HEADLINE OF THE WEEK

Can Nihal Sarin win 18th Tashkent Open?

GM Nihal Sarin defeated GM Jingyao Tin (SGP) to gain sole lead 7.5/9 at 18th Tashkent Open, Agzamov Memorial 2025 Open A (≥1800). His coleader GM Abhimanyu Puranik drew with GM Sanan Sjugirov (HUN) to trail by a half point at 7/9 each. IM Saparmyrat Atabayev (TKM) lost his second consecutive game. This time it was against the 44th Olympiad Gold medalist, GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov (UZB). Nihal will face Shamsiddin in the final round. A win makes him a clear champion. However, a draw may not be enough to finish first as both Abhimanyu and Sanan have better tie-breaks than him. Round 10 starts today at 3 p.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Uzbekistan Chess Federation

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CHESSPA MEETS GUKI- THE GOLDEN BOY! 

CHESSPA MEETS GUKESH

Step into the incredible journey of Guki, a curious 7-year-old from an Indian town, whose life changes forever when he meets ChessPa, a wise and mysterious mentor. Follow Guki as he learns the art of chess, one move at a time, & discovers that the game is not just about kings and queens, but about strategy, resilience, & courage. With every challenge he faces, Guki's determination grows stronger, paving the way for an extraordinary adventure filled with victories, setbacks, & valuable lessons!

Will Guki's passion and hard work lead him to become the world's youngest chess champion? Find out in this inspiring and heart-warming tale of dreams, dedication, and the joy of learning - this is life story of the 18th World Chess Champion, Grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh.

ChessPa Meets Guki- The Golden Boy! | Life story of World Chess Champion Gukesh is available to order now. It's on sale - you can get the Rs. 799 book on just Rs. 499! Click the link at the top and get your hands on this wonderful book prepared by Ketaki Kulkarni, with concepts from Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal.


LATEST NEWS OF THE WEEK

Anna Muzychuk wins Nicosia GP, Harika Dronavalli third

GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) drew with GM Harika Dronavalli to win FIDE Nicosia GP 2025. In the post-game interview, she mentioned that two results needed to go her way. GM Jiner Zhu (CHN) needed to draw with GM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO) and IM Olga Badelka (AUT) also had to have a draw against IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (GRE), for tie-breaks to go in her favor. It did. Jiner secured second place and Harika third. Both Anna and Jiner finished a full point ahead of the rest. GM Aleksandra Goryachkina is currently at the top of the GP standings with 308.34 points. Anna climbed to the third spot with 189.17 points after winning this event. She still has one more tournament to go in May. The total prize fund was €80000. The top three prizes were €18000, €13000 and €10500 along with a trophy and medal each. The next leg is in Pune from 13th to 23rd April. Photo: FIDE

 

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Iniyan Pa becomes National Rapid 2025 Champion

GM Iniyan Pa (TN), GM Pranesh M (TN), GM P Shyam Nikhil (TN) and GM Diptayan Ghosh scored 9/11 each at National Rapid Championship 2025. Iniyan won the tournament on tie-breaks. The remaining three were placed second to fourth respectively. Only Iniyan remained undefeated among them. Top 17 finishers are only GMs and IMs. That certainly speaks volumes about the strength of the event. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹400000. The top three prizes were ₹75000, ₹60000 and ₹50000 along with a trophy each. The three-day rapid rating tournament was organized by Ranchi District Chess Association from 20th to 22nd March 2025 at Sarala Birla University in Ranchi, Jharkhand. This is Iniyan's 4th tournament triumph this year.

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Mitrabha Guha dominates National Blitz Championship 2025

GM Mitrabha Guha (RSPB) scored an unbeaten 10.5/11 to win National Blitz Championship 2025. He finished a full point ahead of the rest. The reigning National champion, GM Karthik Venkataraman (AP) scored 9.5/11 to secure second place. GM Pranesh M (TN) once again scored 9/11. However, his rank became third. Mitrabha's sole draw was against Karthik and he defeated Pranesh in Round 7 and 10 respectively. The total prize fund of the tournament was ₹250000. The top three prizes were ₹50000, ₹40000 and ₹30000 along with a trophy each. The one-day Blitz rating tournament was organized by Ranchi District Chess Association on 23rd March 2025 at Sarala Birla University in Ranchi, Jharkhand. This is Mitrabha's fifth overall, fourth rating tournament triumph of the year. Photo: Navjot Alang

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Vivaan Vishal Shah perfect at Pilsen Open Blitz 2025 with a 2855 performance

CM Vivaan Vishal Shah scored a perfect 11/11 to win Pilsen Open E Blitz Rating Open at 13th International Chess Festival. He finished a staggering two points ahead of the rest. GM Petr Neuman (CZE) secured second place scoring 9/11. Jonas Eret (CZE) was placed third scoring 8/11. Vivaan defeated both of them in Round 2 and 5 respectively. He performed at 2855. The top three prizes Blitz were CZK 1000, 7000 and 500 each. Neuman won the D Rapid Open scoring an unbeaten 6.5/7. Pavan B N B and Nikolajs Krilovs (LAT) scored 5.5/7 each. They secured second and third place respectively according to tie-breaks. The top three prizes in Rapid were CZK 1500, 1000 and 500 each. Photo: Official site

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