Category
Tournament News & Recaps
How Tournament Prize Funds Are Structured
Behind every tournament crosstable is a set of decisions about who gets paid, how much, and under what conditions — understanding the common models organizers use demystifies a part of competitive chess most players never think about until they're in contention.
Hardik Ranpariya · October 12, 2026
Understanding Chess Titles: GM, IM, FM Explained
What GM, IM, FM, and the other official chess titles actually mean — how they're earned, why they never expire, and what separates each level of recognition.
Hardik Ranpariya · October 8, 2026
The Evolution of Speed Chess Tournaments
How rapid and blitz went from casual side events to major, prize-backed tournaments in their own right — and what drove that shift.
Hardik Ranpariya · October 4, 2026
How Chess Players Qualify for Major Tournaments
The various pathways players use to earn a spot in major chess tournaments — ratings, qualifying events, wildcards, and invitations — and how they typically work together.
Hardik Ranpariya · September 29, 2026
What Makes a Tournament "Elite"? Rating Categories Explained
How chess tournaments are formally categorized by average player strength, and why the term 'elite' means something specific and measurable rather than just a vague label.
Hardik Ranpariya · September 25, 2026
A Brief History of the World Chess Championship
How the World Chess Championship evolved from an informal 19th-century claim to a formally regulated title — the key eras, structural changes, and the organizations involved along the way.
Hardik Ranpariya · September 21, 2026
How Chess Tournament Tiebreaks Work
Why chess tournaments so often need tiebreak systems, and how the most common ones — Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger, and direct playoffs — actually work.
Hardik Ranpariya · September 17, 2026
Swiss System vs Round-Robin: Tournament Formats Explained
The two dominant tournament formats in competitive chess, how each one pairs players, and why organizers choose one over the other depending on the event.
Hardik Ranpariya · September 13, 2026
What Is the Chess Olympiad? A Complete Guide
How the Chess Olympiad works — the biennial team event that brings together national teams from around the world, and why it holds a unique place in the chess calendar.
Hardik Ranpariya · September 8, 2026
Understanding the FIDE Candidates Tournament Format
How the Candidates Tournament decides the challenger for the World Chess Championship — the format, the field, and why it's considered one of the toughest events in chess.
Hardik Ranpariya · September 4, 2026