board.

A note must be mentioned about Vishy Anand, who in spite of being 56 years old managed to hold players like Sindarov and Artemiev to a draw and beat strong GMs like Zhao Jun, Nikita Petrov and Maksim Chigaev. Truly evergreen! :)

It's time for blitz to begin on 20th of June! We will have another world champion team crowned in two days! While we end this (rather long) post - a question to all of you - Will Magnus perform well in blitz? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Photos: Michal Walusza/FIDE

#chess #chessbaseindia #hongkong

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3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 4,406