2/20/2017 – With half of the matches going into the tie-break, the world championship saw another exciting, although slightly less dramatic, match-ups. however, the trend clearly favoured the higher rated players, who dominated their respective strong opponents. There were moments of great play and lapses worthy of mentioning. Joining Muzychuk, Stefanova, Dzagnidze, and Shiqun are four others. Here is the illustrated report with GM analysis.

2/19/2017 – Six out of eight games drawn, mostly in a peaceful manner. Among these draws, there were two that actually went very well in black’s favor until the players on the black side decided to call it a day and conceded a draw. All said and done, four players qualified for the Quarterfinals while the remaining eight will fight in the tiebreakers. Illustrated report.

2/18/2017 – The third round of Women's World Championship in Tehran saw a rather peaceful day in which ladies at the office tried to play cautiously. With five out of eight games drawn, and some of them being dull and uneventful, three players scored to go to the next round with high hopes. The pervasive theme of these three games was the fact that the winners played the whole game by the book and did not try to do anything eccentric but to execute the known plans of their respective positions, step by step. Here is the illustrated report with GM analysis.

2/17/2017 – The common theme in the tie-break games of the second round was as follows: the experienced players managed to keep calm, play the board, and with consistent play, they took their chances and scored in the most crucial moments. After all, in such a win-or-die format, one has to have the stomach and gut for such a nerve-wracking job in order to win. In addition, two thrilling Armageddons would tell us enough. decided in overtime. Here is the report with photos and GM analysis.

2/16/2017 – The second game of round two saw even more melodrama with so many upsets and excitement. After losing a completely won position, Caissa decided to square matters with Natalia Buksa, giving her the kind of luck she needed to win a near lost position against Sopiko Guramishvili, and force a tie-break. Theirs was hardly the only one to go to a tiebreak, and no fewer than nine matches will need to be decided in overtime. Here is the report with photos and GM analysis.

2/15/2017 – Nothing would please men more, at least the romantic at heart, than to be able to mold the world into the stuff of dreams for their sweethearts on Valentine’s Day. Sadly, chess can be a heartless cad, even on Valentine’s Day. It was a perfectly balanced day with half the matches starting in draws and the other half in decisive games, but the actual battles over the board were hardly so equanimous. Enjoy this illustrated report with GM analysis.

2/14/2017 – With eleven mini-matches reaching tie-breaks, players started the first tie-break in a hair-raising fashion. The most notable characteristic of these tie-break games was the uncompromising approach of the players in every match. The most dramatic incident was the host’s disappointment when they saw both of their local players lose their respective matches. Here is the report on the tiebreaks with a detailed look at the matches and games.

2/13/2017 – 20 of 63 ladies lost their respective matches and had to leave the cycle. 11 matches went into the tie-break with hair-raising pressure. For many, it was the question of survival in the competition. In Tehran, many of the players who lost their first games managed to bounce back and square the match, some did not. Check out GM Elshan Moradiabadi's illustrated report and analysis.

2/12/2017 – The first round of the Women's World Championship 2017 was off to a controversial start in Iran. For a handful of higher rated players, it was a frustrating opening round as they were held to draws. Some even lost. Check out GM Elshan Moradiabadi's illustrated report with analysis and more.

2/11/2017 – After an almost non-stop stream of controversy regarding the Women World Championship, whether because of the infamous Hajibgate, or simply the country itself, the grand championship has finally begun its cycle to determine the next title-holder. The opening proceedings were somewhat overshadowed by the recent demise of Romanian IM Cristina Foisor, who remained in the roster as a tribute. Here is the amply commented report on the opening by Elshan Moradiabadi.

8/7/2016 – Iran is a beautiful and mysterious country and Tehran is more so. A combination of factors makes Tehran a pleasant place to visit: The province's geographical features, great museums, parks, restaurants, and a warm friendly people. However, sometimes a big chess event is a better reason to visit Tehran. This year, among the many chess tournaments held there, the 12th Asian Schools Chess Championships were held in Tehran. Illustrated report.

7/25/2016 – Iran has been especially active in chess of late, organizing events such as the FIDE Women Grand Prix in Tehran, to the International Khazar Cup. Nevertheless, one of its most interesting was the recent First Stars Cup pitting a team of international grandmasters such as Nigel Short, and more, against a team of Iran's best players. The top performer was 15-year-old Maghsoodloo.

3/2/2016 – Chess has visibly been enjoying huge growth in Iran, as seen not only with the recently held FIDE Women Grand Prix, but also the number of young talents emerging. The Khazar Cup is Iran’s most prominent chess festival, and this year brought together no fewer than 758 participants, and was opened by Anatoly Karpov. Sharing his images and insights, here is a pictorial by Reza Mahdipour.

2/28/2016 – The final rounds of the tournament were no less thrilling than the rest, with a new leader taking over: Ju Wenjun, and taking gold. It was a fitting result as she was also the only undefeated player. In second was the Cinderalla story wth Iranian IM Sarasadat "Sara" Khademalsharieh, the lowest rated by far, who took a fantastic silver. A large illustrated report.

2/22/2016 – With four decisive games round 9 was again combative. And it saw remarkable changes at the top: Nana Dzagnidze lost with Black against Pia Cramling and was caught up by Zhao Xue who won with Black against the former leader, Natalija Pogonina. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh obtained her first GM norm by defeating Antoaneta Stefanova with White. Report by Alina l'Ami.

2/20/2016 – The high number of decisive games persisted in round eight. The pivotal result was Nana Dzagnidze's win with White against Harika Dronavalli, making the Georgian sole leader with a margin of a full point after Antoaneta Stefanova defeated former leader Natalija Pogonina in a dramatic game that plummeted the Russian to a shared 2nd-4th. Here is the report by Alina L'Ami.

2/19/2016 – The sixth and seventh rounds offered great action, with a slew of decisive games, enough to satisfy any fan. After catching up with Natalija Pogonina, Nana Dzagnidze is now first be virtue of tiebreak, hoping to take over the lead. The youngest player in the competition, Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, is in full ascension as she scored two win. A large illustrated report.

2/16/2016 – After the refreshing free day, the players started the fifth round with renewed forces. Paradoxically, there was only one decisive game, but this was due to the increased degree of accuracy, as the fighting spirit was as high as ever. In the only decisive game, Harika Dronavalli defeated Antoaneta Stefanova after the Bulgarian chose an uninspired plan at an early stage.

2/15/2016 – Played on the Valentine's Day, the fourth round was fortunate for Valentina Gunina who recovered from her shaky start with a victory over the experienced Pia Cramling. Natalia Pogonina defeated Nino Batsiashvili with the black pieces, maintaining her lead in the tournament. Four decisive games took place before a most welcome rest day.

2/14/2016 – The third round was by far less peaceful than the five draws and one decisive game might suggest. Natalija Pogonina drew with Black against Ju Wenjun, thus maintaining her sole lead. By a funny coincidence, three games of round three ended in a three-fold repetition. In the only decisive game, Zhao Xue - Nino Batsiashvili, White won after sacrificing a pawn and then a piece!

2/13/2016 – It was a hard-fought round, with a few more draws than fans might like. Round two was a bit of dejà vu as two players repeated their first rounds. Valentina Gunina had another bitter result, though she will undoubtedly rebound, knowing her fighting spirit. On the flip side, Natalija Pogonina, finalist of last year's World Championship, has had a perfect start.

2/12/2016 – In the strongest tournament organized in Iran, the FIDE Women's Grand Prix has just started in Tehran with the best female players in the world. The exceptions being Hou Yifan and Mariya Muzychuk who are preparing for their epic showdown in March. As can be seen in the photos, the location was a beautiful venue that just begs to be photographed.

2/6/2016 – Chess is booming in Iran. A few days after the end of the Iranian Championships an international tournament took place in Mashhad, Iran's second most populous city, formerly an oasis along the ancient Silk Road. After nine rounds GM Pavel Maletin and IM Maksim Chigaev (both from Russia) shared first place with 7.5/9 each. Maletin won on tie-break-points.

1/28/2016 – Three youths took the top three spots in the Iranian Championship that just ended in Tehran, Iran, and all three will be playing on the national team at the Olympiad in Baku later this year. At the top was 12-year-old Alireza Firouzja, who dominated the event and took first a full point ahead. He also became the youngest champion in history.