The Czech Republic
From Feb. 25 to March 7, the Hotel Don Giovanni is hosting the seventh annual Prague International Chess Festival, an internationally recognized event that draws players and attendees from all around the world. The tournament consists of three groups: Masters, Challengers, and Futures, all of which also face off in an open tournament. The Masters group is the most challenging, with the most skilled and highest rated chess players.
The Prague International Chess Festival was created with the goal of providing a healthy, sportsmanlike environment for players to strengthen their skills. The festival organizers wish to create a long-standing tradition of chess within the Czech Republic.
Indian grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram, a longtime competitor and part of the Masters group, won against Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri to take the lead after round seven. He achieved a career milestone by entering the top fifteen in the live world rankings for the first time.
“I never thought I would beat Anish because he’s too good and too solid with the white pieces,” Chithambaram said after his round with Giri.
For viewers interested in watching the last day of the festival, each round is live streamed and uploaded on the Prague International Chess Festival YouTube channel.
France
The Palais des Sports in Orléans hosted the 2025 Badminton World Federation Badminton Orléans Masters, a five-day-long badminton tournament, as part of the Badminton World Federation World Tour. The tournament, which runs from March 4 to March 9 features men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
The Orléans Masters has grown since its founding in 1994 where it started as a regional tournament exclusive to France. Now, across the entire tournament, over 40 countries will participate in nearly 200 matches of badminton. According to the BWF, the Orléans Masters is one of the 30 best badminton tournaments worldwide. The winning players will receive $210,000.
Lee Zii Jia, Malaysian bronze-medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the tournament’s top seed in men’s singles, defeated Taiwan’s Chi Yu-jen in the round of 32 on Wednesday, and will now face Ireland’s Nguyen Nhat in the quarterfinals. Letshanaa Karupathevan, another Malaysian badminton player who specializes in singles matches, is currently ranked 53rd in the world for women’s singles and is looking forward to further developing her position within the BWF at age 21.
“Winning and losing is secondary, as long as you give your best, you are satisfied. That’s what matters to me the most, ” Karupathevan told BWF.
Italy
The 2025 Union Cycliste Internationale Women’s Cycling World Tour, a worldwide cycling competition, is set to have its first Italian course of 2025 on March 8. This specific race, known as the Strade Bianche Donne, is a one-day event in Tuscany, Italy. This year, 144 Women riders from all over the world will compete to win this countryside race that is over 80 miles long. Within the broader context of the UCI Women’s Cycling World Tour, the Strade Bianche Donne is the fifth race of the season.
The cycling route begins in Siena and challenges riders with gravel and cobblestone roads. The terrain features short, sharp ramps that actively test riders’ endurance. Riders won’t encounter any long climbs, allowing them to adjust their riding strategy based on their endurance level.
Last year, Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky, riding for SD Worx-Protime, claimed victory in the race.
“I really suffered the whole day, I felt pretty tired, but it didn’t get any worse during the race,” Kopecky told Cyclingnews after her win. “I’ve had this before and just tried not to panic and trust that my legs will be there.”
Contact Chloe Sundstrom at [email protected]
