Nihal Sarin: India’s Chess GM at 14 Who Now Ranks 22 in the World
Nihal Sarin is an Indian chess Grandmaster, currently rated 2723 by FIDE and ranked World No. 22 as of April 2026. Born on 13 July 2004 in Thrissur, Kerala, he became a Grandmaster at just 14 years old, making him the third youngest player in history to cross the Elo rating of 2600 at the […]
Viaansh Bhatnagar: The Under-9 Chess Prodigy Taking India by Storm
At an age when most children are still figuring out their favourite sport, Viaansh Bhatnagar from Udaipur, Rajasthan, was already representing his state at national chess championships. He has won gold medals at FIDE rated events across India, captained his school to a state championship, and earned a place among India’s top 15 Under-9 players […]
Chess Tournaments in China 2026: Full Schedule, Dates, and Venues
China is one of the world’s most dominant chess nations, and 2026 is shaping up to be a packed year for chess tournaments in China. From the prestigious Chinese Chess Team Championship featuring top-tier grandmasters like Ding Liren to regional rating events in Hubei, Beijing, and Shanghai, the country’s domestic calendar is both deep and […]
FM Arun Kataria Wins 1st LNJ Bhilwara FIDE Rapid Chess Tournament 2026
Rajasthan has a new champion. FM Arun Kataria, a Kingdom of Chess player, won the inaugural 1st LNJ Bhilwara International FIDE Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2026, held on April 19, 2026, at Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya, Hurda, Bhilwara. Competing in a field of over 200 players across 9 rounds, Arun finished with 8.5 points, a full […]
Kingdom of Chess Students Wins Udaipur District U-9 Chess Title 2026
The Udaipur District Chess Championship 2026 delivered a historic result for Indian junior chess. Two young players, both trained at Kingdom of Chess, claimed the top podium positions in their respective categories. Viaansh Bhatnagar finished Rank 1 in the U-9 Open with a perfect score. Poushita Paliwal finished Rank 1 in the U-9 Girls Championship […]
How to set up a Chessboard – A Quick & Simple Guide
Setting up a chessboard correctly takes about 90 seconds. But get it wrong, and the whole game falls apart before you even make your first move. This guide shows you exactly how to set up a chessboard step by step, piece by piece, from the initial board orientation to the moment both armies are ready […]
Anatoly Karpov: The Chess Champion Who Strangled the World
Anatoly Karpov is one of the most dominant chess players in history. Born on May 23, 1951, in Zlatoust, Soviet Union, he became the 12th World Chess Champion in 1975 and held the title for a decade. But the numbers alone do not capture the story. He won over 160 tournaments and spent 102 months […]
Best Chess Openings for White: A Complete Guide for Beginners
You finally sit down to play White. You move a pawn. And by move seven, your opponent has an edge you cannot explain. That moment is frustrating. And it almost always traces back to one thing: you picked up an opening without understanding why it works. The best chess openings for White are not the […]
Damiano’s Mate: Queen and Pawn Checkmate Explained
What if a single pawn and a queen could end the game in seconds? That is exactly what Damiano’s mate does. It is one of the oldest checkmate patterns in chess, and yet it catches players off guard at every level. If you have ever studied common checkmate patterns, you already know that pattern recognition […]
Blackburne’s Mate: How Two Bishops and a Knight Win Fast
What if you could deliver a stunning checkmate with just two bishops and a knight, while your opponent still has pieces scattered across the board? That is exactly what Blackburne’s mate does. It is rare, it is elegant, and once you see it land, you never forget it. Blackburne’s mate is a checkmate pattern where […]
Anastasia’s Mate: Knight and Rook Checkmate on the Edge
What if you could force checkmate with just a knight and a rook, while your opponent thinks their king is perfectly safe behind a wall of pawns? That is exactly what Anastasia’s Mate does. It is one of those patterns that turns a seemingly solid position into a sudden, unstoppable finish. Once you recognise this […]
How to Spot and Execute the Vukovic Mate in Real Games
You have played the position perfectly. Your rook is on the seventh rank. Your knight sits deep in enemy territory. The opponent’s king is stuck on the back rank with nowhere to breathe. You know something is there. But the clock is ticking, and the exact sequence will not come. You move something else. Three […]
