Ravi Abhyankar

Ravi Abhyankar is an independent analyst, writer, logician and strategic advisor based in Mumbai. He previously lived in Russia and Poland for sixteen years. A lifelong chess enthusiast, he has met eight World Chess Champions and played against three of them in simultaneous exhibitions and friendly games.

Recent news

Is Gukesh calculating too much?

3/1/2026 – Is calculation becoming a strength that turns into a weakness? In this opinion piece, Ravi Abhyankar explores the delicate balance between calculation and instinct in modern chess. Can today’s elite players afford to rely only on deep calculation and ignore speed? Why does blitz matter so much for a classical World Champion today? By blending data, history, and modern realities, the article explains what dominance means in modern chess. | Photo: Grand Chess Tour / Lennart Ootes

More...

Rethinking time controls in the Candidates and World Championship

2/20/2026 – 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? 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

More...

Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > 8 million games online! Updated weekly, our definitive database has all the latest games. With Live Book and Let’s Check!
Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > My Games – Access your games from everywhere. Store your games, training material and opening repertoire in the cloud. Annotate, analyze and share.
Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Sac, sac, mate! Solve tactical positions of your playing strength. Boost your calculation skills. Enjoy adrenalin rush with tactic fights!
Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Thousands of hours of high class video training. Openings, Middlegame, Endgame Lessons. Top authors like Daniel King, Lawrence Trent and Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Real Fun against a Chess Program! Play, analyze and train online against Fritz. Beginner, club and master levels. Assisted play and calculation training.
Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Learn openings the right way! Build and maintain your repertoire. Memorize it easily move by move by playing against the variation trainer.
Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > The ultimate chess experience every day, PlayChess.com welcomes 20,000 chess players from all around the world – from beginner to grandmaster.

News

Fritz 21

YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.

€69.90

The Italian Four Knights - Attack Without Risk

The Italian Four Knights is the ideal choice. It combines the solid foundation of classical openings like the Ruy Lopez or the Italian Game with an active, initiative-driven style of play.

€24.90

Evans & Friends Vol.1 & 2

This is a full repertoire after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 focussing on the Evans Gambit as the main weapon.

€59.90

Evans & Friends Vol.1 - The Evans Gambit

IM Andrew Martin shows why this 19th-century opening weapon still is a fantastic choice for club players. The Evans produces exciting chess and teaches the art of attack.

€39.90

Evans & Friends Vol.2 - Other Lines

IM Andrew Martin complements his Evans Gambit course with a simple and attacking repertoire against all of blacks sidelines after 1.e4 e5.

€34.90

Petroff Defence Powerbook 2026

The major part of the material on which the Petroff Defence Powerbook 2026 is based comes from the engine room of playchess.com: 357 000 games. This imposing number is supplemented by another 17 000 from Mega and from correspondence chess.

€9.90

Petroff Defence Powerbase 2026

Petroff Defence Powerbase 2026 is a database which contains 6475 high class games from Mega 2026 and the Correspondence Database 2026, of which 682 annotated.