Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh Challenge For Grand Chess Tour Rapid And Blitz Tournament
India's R Praggnanandhaa is among the favorites in the Grand Chess Tour rapid and blitz tournament, among Magnus Carlsen, D Gukesh, Fabiano Caruana, and Alireza Firouzja.
The difference in ratings does not count for much, but based on form and past records, India's top player R Praggnanandhaa will be among the favourites in the third edition of the Grand Chess Tour rapid and blitz tournament, starting Wednesday.
After a tough start, Pragg won his last two games in the UZ Masters tournament and then triumphed in the tiebreak games, showcasing his well-known consistency.
The Croatian leg will also feature the world's best player, Magnus Carlsen, in action alongside D Gukesh, the reigning world champion, who is still striving to excel in the faster versions of classical chess.
Who Are Participating In Grand Chess Tour rapid And Blitz Tournament?
In addition to Carlsen and Gukesh, Pragg will face competition from other top players like Fabiano Caruana from the United States, Alireza Firouzja, the Iranian immigrant to France, and Nodirbek Abdusattarov from Uzbekistan.
Garry Kasparov, inspired by Bobby Fischer, was the brain behind the Grand Chess Tour, pioneering the concept of professional chess. The young generation is now benefiting from this initiative.
Praggnanandhaa has broken many barriers, winning three classical super events this year. He was particularly outstanding in his last outing in Uzbekistan, winning two consecutive games in Classical chess, tying for first place, and then dominating the tiebreaker.
Though Gukesh may not be renowned for his passion for rapid or blitz chess, this impacts his credibility as the world champion. The youngest ever world champion needs to adapt to excel in all formats.
Magnus Carlsen has officially announced that he will not participate in FIDE events anymore, a significant blow to the apex chess body. Carlsen's return to the format where he excels could excite his global fans. While Carlsen is the clear favourite, Pragg is one of the few who could potentially challenge him.
First Published:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Mano Marquez quits as India football head coach after mutual agreement with AIFF
Embattled India football head coach Manolo Marquez stepped down on Wednesday after reaching a "mutual agreement" with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which was under pressure to fix accountability for the recent downward spiral of the national team. Manolo Marquez The AIFF Executive Committee, in its meeting, agreed to relieve the 56-year-old Marquez after he expressed his desire to do so despite one year still left in his contract. "The AIFF and Manolo decided to mutually part ways without any financial implications to any of the two parties. So, he is relieved from being India coach. The AIFF will shortly advertise for the post of head coach," AIFF Deputy Secretary General K Satyanarayana told PTI. The Spaniard was appointed as head coach in June 2024 for a two-year tenure. He worked in a dual role last year as he was also the head coach of Indian Super League side FC Goa in 2024-25 season. India lost 0-1 to lower-ranked Hong Kong in an away match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10, which left the country in danger of missing out on qualifying for the continental showpiece in 2027. India logged just one win from their last eight matches under Marquez's tutelage, the lone victory coming against Maldives in March. This year, India have so far played four matches, out of which they have won one, drew another, and lost two. The poor results prompted the return of former skipper and iconic striker Sunil Chhetri to the squad but that has done little to improve the team's fortunes. India's next scheduled international match is an away fixture against Singapore in the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers. According to sources, Marquez, who took over from Croatian Igor Stimac, had informed the AIFF his desire to quit sometime back -- even before the June 10 match against Hong Kong -- but could not do so unilaterally as he needed an agreement with the AIFF. Marquez has been one of the longest serving foreign coaches in Indian football, having managed multiple Indian clubs. He has secured trophies, including the Super Cup and the ISL Cup. His tenure of one year is the shortest among Indian head coaches in the last decade -- Stephen Constantine was India head coach from 2015–2019 before Igor Stimac (2019−2024).
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Beleaguered Manolo Marquez quits as India's football head coach after mutual agreement with AIFF
Embattled India football head coach Manolo Marquez stepped down on Wednesday after reaching a 'mutual agreement' with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which was under pressure to fix accountability for the recent downward spiral of the national team. The AIFF Executive Committee, in its meeting here, agreed to relieve the 56-year-old Marquez after he expressed his desire to do so despite one year still left in his contract. 'The AIFF and Manolo decided to mutually part ways without any financial implications to any of the two parties. So, he is relieved from being India coach. The AIFF will shortly advertise for the post of head coach,' AIFF Deputy Secretary General K Satyanarayana told PTI. The Spaniard was appointed as head coach in June 2024 for a two-year tenure. He worked in a dual role last year as he was also the head coach of Indian Super League side FC Goa in 2024-25 season. India lost 0-1 to lower-ranked Hong Kong in an away match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10, which left the country in danger of missing out on qualifying for the continental showpiece in 2027. India logged just one win from their last eight matches under Marquez's tutelage, the lone victory coming against Maldives in March. This year, India have so far played four matches, out of which they have won one, drew another, and lost two. The poor results prompted the return of former skipper and iconic striker Sunil Chhetri to the squad but that has done little to improve the team's fortunes. India's next scheduled international match is an away fixture against Singapore in the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers. According to sources, Marquez, who took over from Croatian Igor Stimac, had informed the AIFF his desire to quit sometime back — even before the June 10 match against Hong Kong — but could not do so unilaterally as he needed an agreement with the AIFF. Marquez has been one of the longest serving foreign coaches in Indian football, having managed multiple Indian clubs. He has secured trophies, including the Super Cup and the ISL Cup. His tenure of one year is the shortest among Indian head coaches in the last decade — Stephen Constantine was India head coach from 2015–2019 before Igor Stimac (2019-2024).
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Garry Kasparov's advice to D Gukesh: ‘The moment you rest, it will not take long to decline'
Dommaraju Gukesh admitted that he had to make some readjustments to get used to life after winning the chess World Chess Championship in late 2024. Gukesh said at the the opening ceremony of the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz in Zagreb that he has now gotten to grips with the new life and is back to concentrating just improving himself again. When the MC commended Gukesh for striving to improve himself even after becoming the World Champion, Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov, who sharing the dais, gave a glimpse into the mind of someone who scales the heights of the sport. 'The moment you stop improving, actually the moment you stop thinking about improving – it's over,' he said. Kasparov first won the World Championship in 1985 at the age of 22, making him the youngest to hold the title until Gukesh broke that record when he won it aged 18 in December 2024. He held the title until 1993, defending it three times against his great rival Anatoly Karpov. A post shared by Grand Chess Tour (@grandchesstourofficial) 'I stayed on top so long because I knew that the main opponent is your own excellence. You have to keep improving all the time or at least you have to try. Because the moment you rest, you know it'll not take long especially now to decline,' said Kasparov. 'It took some time for me to get adjusted to the title and the new expectations, the new schedule being so hectic,' Gukesh had said before that. 'But now I've kind of settled into the new life. Now I am back to focussing on working hard and being my best self in every tournament.' Gukesh won the title after beating the title-holder Ding Liren. While there were hushed voices questioning his legitimacy as world champion, since world no 1 Magnus Carlsen had willingly abdicated the title, Gukesh silenced most of those critics as well by stunningly beating the Norwegian last month. A post shared by Grand Chess Tour (@grandchesstourofficial) Carlsen and Gukesh will now play each other for the first time at the event in Zagreb since the famous fist smash on the board in Norway few weeks ago. The duo shared a moment during the opening ceremony when Gukesh came and sat next to Gukesh in the front row while the Norwegian was signing autographs and taking selfies with young fans. When Carlsen turned he noticed Gukesh and instinctively greeted the teenage Indian who now occupies the world champion's throne. He also extended his palm for a handshake.
