The stories behind great games and how each move becomes a work of art.
Ilia Smirin vs Murali Karthikeyan
Murali Karthikeyan outplayed veteran GM Ilia Smirin in a Ruy Lopez Fianchetto Defense, winning a pawn in the middlegame and converting smoothly in round 8 of the Sardinia World Chess Festival 2026.
Abhimanyu Puranik vs Parham Maghsoodloo
Abhimanyu Puranik and Parham Maghsoodloo agreed a quick draw in round 8 of the Sardinia World Chess Festival 2026, navigating 15 moves of Slav theory before splitting the point in a balanced IQP position.
Gukesh D vs Javokhir Sindarov
Javokhir Sindarov defeated World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in blitz at the Grand Chess Tour Poland, getting revenge after Gukesh beat him in the rapid section just days earlier.
Fabiano Caruana vs Alireza Firouzja
Fabiano Caruana and Alireza Firouzja split the point in a 38-move English Opening where Firouzja's queenside expansion backfired before a tense rook endgame fizzled into a draw.
Wesley So vs Vladimir Fedoseev
Wesley So and Vladimir Fedoseev split the point in a queenless Sicilian middlegame where Fedoseev's aggressive 15...f5 backfired but So couldn't convert his edge in the blitz time scramble.
Hans Moke Niemann vs Jan-krzysztof Duda
Hans Niemann defeated Jan-Krzysztof Duda in a chaotic Italian Game where Black's aggressive kingside pawn storm backfired spectacularly in Round 17 of the Super Rapid & Blitz Poland 2026.
Murali Karthikeyan vs Brandon Jacobson
Murali Karthikeyan ground down Brandon Jacobson in a Scotch Game, exploiting doubled e-pawns after a well-timed exchange to score a crucial Round 7 victory at the Sardinia World Chess Festival 2026.
V Pranav vs Ivan Ivanisevic
World Junior Champion V Pranav punished Ivan Ivanisevic's premature kingside expansion in Round 7 of the Montenegro League, converting a Bishop's Opening into a positional victory for Elektroprivreda.
Magnus Carlsen vs Erigaisi Arjun
Arjun Erigaisi defeated Magnus Carlsen in the tiebreak of the 2026 TePe Sigeman Chess Tournament, using the Pirc Defense to outmaneuver the former world champion and secure the tournament victory.