Hungarian PM Peter Magyar suffered a humiliating climbdown after chess grandmaster Judit Polgar rejected his presidential nomination, sparking public backlash and anger within his own party. This follows Magyar's controversial move to oust the sitting president and his broader "regime change" efforts against Viktor Orban's legacy.
Rathanvel VS became India's 99th chess Grandmaster after a four-and-a-half-year wait to achieve the 2500 Elo rating. He overcame financial struggles, injuries, and rating plateaus, crediting his parents' support, and now plans to continue his career in chess, including teaching and opening an academy.
Alireza Firouzja won the Croatia Super Rapid and Blitz, while Magnus Carlsen marked 15 years as world No. 1. The article discusses Firouzja's potential in new formats, Carlsen's enduring dominance, and the historical debate comparing him to Garry Kasparov.
FIDE and World Chess launched a two-year pilot, "First Rating Experiment," allowing online play for initial OTB blitz and rapid ratings up to 1,800 Elo. This move, aimed at democratizing chess, has divided Indian Grandmasters, with some welcoming it as barrier-breaking and others fearing it compromises the rating system's credibility due to cheating concerns.
14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus has become the youngest chess Grandmaster to achieve a 2700 rating, surpassing Wei Yi's previous record. The Turkish prodigy, supported by entrepreneur Evren Ucok, aims for 2800 and will compete in the TePe Sigeman competition alongside Magnus Carlsen.
Aronyak Ghosh, 22, from Kolkata, has become India's 95th Grandmaster after winning the 23rd BCC Open 2026 in Bangkok with an unbeaten 7/9 score and 2584 performance rating. The achievement completes a four-year journey since his first GM norm in Barcelona in 2022, overcoming significant financial hardships where his family sold belongings to fund his tournament entries.
