Page 10 - Chess

Gukesh replaces Viswanathan Anand as India's top chess player after 37 yrs

Teenaged Grandmaster D Gukesh has replaced the legendary Viswanathan Anand as India's top chess player after more than three decades. Anand has been India's No.1 since July 1986. The 17-year old Chennai GM, who recently lost in the quarterfinals of the FIDE World Cup in Baku to Magnus Carlsen, moved ahead of Anand to be ranked No.8 in the world. Gukesh broke into the top 10 of the FIDE rating list for the first time. Anand, a five-time world champion is currently ranked No.9. As per the FIDE ratings effective September 1, Gukesh's rating is 2758 while Anand's is 2754. Gukesh has gained three places in the rating list since August 1. Another teen prodigy R Praggnanandhaa, who made the world take notice of him by reaching the World Cup final where he lost to Carlsen, has risen to No. 19 in the list with a rating of 2727. He is India's No.3 player behind Gukesh and Anand. There are five Indians currently in the top 30 and that includes Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (no.27) and Arjun Erig

Minimum investment, deep dedication: Chess now offers workable career path

The stunning progress of teen prodigies R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh in international chess has encouraged several parents to consider the sport as a serious 'career option' for their children. Praggnanandhaa caught the imagination of the country when he reached the final of the FIDE World Cup after a sterling run through the tournament. So, what does it takes to be a wizard on the board, and turn it into a viable career? Experts have their say. Chess, in fact, is one of the least expensive sports to begin with, even with an initial investment as low as Rs 50. But the journey forward to chess mastery is not that simple, though. It requires endless hours of practice, and years of dedication. Pravin Thipsay, the first Indian to get a GM norm and currently the chairman of Indian trainers' commission, explained the path. "I had about zero investment. We learned the game ourselves by studying and discussing the moves and it took me about 600 matches to get to 2450-plus, (ELO) points,

Indian contingent for Asian Games: Full list of 634 Hangzhou-bound athletes

Athletics has the highest representation among Indian athletes chosen for the continental event, with 65 participants for the Asian Games Hangzhou 2023

Sethuraman wins National Chess Championship against Mitrabha Guha

S P Sethuraman of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board emerged champion in the 60th National Chess Championship here on Saturday, after settling for a draw in the ninth and final round to finish with 9.5 points. Sethuraman drew his 11th and final game against Mitrabha Guha (West Bengal) as the top players chose to play it safe in the concluding round. Sethuraman remained unbeaten through the 11 rounds, recording eight wins and three draws. This is Sethuraman's second national title after he won his first in 2014. Top-seed Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta, playing on board two, drew a marathon match against Aronyak Ghosh with white pieces to finish one point behind Sethuraman. He finished ninth. GM Vishnu Prasanna claimed the second spot with nine points, after posting a win over Abhimanyu Puranik in the final round. Five players finished on 8.5 points and seven players ended up with 8 points. Sethuraman received a cash prize of Rs 6,00,000 while the runner-up received Rs 4,00,000. The pri

I think people will start to notice Indian chess: R Praggnanandhaa

Humble to the core, teen sensation R Praggnanandhaa was far from realising the enormity of his achievement in the FIDE World Cup but reckoned his incredible run could force people to "start noticing" Indian chess. It needed the sheer brilliance of Magnus Carlsen to stop the 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa's march as he finished second best after losing in the final on Thursday. "I feel very good to be in the finals, today I didn't win, but it's normal in chess," Praggnanandhaa told PTI from Baku hours after he finished runner-up. "No, not yet, but I guess it will at some point," he said with a smile when asked if he understood the magnitude of his feat. Praggnanandhaa put up a valiant effort in the final and held world No. 1 and five-time world champion Carlsen to a draw in the two classical games before going down in the tie-break. As he shook hands with the Norwegian GM, Praggnanandhaa was surrounded by a group of children asking for his autograph. "I think it's good for the game an

We never put any kind of pressure on Praggnanandhaa, says father Rameshbabu

Rameshbabu is no expert of the complex patterns of chess that his son R Praggnanandhaa has mastered so deeply. He is just an understanding father who is happy to work as a supporting force to the whiz kid. His years of care and support came to fruition on Thursday when Praggnanandhaa stretched World No 1 Magnus Carlsen to tie-break in the FIDE Chess World Cup at Baku, Azerbaijan, before ending up as the runner-up. Typical of the humble man that he is, Rameshbabu said the family never put any pressure on Praggnanandhaa, allowing him space to grow. "We never put any kind of pressure on him. I am very happy with his performance, Ramesh told PTI Bhasha from Chennai. He is just 18 and he was playing against the world number one, and finishing runner-up to him is no mean feat, Ramesh added. Even his idea of celebrating such an enormous occasion was laced in simplicity. "Normally, we go to the temple after his win. This time also we will do the same once he returns from Germany," said .

'R Praggnanandhaa's run in FIDE World Cup will boost Indian chess'

The wonderful run of R Praggnanandhaa in the FIDE Chess World Cup will power Indian chess to further heights globally, said a set of players and officials. Praggnanandhaa finished runner-up to world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen on Thursday in the Chess World Cup at Baku, Azerbaijan. "This is a wonderful moment for Indian chess. It doesn't matter that Praggnanandhaa could not win the World Cup. "He showed tremendous fight against strong player like Carlsen on a big occasion," DP Anantha, vice-president of Indian Chess Federation and secretary of Karnataka State Chess Association, told PTI. Anantha said Praggnanandhaa's feat will propel the profile of Indian chess in international stages. "India is slowly becoming a chess powerhouse globally. Now, we have a World Cup finalist after (Viswanathan) Anand. Earlier, nations like Russia, USA and Europeans were dominant in chess. Now, it is changing. "We already have more than 70 Grand Masters in India and the day is not far away when we (will) h

Cricketers laud Praggnanandhaa on runners-up finish in Chess World Cup

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen defeated India's grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa to clinch the title of International Chess Federation World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan on Thursday

The right moves

India has developed an excellent chess ecosystem

Praggnanandhaa vs Carlsen final: Magnus wins Chess World Cup in tiebreaker

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa's dream run in the FIDE World Cup chess tournament ended

Chess WC: Praggnanandhaa goes down fighting vs World No 1 Magnus Carlsen

This was the first time an Indian made it to the final of the Chess World Cup since 2002 when Viswanathan Anand won the second of his back-to-back titles in Hyderabad.

Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa: From wonderkid to a chess great in the waiting

For someone, who took to chess just because his parents wanted him and his sister to wean away from watching television, R Praggnanandhaa has charted his own path to glory and is closer to greatness than ever. The 18-year old wonderboy has long been seen as a possible successor to the five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand and is certainly on the path to be a chess great. A stunning performance in the FIDE World Cup in Baku has catapulted him to the Candidates tournament to determine the challenger to current world champion Ding Liren. By becoming the only Indian player after Anand to book a spot in the Candidates, the Chennai teenager has proved that he will be the name to reckon with when it comes to big-ticket chess events. A wonderkid, who took up the sport at the age of four-and-a-half, Praggnanandhaa has achieved several firsts in his distinguished career thus far. After coming under the wings of Anand, who has taken to mentorship like a duck to water, the rise has been

Chess World Cup Final: Praggnanandhaa and Carlsen agree to draw second game

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa drew the second classical game of the final of the FIDE World Cup against world No.1 Magnus Carlsen here on Wednesday. The two players settled for a quiet draw in 30 moves after one-and-a-half hours of play in game two. The champion will be decided in the tie-breaks on Thursday. Carlsen played a solid game with white pieces against Praggnanandhaa. The teenaged Indian did not face any troubles with black pieces, with the players agreeing to a draw after 30 moves in an equal Bishop ending. The first game on Tuesday had ended in a stalemate after over four hours of play and 70-plus moves, following which Carlsen said he was a bit under the weather. The 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa had stunned world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana on Monday via the tie-break in the semifinals to set up a summit clash with Carlsen at the World Cup. Praggnanandhaa, thus, became the third youngest player after the legendary Bobby Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for the Candidates

Chess World Cup: Anand calls current lot golden generation of Indian chess

With India producing chess Grandmasters aplenty besides setting a name for itself on the world stage, legendary Indian GM Viswanathan Anand firmly believes that the current lot happens to be a golden generation in Indian chess. His comments came at a time when the Indian players have hogged the limelight in the Chess World Cup in Baku (Azerbaijan), where young GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is competing in the final against reigning world no. 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway. Speaking to a weekly news magazine, Anand was quoted as saying that he was amazed by the fact that most of the current lot possesses a 2,700-plus Elo rating, especially below 20 years of age, terming it "special". I'm throwing in the title early, but they are a golden generation. They are all in the 2,700-plus group (Elo rating). And they're all under 20. That just does not happen; it's really something special." "And what this means, and the reason I call them the golden generation, is they're going to spend the next

Mother deserves all credit for Praggnanandhaa's success: Father Rameshbabu

The glint in R Nagalakshmi's eyes and that disarming smile standing in a corner of a room while watching her son ace the battle of 64 squares has been one of the most photogenic moments of GM R Praggnanandhaa's dream run during the ongoing World Cup Chess in Baku. The 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa, who has reached the summit clash featuring legendary five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen, had none other than the iconic Gary Kasparov, acknowledging the Indian GM's mother's role, which was akin to his own playing days. The Indian sporting scenario is replete with examples of parents, who have had massive influence in shaping their children's career. Just like three and half decades back, the photograph of a young Grandmaster named Viswanthan Anand, playing chess while seated on a swing with his mother Sushila, left a lasting impression, the satisfaction that was writ large on Nagalakshmi's face after Praggnanandhaa win over Arjun Ergaisi won't be forgotten in a hurry either. "I must .

Chess WC: Praggnanandhaa becomes first Indian after Anand to enter semis

With the win, the 17-year-old Praggnanandhaa booked a place in the semifinals against American ace Fabiano Caruana and almost secured a spot in next year's Candidates event.

Chess World Cup 2023: How have Indian players created a buzz without Anand?

Five Indians, four men and a woman reached the quarterfinals of the Chess World Cup 2023 being held in Baku, Azerbaijan. This is the first instance where more than one Indian has featured in last 8

Chess World Cup: Gukesh to face world No.1 Magnus Carlsen in quarterfinals

Three Indian players D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIDE World Cup chess tournament here on Sunday. Gukesh defeated China's Wang Hao 1.5-0.5 to set up a much-awaited quarterfinal clash against world No.1 Magnus Carlsen while Praggnanandhaa completed a win to book a match against compatriot Erigaisi, making sure an Indian will feature in the semifinal. After Saturday's win in game 1, Gukesh played a solid match with white pieces to secure a draw against Hao to book his spot in the quarterfinals. Carlsen defeated Ukrainian legend Vassily Ivanchuk in the second game to post a 2-0 win. Erigaisi settled for a quick draw against Sweden's Nils Grandelius to move into the last eight. Meanwhile, Vidit Gujrathi and D Harika drew for a second time against their respective Russian opponents and will play in Monday's tie-breaker. Gujrathi drew with fourth seed Ian Nepomniachtchi in 49 moves while Harika shared honours with second-seeded ...

GM Gukesh D overtakes Anand to become highest ranked Indian chess player

Teenaged Grandmaster D Gukesh posted a win over home favourite Misratdin Iskandarov in a second round match of the World Cup here on Tuesday and overtook his idol Viswanathan Anand in live world (FIDE) rankings. The 17-year old Gukesh outclassed Iskandarov of Azerbaijan in 44 moves in the second game of their second-round match. "Gukesh D won again today and has overcome Viswanathan Anand in live rating! There is still almost a month till next official FIDE rating list on September 1, but it's highly likely that 17-year-old will be making it to top 10 in the world as the highest-rated Indian player," the international chess federation (FIDE) said in a tweet. The latest gain of 2.5 rating points took Gukesh's live rating to 2755.9, while Anand's is 2754.0. As a result, Gukesh replaced Anand as the World No. 9 in live rankings while the five-time World champion slipped to 10th. Anand, who first made it to the World's top-10 in July 1991, has remained India's top-ranked player in all

NCLAT dismisses All India Chess Federation's appeal against CCI order

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has dismissed the appeal of the All India Chess Federation against an order passed by the fair trade regulator CCI on grounds of non-prosecution by the sports body. Appellate tribunal NCLAT, in its order, said the All India Chess Federation (AICF) has taken several adjournments despite being indicated on May 19, 2022, that no further adjournment shall be granted. The order said that on several occasions hearing has been adjourned on the prayer made by the federation on August 5, 2022, September 23, 2022, and December 12, 2022. "Today again a prayer for adjournment has been sought. It appears that the appellant is not interested to pursue the appeal. The appeal stands dismissed due to non-prosecution," said NCLAT in its order dated July 11, 2023. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) had in July 2018 penalised AICF and directed it to "cease and desist" from anti-competitive practices. The ruling had come on a complaint filed b