Mayank Chaudhary is a Senior Sub Editor at The Indian Express, based in Noida. He is a specialized sports journalist with a primary focus on Chess, where he has established himself as a key voice in covering both Indian and international developments in the sport. Professional Profile Role: Senior Sub Editor Organization: The Indian Express Location: Noida, Uttar Pradesh Specialization: Sports (primarily chess) Key Areas of Coverage Mayank Chaudhary provides extensive reporting and analysis on the global chess circuit. His recent work prominently features: FIDE World Cup & Candidates: He has been a lead reporter for the FIDE World Cup (including the 2025 edition in Goa), covering match results, tie-breaks, and the qualification paths for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. Indian Chess Prodigies: He closely tracks the careers of India’s top Grandmasters, including R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Pentala Harikrishna. International Stars: His reporting includes interviews and profiles of international players like Andrey Esipenko (Russia), Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan), and Wei Yi (China). Industry & Culture of Chess: Beyond match results, he writes about the chess "ecosystem," such as the rise of chess commentators (e.g., Sagar Shah and Tania Sachdev), the impact of cheating allegations (notably those by Vladimir Kramnik), and the unique fan culture surrounding the game. Notable Recent Articles "Meet India's chess tragics: A corporate honcho, a chocolatier, a film-maker, a content-creator & a superfan in cycle" – A feature on the diverse community of chess enthusiasts. "FIDE World Cup: How China’s unique ecosystem has made it a chess superpower" – An analytical piece on the national training systems in China. "Javokhir Sindarov’s memorable FIDE World Cup triumph" – A deep dive into the success of the Uzbek grandmaster. Coverage of Viswanathan Anand’s participation in international masters tournaments and his continued influence on the game. You can follow his latest work and full archive of stories on his official author profile: Mayank Chaudhary - The Indian Express.

August 29, 2026 19:29 IST
In an Instagram Story that Gukesh shared recently, he showed a screenshot of someone telling him that it was time to retire, to which Gukesh coolly replied: “Thanks, bro.” When the troll asked him if he would want to play a game of chess against him, Gukesh added: “Sorry I’m retired bro.”
Sat, Aug 29, 2026
August 29, 2026 17:46 IST
India's board 1 dilemma: Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa or Arjun Erigaisi for the Olympiad?
Sat, Aug 29, 2026
August 29, 2026 17:37 IST
Pragg's comments came in response to Nakamura's recent remarks, where he asserted that arrogance is a prerequisite for success at the highest level.
Sat, Aug 29, 2026
August 29, 2026 14:41 IST
A day after his Grand Chess Tour Final triumph, Praggnanandhaa sat down with The Indian Express for a free-flowing interview on all things chess.
Sat, Aug 29, 2026
August 28, 2026 22:37 IST
With his dynamic play he can produce results across formats in different conditions
Fri, Aug 28, 2026
August 28, 2026 03:43 IST
'Second only to World Championship... format incredibly tough, have to prove yourself in Classical, Rapid and Blitz'
Sat, Aug 29, 2026
August 27, 2026 17:33 IST
A winning position slipped away as Caruana's king came to the rescue, leaving Pragg six points down with one day left
Thu, Aug 27, 2026
August 26, 2026 21:40 IST
"For Gukesh, I understand. Last year he played a lot of tournaments and he didn't feel very good mentally. He might have felt that he needed to work on certain things. But in my opinion, he's a very, very strong chess player," says Sindarov.
Wed, Aug 26, 2026
August 26, 2026 19:12 IST
Divya Deshmukh's next tournament is the upcoming Global Chess League in Bengaluru, where she finds herself on the Alpine APL Pipers team. But beyond chess, there will be other things on Divya's mind: studying for her university exams.
Wed, Aug 26, 2026
August 26, 2026 15:48 IST
Grand Chess Tour Finals: Caruana leads the final 6-0 after winning the first Classical game, but things aren't done just yet for Praggnanandhaa.
Wed, Aug 26, 2026
August 25, 2026 22:29 IST
Keymer's mistakes in the time scramble proved costly, allowing Praggnanandhaa to seize the moment and book his place in the summit clash of the GCT Finals
Tue, Aug 25, 2026
August 23, 2026 19:43 IST
In four-player tournament, Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana also play out a stalemate
Sun, Aug 23, 2026
August 17, 2026 07:45 IST
The Norwegian went unbeaten against a series of elite opponents, which had Andrey Esipenko, Hans Niemann, Nihal Sarin, Alireza Firouzja, and Lazavik, to cruise to his second straight Esports World Cup title beating Denis Lazavik in the final
Mon, Aug 17, 2026
August 16, 2026 15:36 IST
Defending the Esports World Cup despite physical stress, the world number reinforces his credentials and avers the format will stay.
Sun, Aug 16, 2026
August 16, 2026 07:00 IST
Arjun Erigaisi has been among India's brightest prospects for years now, standing shoulder to shoulder with D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa. And yet, for all his brilliance, one thing has consistently eluded him: the finish line.
Sun, Aug 16, 2026
August 14, 2026 23:23 IST
India’s chess challenge at EWC 2026 ended in the quarterfinal stage for Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin.
Fri, Aug 14, 2026
August 13, 2026 23:13 IST
Indian duo joins the likes of Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja and Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the business end of competition
Thu, Aug 13, 2026
August 13, 2026 16:31 IST
It was time. Magnus Carlsen vs Hans Niemann. A duel that had shaken the chess world to its core just a few years ago was about to be replayed in front of a crowd suddenly hungry for drama.
Thu, Aug 13, 2026
August 12, 2026 23:33 IST
Beats close friend who had been in great form, but was beaten by Alireza Firouzja; Pranesh M goes down to Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Wed, Aug 12, 2026
August 11, 2026 23:42 IST
Relocated from Riyadh at short notice due to West Asia conflict, the tournament has taken over French capital with 2,000 players from 100 countries and fans from around the globe
Wed, Aug 12, 2026
August 10, 2026 22:50 IST
American GM Hikaru Nakamura is capable of taking on the former world champion; Indian grandmasters Nihal Sarin, Aravindh Chithambaram, Pranesh M, and Arjun Erigaisi are in the fray.
Thu, Aug 27, 2026
August 10, 2026 20:28 IST
Deekshitha is the highest-ranked Under-20 player in the world; her Elo rating rose from 1985 to 2469.8; she also earned her first IM norm; she is on the verge of breaking into the world's top 800.
Mon, Aug 10, 2026
August 07, 2026 21:07 IST
Having reinforced his value in the classical format, he illustrates his shot-form proficiency
Fri, Aug 07, 2026
August 06, 2026 22:42 IST
Uzbek's mistake from a dominant position allows Indian to keep hold of the outright lead with nine Blitz games left on the final day
Thu, Aug 06, 2026
August 05, 2026 19:08 IST
Indian ahead of the field by a full point after winning four and drawing four of nine Rapid games, with 18 Blitz matches to go
Wed, Aug 05, 2026



