GM M Pranesh secured his second consecutive victory over world champion D Gukesh at the Chennai Grand Masters. GM Nihal Sarin also defeated Arjun Erigaisi, leading to GM Alireza Firouzja taking the sole lead with four points heading into the final round.
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.
The Chennai Grand Masters 2026, from July 16-22, features World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and 8 elite players including Hans Niemann. The tournament offers a Rs 75 lakh prize pool and crucial FIDE Circuit points for Candidates Tournament qualification.
The Global Chess League's Season 4 Player Draft is set for June 29 in Mumbai, featuring 36 Grandmasters. Magnus Carlsen returns, and Divya Deshmukh makes her debut. The main tournament runs September 3-13 in Bengaluru.
Magnus Carlsen's unprecedented four consecutive losses in Hong Kong and a disappointing finish in Oslo have fueled speculation about his future in chess, while China's national team, "Dragon Chilling," made a strong comeback by winning both Rapid and Blitz gold medals.
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.
Indian chess stars Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Divya Deshmukh suffered significant classical defeats in the reverse fixtures of Norway Chess. Magnus Carlsen returned to winning ways, while Koneru Humpy's struggles continued.
