GM Ivan Sokolov is well-known for taking on challenging projects as a trainer. This year he turned his attention to the Uzbekistan team, a team that, like Iran (which Sokolov trained before), was very young. How did it so happen that the team surpassed all expectations and clinched the gold in the Chennai chess Olympiad? What was the role of Ivan Sokolov? How much time did he spend with the team? What were his training techniques? All of this and much more in this hour-long interview by IM Sagar Shah. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The second leg of the FIDE Grand Prix series kicks off today in Belgrade, as the fight to get the two final spots in the Candidates Tournament continues. Three strong contenders to get the coveted spots begin their campaign in the series i.e. Anish Giri, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. | Photo: The opening ceremony, held in the ballroom of ‘Dom Grade’, a building from the 1920s which was once home to the Serbian Royal Guard
The 2022 Azerbaijani Championship took place in Nakhchivan on 4-18 February. Unlike previous events, this year’s championship was held in two stages, with a 9-round Swiss tournament followed by a 4-player knockout. Mahammad Muradli beat Musratdin Iskandarov to grab his second national title. | Photos: Azebaijani Chess Federation
A fierce battle to reach the knockout awaits on day 4 of the Airthings Masters preliminary stage. Only Ian Nepomniachtchi has secured a spot in the quarterfinals, as he has an overwhelming 7-point lead going into the final three rounds of the all-play-all stage. Magnus Carlsen is one of three players sharing second place. The world champion recently contracted Covid and confessed to a lack of energy. | Photo: Niki Riga
Ian Nepomniachtchi is almost certain to reach the knockout stage at the Airthings Masters, as he grabbed a 4-point lead after a strong performance on the second day of the preliminaries. Sharing second place are Ding Liren and Eric Hansen, while Magnus Carlsen stands two points behind the chasers after losing his round-8 game against 16-year-old Praggnanandhaa. | Photo: Maria Emelianova / FIDE