Ep-31: FIDE Bans Grandmaster for Phone Cheating + Sinquefield Cup Drama 2025 | Chess News

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Hey everyone, welcome back to Chess Times! I’m here with GM Priyadharshan Kannappan, and honestly, Priyadharshan, I can't remember the last time chess news hit this hard right out of the gate. You ready to get into it?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Absolutely. I mean, this week... it's like, you wake up and you see—boom—GM Kirill Shevchenko stripped of his Grandmaster title. That’s not something you expect to read with your morning coffee! FIDE dropping a three-year ban for cheating with a smartphone—during the Spanish Team Championship in October, right?

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Yeah. This just set the bar for what “zero tolerance” means in chess now. No mincing words—your title’s gone, your reputation’s shaken, you’re out of FIDE events basically until 2027. It’s intense.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Yeah, and I gotta say, as a coach, as someone who’s played internationally, this really—uh, it resonates. Fair play isn’t just a rule, right? It’s part of how we build trust in this community. We run fair play sessions at Chess Gaja, with parents and kids. You see how much even one story like this puts everyone on edge—but it also, sort of, toughens everyone’s resolve to stay clean.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Totally. And you guys at the academy were actually ahead of the curve there. I remember you talking in past episodes about, like, your strict mobile phone policies during in-person tournaments. This case has got people debating online—like, should FIDE be taking away the actual title, not just the rating points or prize money. What do you think, GM?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

It’s tough. Look, nobody wants their achievements erased. But if we don’t act aggressively against cheating, what’s the point of even awarding titles? This was a strong message, not only to Shevchenko or his team, but to anyone thinking about “testing the rules.” Cheating’s not worth the risk. I hope, moving forward, it’s more about positive stories than scandals. But, uh, I mean, we’ve seen in other sports, once trust is broken, it takes ages to rebuild.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Amen to that! Let’s just hope this forces productive conversations on fair play—and less drama. But speaking of intense situations, it’s not just off-the-board where sparks were flying this week…

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

On the competitive side, I swear my heart still hasn’t slowed down after the Sinquefield Cup finish. Wesley So takes it, after that wild three-player blitz playoff—a cool $77,667, by the way—up against Praggnanandhaa and Caruana. And what a way to do it… you catch that final classical game?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Yeah, So’s win over Abdusattorov! He used a really risky line, I think from Gawain Jones’s opening ideas, right? That was gutsy. And, you know Wesley, he’s not usually the gambler at the table, but sometimes, you gotta roll the dice. Plus, winning those speed tiebreaks—just clinical under pressure. Though, poor Gukesh—reigning world champion and only 4 points this time. It just wasn’t his event.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Yeah, Gukesh just… couldn’t get any momentum. And then, as if things weren’t spicy enough, Nodirbek Abdusattorov comes in right before the Grand Swiss and basically calls the guy out. Like, “I predict Gukesh will lose his world title.” I mean, talk about psychological warfare?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Heh, yeah, that was bold. I don’t know—sometimes these comments are mind games, sometimes it’s just confidence, but it definitely raises the heat. And speaking of drama, Caruana and Divya Deshmukh not playing the Grand Swiss? That surprised me, honestly. Candidates are already set for them, but their absence shakes things up for everyone else. It’s a huge opportunity for the rest of the field.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Yeah, there are always the stories about surprise breakthroughs when the usual heavy hitters are missing. I was watching some pre-tournament interviews and you can just feel the tension—other players are, like, “This is my moment.” Did any game or strategy stand out to you this week among the folks who aren’t necessarily favorites?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

I mean, with Gukesh’s form looking shaky and new faces getting a chance, anything can happen. I think the energy is different when, suddenly, the whole thing’s wide open. People start taking more risks, pushing the envelope—you saw that with some of the younger players, too, like firing off bold sacrifices. It’s exciting, but unpredictable. Makes for great chess news—uh, let’s put it that way!

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

For sure—and that unpredictability is kinda the perfect segue into our next chapter. Because, if this week showed anything, it’s that chess is in full youth movement mode…

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Okay, so speaking of youth, can we talk about five-year-old Aarini Lahoty for a sec? She just became the youngest female player ever to earn FIDE ratings in classical, rapid, and blitz. Like—she’s five! I was still getting grape juice on my chessboard at that age.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Yeah, I saw that! It’s incredible. To get a rating at that age in all formats, that’s not just about talent, but also family and coaching support. I mean, making history before most kids are reading fluently—that’s wild. It says a lot about the youth movement all over the world right now. We had Bodhana Sivanandan getting talked about a few episodes ago; now it’s Aarini. India is really producing a new wave, but globally, it’s the same.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Totally. And not just in classical—Pranav Venkatesh is on fire! He just took down the Superstars section of the Fujairah Global Chess 2025, right before heading to the Grand Swiss. That’s gotta boost his confidence big time. He beat Sjugirov and Tabatabaei back to back, which… I mean, those names aren’t easy outs.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Right, Pranav’s timing couldn’t be better heading into a major event. We say momentum is key before big tournaments, and he’s got it. And then, on the other end—speed chess is just exploding. The UK Blitz qualifiers are starting, the finals are in Leamington Spa, and everyone is hyped. Shreyas Royal is making news with some fantastic games in Hampton. He’s leading the charge for UK chess, not just India diaspora—as we discussed before, he’s really a symbol for the new generation here.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Yeah, and, you know what’s funny? My first blitz tourney—I think I lost, like, every game in under three minutes. I was so stressed out I forgot en passant even existed. But that’s actually when I fell in love with chess, because blitz sort of… strips away all the overthinking and just forces you to play what you know. You’re in the moment. I get why it’s so popular, even at the highest level now.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Yeah, that’s—well, that’s how it builds character! I make my students play blitz to help with intuition and nerves. And it’s become this accepted part of competitive chess. Honestly, if you wanna prepare for modern events, you can’t ignore the rapid and blitz formats. They’re not “just” sideshows anymore.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Completely. It feels like every week there are more events, more new faces breaking onto the scene, more drama. But I think that’s what keeps chess growing and fun for everyone watching, too.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

You said it. Whether it’s five-year-olds making history, or blitz specialists shaking up the rankings, this game still has so many surprises left. I’m excited just seeing where things go next.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Well, I think that’s the best place to leave it—on a high note, after a week of drama and really cool breakthroughs. Priyadharshan, thanks for always bringing your pro insights and your great stories. And thanks to everyone listening out there for tuning in to Chess Times. We'll be back next week with more—so, until then, take care and keep playing!

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Thanks for having me! Bye everyone, and don’t forget to send us your questions or stories—you never know, you might hear them on a future episode. See you next time!