Chola Chess launched in Chennai
It was his third title of the year, after wins at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee and the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest. The latter was his maiden Grand Chess Tour (GCT) title.
'This year has been good for me so far. And I hope it continues. We (him and his coach R.B. Ramesh) made some changes in my game, for sure. I think that's showing the results. Last year, things didn't go my way. Ramesh and I, we were working, trying to find things to change. And we made some changes. I think those were critical,' said the 19-year-old at the launch of Chola Chess, a CSR initiative from the Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited, in collaboration with Chess Gurukul, on Wednesday.
Praggnanandhaa, who's atop the FIDE Circuit leaderboard now, was wary that the other players might catch up and stressed the importance of finishing as the leader to qualify for the Candidates.
'So, he was joint-first in four tournaments, out of which he didn't win one. He won the other three. But joint-first in four is already a great start. He's having a sensational year overall. I think, for him, this year is a reaction to missing out on (winning) the Candidates last year. He's got that extra motivation,' said Indian chess legend and five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand.
When asked about World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen's recent jibes at reigning World champion D. Gukesh, Anand said: 'They come with the territory. You cannot expect to be World champion and say people will just be nice to me. You have to just face that.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
38 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘I'm not 21-22 anymore that I'll jump around': Jasprit Bumrah on muted celebration after five-wicket haul
The third Test between India and England, played at Lord's in London, is hung in balance thanks to Jasprit Bumrah's five-wicket haul in the first inning,s which helped India bundle out England for 387. This was Bumrah's 15th Test five-wicket haul and, in the process, got his name on the Lord's Honours Board for the first time in his career. His 5/74 in 27 overs included five maidens, and he broke Kapil Dev's (12) record for most five-fors by an Indian in overseas Tests with his 13th five-wicket haul away from home. When Mohammed Siraj passed on the ball to Bumrah to celebrate his milestone, the Indian ace pacer had a muted celebration, which led to speculations about him being unhappy with the proceedings. Clearing all the air, Bumrah said he was too 'tired' to celebrate. 'The reality is that I was tired. There was no happiness factor missing. I bowled for a long time, and sometimes I get tired,' said a satisfied Bumrah with a smile during the press conference after the end of Day 2. 'I'm not 21-22 anymore that I'll jump around. I was happy I contributed—other than that, I just wanted to get back to my mark and bowl the next ball,' he added. Bumrah could only manage to pick just a solitary wicket of Harry Brook on the first day but ended up taking four big scalps on the following day. When asked what adjustments he had made, Bumrah said, 'There were not many technical changes that I made from yesterday (Day 1). The wicket was a little on the slower side and sometimes the edges don't carry but we always knew that with the heat going on, when the wicket gets softer, it will get faster. It did quicken up a little bit,' he said. 'Nothing massively that I changed. Obviously, you want to hit the top of off-stump in Test cricket, the rule doesn't change. You try to swing the ball and nip it. That's common,' added Bumrah. 'It feels really special you know, we don't come here very often. We don't play a lot of Test matches here. We come here maybe every four years. So, you never know how many matches you'll get to play here. As a child, you see a lot of Test cricket played here. Now, being on the honours board feels good. I was excited to play at Lord's.
News18
39 minutes ago
- News18
Shiva Rajkumar Joins Ram Charan's Peddi As Gour Naidu
Last Updated: On his birthday, Kannada superstar Shiva Rajkumar's character 'Gournaidu' in Buchi Babu Sana's film 'Peddi' was revealed. The makers of director Buchi Babu Sana's eagerly awaited action extravaganza 'Peddi', featuring Telugu star Ram Charan in the lead, on Saturday wished Kannada superstar Shiva Rajkumar a happy birthday by revealing his character's name and look in the film. Taking to its X timeline, Vriddhi Cinemas, one of the production houses producing the film, wrote, 'Team #Peddi wishes the 'Karunada Chakravarthy' @NimmaShivanna Garu a very Happy Birthday. 'GOURNAIDU' will be regal and explosive on the big screens. #PEDDI GLOBAL RELEASE ON 27th MARCH, 2026. Global Star @AlwaysRamCharan @NimmaShivanna #JanhviKapoor @BuchiBabuSana." The film has triggered huge excitement among fans and film buffs. The title glimpse, which the makers released initially, has had a significant impact at the national level. More than just a cricket or sports drama, the film promises a wide range of elements that will be a treat to watch on the big screen, thanks to the expansive scope of its story. The movie is being mounted on a massive scale, with Venkata Satish Kilaru producing under his banner, Vriddhi Cinemas, and leading production houses Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings presenting it. Production of this film is right on schedule. It may be recalled that the film's cinematographer Rathnavelu, considered to be a master of natural lighting, had a few days ago disclosed that the unit had completed filming a 'terrific night action sequence with gritty visuals." The cinematographer was also full of praise for actor Ram Charan, who he said, 'breathes fire". The unit also has shot a first-of-its-kind train action sequence for the film. The stunning train sequence was shot on a gigantic set specially erected in Hyderabad. Sources claimed that this sequence would be something that has not been witnessed in Indian cinema before. The high-octane, big-budget train episode, that promises to raise the bar for action filmmaking in India, was crafted with exceptional detail by renowned production designer Avinash Kolla. In fact, sources had pointed out that the expansive set for the train stunt was a visual spectacle in itself. Action choreography for the film is being handled by the sensational Nabakanth Master, best known for crafting the iconic cricket shot from the film and for his acclaimed work in 'Pushpa 2'. Along with Ram Charan, Janhvi Kapoor plays the lead. Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, and Divyendu Sharma are all playing pivotal roles in the film. Academy Award-winning composer AR Rahman is scoring music. Editing is by National Award-winning technician Navin Nooli, while production design is by Avinash Kolla. The movie is scheduled for release on March 27, 2026, on Ram Charan's birthday. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Neeraj Chopra identifies major flaw after failure to ‘consistently' cross 90m: ‘While throwing the spear, I tend to…'
Neeraj Chopra recently clinched gold at the NC Classic this month, but even the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist will be knowing that there is still a key area of improvement. He got his maiden landmark 90m this year, but hasn't crossed the mark more than once. India's Neeraj Chopra in action.(AFP) Speaking during the launch of a store, Neeraj recently opened up on a major flaw in his technique, and also stressed on being more consistent in getting past the 90m mark more often. 'I have already identified the areas I need to work on. While throwing the spear, I tend to fall too much on my left side. We need to work on that. In training I don't do that, but in competition, it happens because of the extra effort I put in,' he said. 'I have achieved 90m this year. But I need to be more consistent to achieve it more often. I am continuously around 88-89m, and my coach said he is happy, but I need to be more consistent.' Neeraj will next be training in Prague and Nymburk in Czech Republic for 57 days, as he gears up for the upcoming World C'ships, which will take place on September in Tokyo. 'My next target is the world championships and I want to win there. Before the world championships, I will plan with my coach and see which event I can compete to best prepare for it,' he said. At the NC Classic, he won gold with a throw of 86.18m, with Kenya's Julius Yego coming second with a season-best of 84.51m. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage came third with 84.34m. The Indian javelin ace was cheered on by a crowd of 14, 593 and began with a foul throw, and then got 82.99m. His third throw of 86.16m was the best attempt of the night, and his fourth was a foul. His fifth and sixth throws were 84.07m and 82.22m.
