India's first chess features print magazine published quarterly from Lucknow since 2004 by Aspire Welfare Society.

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Anish Giri Wins Tolstoy Cup in Yasnaya Polyana


The 12th of September marked the end of the first-ever international tournament held in honor of the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy.

The tournament rating favorite, Anish Giri of Netherlands, has become its winner with a remarkable result of 8 out of 9 points.

Anish Giri, “I enjoyed my performance in Yasnaya Polyana. The result proved somewhat too high because on the second day I definitely did not play at the corresponding level. However, luck sided with me to the extent that nothing could stop. It goes without saying that I am a big fan of Leo Tolstoy’s creative works and I am very happy that this tournament has been organised. I have not been aware that Tolstoy was a chess fan, but my taking part in the sightseeing tour filled this gap. I hope this event will become traditional”.

Final standings:

1. Anish Giri (Netherlands) – 8 out of 9 points
2. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) – 5.5
3. Boris Gelfand (Israel) – 5
4-5. David Paravyan, Dmitry Andreikin (both from Russia) – 4.5
6-8. Anton Korobov (Ukraine), Maxim Matlakov, Evgeny Tomashevsky (all from Russia) – 4
9. Kirill Alekseenko (Russia) – 3.5
10. Nikita Vitiugov (Russia) – 2.

The winner received a cup manufactured at the Imperial Porcelain Factory specifically for this event.

An extensive additional program accompanied the Leo Tolstoy Cup: a 100-board simul with the GMs participating in the tournament, a mass blitz tournament for children, a lecture and a quiz by the curator of the CFR Chess Museum and candidate of historical sciences Dmitry Oleikniov. The Cultural Centre Yasnaya Polyana that hosted the tournament displayed the themed posters and unique chess sets Staunton and Regence.

The games were commented in Russian by GM Sergey Shipov (you could hear him comment in the tent set up in front of the Palace of Culture), and in English by GM Evgenij Miroshnichenko.

The tournament was hosted by the Leo Tolstoy Museum-Estate Yasnaya Polyana and the Chess Federation of Russia with the support of the Elena and Gennady  Timchenko Foundation.

Saturday, September 4, 2021

World-renowned GMs to Play in Leo Tolstoy’s Museum-Estate from Sept 11



Moscow: The first international tournament Tolstoy Cup featuring a stellar line-up will start in the State Leo Tolstoy Museum-Estate “Yasnaya Polyana”, the Tula region, on the great Russian writer’s birthday, the 9th of September. The event will last for four days and will finish on the 12th of September. Photo credit: Press service of the State Leo Tolstoy Museum-Estate “Yasnaya Polyana

The world and Russian chess stars will take part in the round-robin rapid tournament: Anish Giri (Netherlands), Dmitry Andreikin, Nikita Vitiugov, Evgeny Tomashevsky, Kirill Alekseenko, Maxim Matlakov, David Paravyan (all from Russia), Anton Korobov (Ukraine), Boris Gelfand (Israel), and Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan).

The event is organised by the State Leo Tolstoy Museum-Estate “Yasnaya Polyana” and the Chess Federation of Russia and is supported by the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Foundation.

Andrey Filatov, President of the Chess Federation of Russia:
- This tournament is held for the first time, and I hope it will set up a good tradition. Since 2012, the Chess Federation of Russian and the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Foundation have organised the tournaments as part of the Chess in Museums international programme. We are glad to introduce the chess world to Yasnaya Polyana, one of Russia’s most famous and beloved museums

Leo Tolstoy is a brilliant and timeless writer whose books are being read, studied, filmed, and staged. And now the first international event dedicated to him will be held. It is not an accident: Tolstoy loved chess, played a lot, and wrote about it. Obviously, chess was an integral part of his life.

We will be glad to see the guests and journalists at our festival dedicated to Leo Tolstoy’s birthday and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the State Leo Tolstoy Museum-Estate “Yasnaya Polyana”.

Ekaterina Tolstaya, Director of the State Leo Tolstoy Museum-Estate “Yasnaya Polyana”:
- We are glad that the International chess tournament will start in Yasnaya Polayan on Leo Tolstoy’s birthday. Chess has always been in Yasnaya Polayna, and Leo Tolstoy’s devotion to the game is well-known: he played chess with his relatives and friend and often offered to play a game to his guests.

One of the most welcomed guests was Prince Sergey Urusov, one of the best chess players of those times. Today, we are proud that the world-class grandmasters will participate in the tournament in Yasnaya Polyana.

It is also very important that children will take part in the festival. Playing chess is very effective for children’s formation: it changes a thinking process, and develops memory and imagination. We are grateful to the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Foundation for their support in holding this tournament and welcoming young talented players.

Maria Morozova, Managing Director of the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Foundation:
- The Tula region and the Timchenko Foundation have been united by long-term ties of friendship and cooperation in various sports projects: we are developing sledge hockey together, the local educational institutions are running the Chess in Schools projects, whilst the region is taking part in complex research of a cognitive as well as an emotional and personal spheres of the lives of younger schoolchildren of the city and village schools. That’s why our supporting of a chess tournament held in the Tula region is a logical continuation of our sports cooperation and a tribute to the great Russian writer, for whom both Yasnaya Polyana and chess were very important.

We hope that our young chess players, participants of the Chess in Schools project, will be highly motivated by playing in the same venue with the renowned grandmasters and be inspired to increase their level and develop their chess skills.

The opening ceremony will take place on the 9th of September. Leo Tolstoy's descendants, FIDE President Akrady Dvorkovich, and other guests of honour are expected to be present at the event.

A 100-board simultaneous exhibition will be held on the same day. The best participants will get presents from the organisers. Moreover, the Chess Museum’s curator, Cand. Sc. History Dmitry Oleinikov will give a lecture and a quiz.

The additional programme will continue on the 10th of September with a mass tournament for children. At the same time, the participants of the main event will be offered a tour around the estate museum; after it, the drawing of lots will take place. Children will have a chance to take a photo with renowned grandmasters and ask them for an autograph.

The international tournament will be held on the 11th and 12th of September. The participants will compete in 9 rapid rounds in an all-play-all event. The closing ceremony is scheduled for the 12th of September at 7 PM Moscow time.

Considering Leo Tolstoy’s devotion to chess, an exhibition featuring various thematic posters will be organised during the event.

Sunday, August 1, 2021

Anand to Lead Strongest Team India in Chess Olympiad

New Delhi: Five times world Champion Viswanathan Anand will lead the team of India in the second online chess Olympiad scheduled to be held from 8-15 September.

The Indian team that jointly won the gold medal alongside main competitors Russia, will be looking at repeating the feat and this time, hopefully, as a single winner of the gold medal.

For the first time ever, the Indian team has got an official sponsorship. One of pioneers of Wi-Fi Internet providers in the country, MICROSENSE, will be the key sponsor.

This time the team comprises Anand, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, P Harikrishna, B Adhiban, Nihal Sarin, R Pragganandhaa, Koneru Humpy, D Harika, Tania Sachdev, Bhakti Kulkarni, R Vaishali and B Savitha Shri. Former national champion and British Chess Championship winner Grandmaster Abhijit Kunte has been appointed as non-playing vice captain of the team.

The Indian Chess Federation has ensured the best for the team. All the players will be provided a single room in a five star hotel in Chennai from where all the matches will be played. Contrary to the last Olympiad, a three tier internet connection along with support from two Grand Masters – D Gukesh and N Srinath has been done to make the team achieve another gold medal.

The first leg is scheduled to have ten teams from which two teams qualify and thereafter a knockout format has been decided by FIDE, the apex chess body.
All the games will be available live for the chess buffs.

“To bring the team together in one place is a dream come true in present times. We do not give any pressure, our aim is to have a healthy atmosphere where the team get along well", said AICF President Sanjay Kapoor about providing the extra facility.

“This is only the beginning of many more good things to come for Indian chess. We are working in several departments to bring the benefits of the game and our aim is simple – to make India the number one chess playing nation in the world", said Bharat Singh Chauhan, the honorary secretary of the federation.

Monday, June 7, 2021

India Age-Group Online Chess from June 10


The National Age Group Online Chess Championships 2021 will be held from 10 June 21 to 03 July 21. The championships will serves as selection event for the FIDE Online Youth & Cadet World Cup 2021. 

The championships will serves as selection event for the FIDE Online Youth & Cadet World Cup 2021.


The championships will serves as selection event for the FIDE Online Youth & Cadet World Cup 2021.


The categories are: 

Under-18 Open & Girls

Under-16 Open & Girls

Under-14 Open

Under-14 Girls

Under-12 Open

Under-12 Girls

Under-10 Open

Under-10 Girls


You can find all the brochures at the All-India Chess Federation official website.



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