ChessBase India

Behind the Scenes with Vasant BH From an accidental start on the tournament floor to officiating at the highest levels, International Arbiter Vasant BH has spent two decades at the heart of Indian chess. In this candid conversation, the veteran arbiter reflects on the complex, often unseen world of rule-keeping, the emotional intelligence required to handle high-stakes disputes, and the profound community bond that keeps him coming back to the board year after year.

Arvind's 1st Triumph of 2026 After the 8th round, Prakash Ram was leading the tournament with 7.5/8. In the final round on the top board, Indrajeet Mahindrakar defeated Prakash Ram, and Arvind Iyer defeated FM Arun Kataria to secure the 1st place. Champion: Iyer Arvind After scoring 7/7, Arvind lost against Prakash Ram but won on demand in the final round.

15 Straight Wins Against Alireza in the finals! Nihal Sarin has never been someone who does things quietly. But even by his standards, his performance at the Bullet Chess Championship 2026 was something else. The young Indian grandmaster tore through the field, beating some of the fastest players on the planet, and saved his most stunning performance for the finals, where he defeated Alireza Firouzja 15 games in a row to claim the title.

Chess for a cause As part of its Republic Day special, on 25th January 2026, Bangalore Chess Club hosted the second edition of its annual fundraiser rapid tournament, bringing together over 200 chess enthusiasts from across the city. While the event featured attractive prizes and a strong field of participants, it was driven by a larger purpose. A total amount of Rs. 61,200, raised entirely from the event, was donated towards supporting young and aspiring players through HelpChess Foundation.

Jorge Cori conquers the WR Chess Marathon, 12-year-old Faustino Oro impresses South America had always been a continent I have wanted to visit. And thanks to the 67 hour world record marathon event organized by WR Chess I got a chance to travel to the continent. I travelled to Lima, Peru together with my better half Amruta and my team member Abhyudaya, to cover one of the most unusual chess events.

The Grand Chess Tour moves to Croatia The third event of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour, Super Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2026, begins today in Zagreb, Croatia. Following the Super Rapid & Blitz Poland and the Super Chess Classic Romania, the Tour now shifts to faster time controls. World Champion D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa will be among the ten players fighting for the title. The first round starts today and the event will run till 6th July.

Harshavardhan's incredible run After sitting on 3 points from the first 5 rounds, Harshavardhan needed an intense 3.5 points from his final 4 games, and in the last 3 games, he had to play against 3 visiting GMs. In the 6th round, he defeated Kushagra Mohan, and now the biggest challenge arrived in front of him: Michal Krasenkow, who was leading the event and crushing everyone with 5.5/6 points.

The Ultimate Live Chess Experience The stakes could not possibly be higher, and Vidit will need the energy of a home crowd as he fights for national pride on this massive global stage. For every chess enthusiast who has cheered through YouTube livestreams and followed every move on their screens, this is your moment to witness world-class chess history unfold right before your eyes.

The road to the Grandmaster title The miracle performance earned him his 1st Grandmaster norm, leaving him just a few steps away from the ultimate title. Racing against an August 23rd deadline to recover his US student visa for a university scholarship, Imran opens up to ChessBase India. Md Imran reached out to us with an important message about what happened to him Imran boarded an 8-hour FlixBus to Budapest.

The road to the Grandmaster title The miracle performance earned him his 1st Grandmaster norm, leaving him just a few steps away from the ultimate title. Racing against an August 23rd deadline to recover his US student visa for a university scholarship, Imran opens up to ChessBase India. He isn't looking to inspire anyone; he just needs the chess community's help to survive the system.