Divya Deshmukh VS Anna Muzychuk (Photo: Michal Walusza) NEW DELHI: After a relative calm on Monday’s rest day, with some players playing cricket on the pitch, the storm is back on the board at the Cap St. George Hotel and Resort in Cyprus, with a hint of vengeance. Tuesday’s Round 8 of the 2026 FIDE … Read more
India’s Vaishali Rameshbabu plays against China’s Tan Zhongyi (photo by Yoav Nis) New Delhi: If you were to poll the global chess community to choose the likely winner of the 2026 FIDE Candidates, the answer would be nearly unanimous: Javokhir Sindarov. The Uzbekistan star’s ruthless efficiency, evidenced by a staggering 6/7 score, shows that his … Read more
Divya Deshmukh vs Julkinl (Photo: Michal Walusza) New Delhi: The fourth wheel has always been considered a psychological hurdle. Wednesday was the final push before the first scheduled rest day at the Cape St. George Hotel and Resort in Cyprus as the 2026 Candidates Tournament opens up a new level of competition. However, the Indian … Read more
Divya Deshmukh (Photo: Yoav Nis) New Delhi: If R Praggnanandhaa’s first-round win over Netherlands’ number one Anish Giri in the Candidates’ Round was a declaration of his aggressive DNA, the third round was a gorgeous reminder of the endearing nature of the game.The Indian team started off with high hopes at the Cape St. George … Read more
R Praggnanandhaa, Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali (Image: Institutional) New Delhi: Two years ago, when Dommaraju Gukesh stormed the Candidates’ Tournament in Toronto, the chess world called it a miracle. By the time he defeated Ding Liren in Singapore to become the youngest ever world champion, that “miracle” had transformed into something else entirely, more … Read more
Divya Deshmukh (Image: FIDE) Nagpur: “I believe it will happen sooner or later.” Divya Deshmukh, who has just become the world junior women’s chess champion, is full of confidence against the Candidates. That’s June 2024.In July last year, Divya became India’s first women’s World Cup champion and also won the grandmaster title, thereby qualifying for … Read more
Koneru Humpy and Criton Tornaritis New Delhi: India’s top grandmaster (GM) Koneru Humpy has withdrawn from the 2026 Women’s Candidates Championship in Cyprus, saying she felt it was not safe to participate in the event. Her decision sparked criticism, particularly from the Cyprus Chess Federation.Humpy wrote onThe match, which begins on March 28, is a … Read more
The eighth edition of the Times of India Sports Awards will be held in Lucknow on March 21, 2026, celebrating the achievements of India’s best athletes across multiple disciplines. The award recognizes performance between January 1 and December 31, 2025, and recognizes outstanding performance at global championships and major international events. Featuring over 45 categories, … Read more
Gukesh Dommaraju, Arjun Erigaisi, Divya Deshmukh and Harika Dronavalli (left to right) (Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com) New Delhi: Last Sunday was International Women’s Day. Unless you’ve completely given up on digital devices, your feed is likely buried under a mountain of Instagram Stories and WhatsApp statuses celebrating the day. You may like some of them, respond … Read more
The 2026 Norwegian Chess Championship will be held in Oslo from May 25 to June 5 and will feature elite competitions for men and women with the same prize money and the same format. Six players from each event will compete in a double round-robin with a doomsday tie-break. Stars include Magnus Carlsen, Gukesh, Pragnananda … Read more