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.

July 26, 2025 07:30 IST
Among the hierarchy of chess titles that include International Master (IM), FIDE Master (FM), Candidate Master (CM), and their female-specific counterparts (WGM, WIM, WFM, WCM), the Grandmaster title stands as the most prestigious and challenging to obtain.
Mon, Jul 28, 2025
July 21, 2025 19:11 IST
Teenager beats the more experienced Harika Dronavalli as there is a guarantee of at least one Indian at next year's Candidates Tournament
Tue, Jul 22, 2025
July 21, 2025 00:23 IST
Humpy's qualification to the semifinal guarantees India a coveted spot in the Candidates tournament, with compatriots Divya Deshmukh and Harika Dronavalli — engaged in an all-Indian quarterfinal clash — placed in different brackets.
Mon, Jul 21, 2025
July 20, 2025 22:00 IST
Carlsen, being the genius he is, fought back, but Praggnanandhaa has emerged as by far the most competent Indian to take the world's best player head-on.
Mon, Jul 21, 2025
July 19, 2025 23:58 IST
Koneru Humpy took a giant step forward in pursuit of her maiden World Cup title after making light work of Yuxin's defence, which had troubled some experienced players.
Sun, Jul 20, 2025
July 18, 2025 19:32 IST
India holds a 50% representation in the last eight at FIDE Women's World Cup and with Divya and Harika drawn in the same bracket, an all-Indian clash guarantees at least one semifinalist for the first time.
Sat, Jul 19, 2025
July 07, 2025 00:12 IST
Sunday demanded different calculations with podium contention at stake, so the Indian chased stability, while the Norwegian, comfortably leading, secured his advantage
Mon, Jul 07, 2025
July 06, 2025 00:12 IST
Amid all the cacophony around teenage Classical World Champion Dommaraju Gukesh’s prowess in faster formats, the Chennai prodigy suffered a dramatic freefall on the first day of the Blitz event at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament in Zagreb on Saturday.
Sun, Jul 06, 2025
June 29, 2025 23:29 IST
In a freewheeling interview with The Indian Express, Praggnanandhaa talks about “feeling dead” during the recent UzChess Cup, earning the respect of older generation like Magnus Carlsen, and why winning Wijk aan Zee was crucial for his season.
Wed, Jul 02, 2025
June 24, 2025 08:00 IST
Atharvaa Tayade, 24, is an MBA student from IIM-Calcutta; Tayade was unbeaten until the final round at the FIDE World Rapid Team Championship in London
Wed, Jun 25, 2025
June 14, 2025 23:29 IST
Anand hailed the format of the event. "What is commendable is that so many teams composed of fans and club players chose to participate, giving it a slight festival feel," the five-time World Champion and India's greatest ever chess player told The Indian Express from London.
Sat, Jun 14, 2025
June 14, 2025 21:37 IST
He sums up his philosophy: ’Winning that one tournament means more to me than finishing second in five’.
Sat, Jun 14, 2025
June 13, 2025 23:26 IST
Entering the ninth round as joint leaders with seven points each, Gupta reclaimed the outright lead by overcoming the Belarusian Grandmaster with white pieces
Fri, Jun 13, 2025
June 13, 2025 19:43 IST
While the exact reasons for the venue change remain unclear, sources close to the chess governing body suggest internal conflicts may be responsible.
Fri, Jun 13, 2025
June 13, 2025 09:24 IST
Delhi Open Chess: With just two rounds remaining, both Gupta and Nikitenko have 7 points each and will face each other in Friday's penultimate round of the Category A section.
Fri, Jun 13, 2025
June 12, 2025 23:27 IST
Players explain why it’s difficult to make a GM norm in India and it ranges from lack of sufficient chess events, increased competition, and difficulty in finding higher-ranked players
Sat, Jun 14, 2025
June 11, 2025 23:05 IST
India’s Abhijeet Gupta surged to the sole lead at the 21st Delhi International Chess Open after defeating Armenia’s Mamikon Gharibyan in the seventh round.
Thu, Jun 12, 2025
June 11, 2025 22:15 IST
For women, the game was practically non-existent in Bangladesh post the '71 war, Rani Hamid recalls. But encouraged by her husband, a lieutenant colonel she started playing competitively.
Thu, Jun 12, 2025
June 09, 2025 19:51 IST
Raset Ziatdinov moves around India training budding chess players
Wed, Jun 11, 2025
June 08, 2025 23:31 IST
DCA was granted access to the playing hall - at 1:30 AM on Saturday - volunteers worked through the night to ensure an on-time start at 9:30 AM at Chhatarpur's Tivoli Gardens Resort in southwest Delhi
Tue, Jun 10, 2025
June 06, 2025 23:56 IST
Aravindh Chithambaram's win at the 6th Stepan Avagyan Memorial resulted in the ranking milestone; Aravindh is in ninth place, with D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa above him
Fri, Jun 06, 2025
June 06, 2025 20:42 IST
Jan Henric Buettner, the man behind the Freestyle Chess tour, says 'despite my efforts to generate interest, no one has come forward to support the event'
Fri, Jun 06, 2025
May 29, 2025 19:20 IST
With Chess legend Viswanathan Anand emphasising the need for a regular high-rated invitational tournament in India, the Chennai event has grown into a key fixture
Thu, May 29, 2025
May 25, 2025 00:31 IST
Delhi Capitals ended their IPL 2025 campaign on a high, handing Punjab Kings a 6-wicket loss at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium in what was a repeat clash of the abandoned match in Dharamsala.
Sun, May 25, 2025
May 19, 2025 00:04 IST
Unbeaten opening partnership between Gill and Sudharsan take them into playoffs while Delhi Capitals left to ponder over qualification hopes.
Sun, May 25, 2025



