4/4/2021 – On April 3, Sportstar premiered the ‘Sportstar Aces Awards 2021’ on their YouTube channel. Vishy Anand was nominated for ‘Sportsman of the Decade Non-Olympic Sport’ along with Pankaj Advani (billiards) and Rajat Chauhan (compound archery). Koneru Humpy was nominated for ‘Sportswoman of the Decade Non-Olympic Sport’ along with Harika Dronavalli and Jyothi Surekha (compound archery). Arjuna Awardees Dibyendu Barua and Tania Sachdev presented the awards to Anand and Humpy respectively. | Photo: Sportstar

3/21/2021 – Dr. N Mahalingam Chess Academy is for the first time organizing an international online blitz open tournament, with a total prize fund of ₹100000. It will take place on Sunday, 21st March at 7 p.m. IST (2:30 p.m. CET, 09:30 New York) in the ChessBase India webroom on Playchess. Entry is FREE for GMs, IMs, WGMs and WIMs. For everyone else the entry fee is ₹200 for Indians, and 3 Euro for foreigners. The tournament can be played via Windows software, desktop or laptop browsers only. So far 279 participants – including lots of GMs, IMs, WGMs and WIMs – have registered. | Photo: Yugam 2021

3/13/2021 – On 8 February 2021, BBC revealed the nominees for Indian Sportswoman of the Year award. Koneru Humpy was one of them along with Manu Bhaker, Dutee Chand, Vinesh Phogat and Rani. It was announced that the winner would be decided by public vote with the results scheduled to be presented on 8 March, on International Women’s Day. Women's World Rapid champion Koneru Humpy won the award. | Photo: BBC News Press Team

12/5/2020 – A lot of movies have been made where chess was either a backdrop, centerpiece or just one of the key elements to a mystery or climax. But there has not been any mainstream drama series where chess is the main focal point in a series. Netflix decided to adapt The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis into a seven episode mini-series. Special Consultants are Garry Kasparov and Bruce Pandolfini. So you can be rest assured that there won't be odd chess board orientation or or incorrect checkmates. Photo: Pinterest

10/23/2020 – In the online era, we play matches in such a short period of time, compared to what we would have played when over-the-board events were possible. And while it is true that blitz games are usually not worth analyzing, we often encounter positions which definitely warrant some deep analysis as well. Here's a very instructive endgame that is comprehensively analysed by a dedicated chess trainer. Take a look at the diagram: can you see the key first move?

8/29/2020 – A few months ago we reported about Nakamura making a cameo in the award-winning and critically acclaimed series Billions. He did not stop there, he kept growing the game by involving more mainstream stars in chess. He even taught chess to World Strongest Man 2018, Hafþór J. Björnsson a.k.a. ‘The Mountain’ of Game of Thrones. Moreover, a few days before his impressive performance at the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour Finals, Nakamura crossed 500K followers on Twitch. With that rapidly-gaining momentum, the esports teams TSM tweeted about their signing with Nakamura. This is only going to be good for chess in every aspect one can fathom. | Photo: Amruta Mokal

7/30/2020 – This Saturday, 1st August, will witness the biggest ever Online Blitz tournament in the history of ChessBase India. The Knighthood Online Blitz will have a total prize fund of ₹1,50,000 and the first prize of ₹40,000! And guess what? All the entry fees will be used for a good cause — to promote and support specially-abled chess players of India. The tournament is sponsored by a chess lover named Sujit Varghese. What's more, India's no.2 GM Vidit Gujrathi is also involved in the event and will play a simul against the age-group winners and specially-abled players on the 2nd of August 2020.

7/17/2020 – Buddhibal Kreeda Trust (BKT) under the mentorship of Prakash Kunte (father of GM Abhijit Kunte and WIM Mrunalini Kunte) has organized over 150 tournaments. After having two successful online events since April, they are be back and this time with a bigger prize fund of ₹50000. The tournament is organized in memory of Late IA Moreshwar Bhagwat. This will be their second consecutive Fischer Random (Chess960) tournament having the first prize of ₹12000. With rating category prizes and prizes for women, it's a tournament you cannot afford to miss. It will take place on Saturday 18th of July at 8 p.m. IST in Chess960 Tournaments under Thematic Chess room on Playchess. Entry is FREE for GMs, IMs, WGMs and WIMs. For everyone else Entry fee is ₹350. 50% of the entry fee will go to PM Cares fund. Registration is on. Photo: Maharashtra Chess League

7/16/2020 – Due to Covid-19 most of us are confined inside our home. Some people are creating content, while some are watching that content. So the question arises: what to choose and what to skip? Six-time consecutive National Champion GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly started his own series, and his first guest was none other than the one and only Vishy Anand. Ganguly is a former second of Anand, who helped him in numerous World Championships. But where did their journey begin? Four episodes, packed with stories and never-before-seen questions, make up the incredible series with the ‘Tiger of Madras’. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

7/13/2020 – Most of the top players cannot take part in over-the-board tournaments, due to the pandemic. But they are often seen in various titled online events. Like in an online blitz tournament on chess.com, where only titled players from all over the world are allowed to take part. Indian GM Raunak Sadhwani made the most of the opportunity and beat the former World Championship Challenger Fabiano Caruana. The game is instructively commented by a video by IM Sagar Shah - with quiz questions and points.

5/22/2020 – After the successful online event on Playchess in April the Buddhibal Kreeda Trust (BKT) is back with another tournament. The tournament has a prize fund of ₹35000 and is a Fischer Random (Chess960) tournament. The first prize is ₹11000. With rating category prizes and prizes for women, it's a tournament you cannot afford to miss. It will take place on Saturday 23rd of May at 8 p.m. Indian Standard Time (16:30 CEST, 14:30 UTC, 09:30 EST) in Chess960 Tournaments in the "Thematic Chess" room on Playchess.com. Entry is FREE for GMs, IMs, WGMs and WIMs. For everyone else the entry fee is ₹300. Registration is on.

5/12/2020 – "Billions" is an Award-winning and critically acclaimed TV series about power and politics in the world of New York high finance. In the second episode of the fifth season, "The Chris Rock Test", Hikaru Nakamura has a cameo appearance. It is the first time a top player appeared in an Award-winning American network show since Magnus Carlsen's was part of "The Simpsons" three years ago. | Photo: Hotstar Stream

5/5/2020 – Before the era of digital boards and computers, the only way to keep a game safe was to save the physical score sheet. While most of the games are available on Mega Database, there are a few games of strong players which are not published anywhere. Some of the games of Nigel Short were discovered by the man himself. We decided to compile all games of the former World Championship finalist and current FIDE Vice-President which are unpublished in Mega Database along with a few photos of his score sheets. | Pictured: Short playing Tigran Petrosian in a simul. | Photo: Ottawa Chess Club

2/9/2020 – At the 40th National Team Open, a big shock in round three when GM Adhiban Baskaran was forfeited on board one for possessing an analogue watch after 16 moves against IM C R G Krishna. His team still won the match, thanks to wins on the lower boards. It's an unusual case, though evidently all according to the tournament rules. | Photo: IA Gopakumar Sudhakaran

12/15/2019 – Alexandra Kosteniuk had a fairytale ending as she defeated Elisabeth Paehtz in the final round to finish at 7.0/11. For her winning the tournament, the most anticipated match between Humpy and Goryachkina needed Humpy to win and fortuitously that's what happened, resulting in Humpy finishing runner-up and Goryachkina claiming the second runner-up position. Kosteniuk won her third consecutive tournament in a row. Humpy still leads the GP points table. | Photo: Karol Bartnik / FIDE

12/14/2019 – Anna Muzychuk held Goryachkina to a draw. Goryachkina takes a full point lead to the final round where she faces Humpy. Pia Cramling held Humpy to a draw. Kosteniuk checkmated Harika and now she is tied at the second place along with Humpy. Lagno made a short draw with Paehtz. Cramling, Harika, Lagno and Anna Muzychuk are at the tied fourth place for now. The final round will determine the winner of the Monaco GP. | Photo: Karol Bartnik / FIDE

12/13/2019 – Mariya Muzychuk held Goryachkina to a draw, despite the former getting an advantage in the opening. Humpy suffered her first loss of the tournament against Paehtz. Thus, Goryachkina took a full-point sole lead. Harika made a short draw with Lagno. Both Humpy and Harika are now tied at second place. Cramling, Kosteniuk, Lagno and Anna Muzychuk are at tied fourth place. Gunina lost her sixth consecutive game, this time against Dzagnidze. | Photo: Karol Bartnik / FIDE

12/12/2019 – Goryachkina scored a victory over Gunina and took sole lead with 6.0/8. Humpy drew her game with Harika and they are now at second and third place. Cramling recovered against Mariya after making a few mistakes. Kosteniuk beat Dzagnidze and now is at shared fourth place. Anna Muzychuk made a short draw with Elisabeth Paehtz, Kateryna Lagno had a fighting draw with Zhao Xue. | Photo: Karol Bartnik / FIDE