India Chess Wrap, May 14: Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh see contrasting fortunes; Nihal jumps to fourth
In contrast, Gukesh is yet to score, marking a surprising dip in form following his triumph over Ding Liren in the World Championship. Meanwhile, at the Asian Individual Chess Championships, Nihal Sarin made a significant leap from tenth to fourth place after an impressive Round 8 victory over S.P. Sethuraman.
ALSO READ | 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships: Dates, format, prize money and key changes
Demonstrating precise calculation and sustained pressure, Nihal converted a promising middlegame into a comfortable win. He now shares second place with Narayanan Sunilduth Lyna on six points, firmly positioning himself in contention as the tournament enters its final rounds.
Vaishali draws with Tan
In the ongoing FIDE Women's Grand Prix, R Vaishali had a chance to move to the top of the standings in her Round 8 game against World Championship runner-up Tan Zhongyi, but instead settled for a solid draw. She now sits in fourth place, just one point behind Anna Muzychuk, who leads with 5.5 points.
Vaishali chose a safe approach with the Ruy Lopez opening and developed her pieces steadily. Tan responded with some sharp kingside play, but Vaishali stayed calm and defended accurately. As the match moved into the middlegame, the positions became simpler. By move 35, queens and several other pieces were off the board, leaving both players with just rooks and pawns.
The endgame was balanced, with no clear winning chances for either side. Tan looked for opportunities with her rook, but Vaishali held firm. After a series of repeated moves, the game ended in a draw. It was a well-played encounter with smart decisions and solid play from both sides. Tan is currently third with 5 points. The final round will be played on May 15.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
9 hours ago
- First Post
Gukesh shatters image of a one-format champion with latest victory over Carlsen and Rapid title in Croatia
D Gukesh not only defeated Magnus Carlsen for the second time in as many meetings in the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia, he ended up winning the Rapid section of the event to finally dispel the notion of his ability as a world-class player being limited to just one format. read more Gukesh Dommaraju had silenced his critics in some style last month when he defeated Magnus Carlsen for the first time in his career in Norway Chess. And in the past week, not only did he beat the legendary Norwegian Grandmaster twice in as many meetings, he also shattered the image of being a one-format player by winning the Rapid title at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia. The teenaged Grandmaster had been having a torrid run since in December and finishing runner-up at the Tata Steel Chess right after, with many questioning whether he deserved to be counted among chess' elite or not. The fact that he hardly made an impact in the two Freestyle events in the intervening months only served to add fuel to the fire that raged around him. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The stunning turnaround against the world No 1 in Stavanger last month was therefore much needed for the lad from Chennai to highlight the fact that his rise to the top wasn't out of sheer luck. That, however, did not eliminate the question mark that continued to hover over his form in the faster Rapid and Blitz formats. The 19-year-old's rise in the sport isn't anything less than meteoric and his run from April 2024 to February 2025 helped solidify his status as a superstar. A perceived weakness in the faster formats Gukesh, however, has had this perception of being a world-class player in one format – Classical a.k.a. Standard chess. And there isn't better evidence for that perception than his triumph in the World Championship, where the consensus was that Gukesh had to find a way to prevent Chinese GM Ding Liren from taking the contest into the tie-breaks – where the Indian would be at a disadvantage in the Rapid and Blitz formats. That proved to be the case at Tata Steel Chess in Wijk aan Zee in February – where Gukesh and compatriot R Praggnanandhaa finished level on points at the end of the Classical games and the latter triumphed in the blitz tie-breaks. Had Ding managed to play out a draw in the 14th and final Classical game in the World Championship, he would certainly have been considered a favourite heading into the tie-breaks. Coming back to SuperUnited Croatia, Gukesh not only had a point to prove against Carlsen who had quite bluntly referred to him as one of the 'weaker players' in an interview ahead of the opening round, he also had to shake off the image of a player who was heavily dependent on the luxury of getting enough time for his mental calculations for him to outsmart his opponents. And he did that in some style. Grinding his way out of tough situations and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat has been the hallmark of two of his most memorable triumphs – against Ding and Carlsen in December and June respectively. Adding another feather to his cap in Croatia His second victory over Carlsen on Thursday, however, wasn't anything like that. Gukesh, for once, went toe-to-toe with his hallowed opponent, pounced on an opening via a blunder in the 35th move and forced Carlsen to resign just 14 moves later. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gukesh's magic, however, wasn't just limited to his sixth-round meeting with Carlsen on Day 2 of the event. After starting with a defeat against Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Gukesh clawed back with a victory over Alireza Firouzja and 'Pragg' to end the day in the joint-lead alongside the Norwegian and two others. A solid start was then followed by a clinical run as Gukesh moved into the sole lead with a hat-trick of wins, defeating Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Fabiano Caruana besides Carlsen. Also Read | Kasparov on Gukesh's latest victory over Carlsen: 'Now we can question Magnus' domination' And on the final day of the Rapid leg of the tournament that's part of the Grand Chess Tour, Gukesh sealed his title with draws against Anish Giri and Ivan Saric before signing off with a victory over Wesley So to finish with 14 points – three more than Duda, who finished second by a point ahead of Carlsen. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'It does refute certain theories' FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky reminded the chess world that while Gukesh did not become the best Rapid player in the world with his exploits in Zagreb, he certainly dispelled 'certain theories' about him and earned the right to be viewed as 'one of the best'. 'No, an amazing performance in Zagreb does not mean that Gukesh became the world's best rapid player overnight. But yes, it does refute certain theories. You can't just score like that vs world's best by chance - or by having good three days. Exactly as when Dubov or Nodirbek won the FIDE World Rapid, it did not mean they suddenly became the strongest. But from thereon it was clear, they are one of the best,' Sutovsky wrote in a post on X on Saturday. At the time of writing this piece, Gukesh did flounder on the opening day of the Blitz, finding himself at the bottom of the table with seven defeats in nine games including against Carlsen, the reigning Blitz world champion who currently leads the standings with 7.5 points. Then again, Rome wasn't built in a day. Gukesh has just proven himself in a format that has a minimum time control of 10 minutes, and to expect him to have a similar impact in a three-minute game – knowing his nature and style of play – would be a bit unfair. Give him some time, and a performance like the one that won him the Rapid title in Croatia might not be too far off. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Indian Express
Gukesh loses 7 out of 9 blitz games, drops to third spot
Blitz chess is often called the most ruthless format of the sport. With shorter time controls, near-zero margin for error, and speed prioritised over precision, it stands as one of the trickier variants of chess. Naturally, it also exposes one's vulnerabilities that the longer time controls often conceal. Amid all the cacophony around teenage Classical World Champion Dommaraju Gukesh's prowess in faster formats, the Chennai prodigy suffered a dramatic freefall on the first day of the Blitz event at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament in Zagreb on Saturday. Gukesh, who had dominated the Rapid section with a commanding three-point lead over second-placed Poland's Jan-Krzysztof Duda — one of his seconds in the World Championship final against Ding Liren — managed just 1.5 points from nine rounds in the Blitz event. It was a horrendous day for the World Champion as he lost seven of his nine games, slipping to third place with 15.5 points, with nine more gruelling rounds of Blitz action waiting for him on Sunday. One glaring absence in Gukesh's play was his trademark shark-like focus. Against Wesley So and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, he was in complete control, only to collapse with one-move blunders in the endgame, setting a disastrous tone for the day. The bleeding continued as he dropped points in the next three rounds, losing to Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Magnus Carlsen, and Ivan Saric. He salvaged a lone draw against Anish Giri before securing a morale-boosting win over Fabiano Caruana in the penultimate round. The legendary Garry Kasparov asserted that Gukesh isn't yet ready for Blitz. 'It's very fast, and Gukesh probably isn't prepared to show his skills. In Blitz, every gram of energy wasted elsewhere has a very negative effect,' he remarked after the Indian's loss to Carlsen. 'The games he lost today, some were just terrible. Losing to Magnus is understandable, but anyone can lose. Even then, we didn't see his usual tenacity,' Kasparov added. Not all is lost for Gukesh as he still has a day left to stage a comeback and potentially retain his spot. R. Praggnanandhaa, the other Indian in the fray, had a mixed day where he scored 4.5 to slip to fourth in the overall standings with 13.5 points.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
NC Classic: Neeraj Chopra ready for his dream event – between worrying about spice levels in food, finding time to train
Sitting alongside two greats of men's javelin, Thomas Rohler and Julius Yego, Neeraj Chopra on Friday narrated a pinch-himself-moment from the previous evening. When at the gym in the Kanteerava Stadium, Neeraj saw Rohler and others training on the field. That's when it struck him that the Neeraj Chopra Classic, his dream project, was just 48 hours away. The two-time Olympic and World Championship medallist was overwhelmed. 'I was telling them that I was in the gym, and saw you and the others throwing. It was my dream that it would happen in India and now finally it is here. So thank you,' Neeraj said looking towards Rohler and Yego. In a new role as the face of the World Athletics Category A event, Neeraj has knuckled down and got to work ensuring that everything is in the best order. That includes worrying about the spice in the food at the official team hotel, another example of him being a good host. 'I was telling them about the food, I was thinking of you guys hoping it is not too spicy,' Neeraj said. For the benefit of Rohler and Yego, he kept translating into English after answering questions in Hindi. Neeraj, his sponsors and backers, have shelled out money for appearance fees, travel and accommodation for some of the top javelin throwers in the world, a ball-park figure of Rs 4 crore is being talked about as the entire cost of hosting the NC Classic. Till early last week, they were still some way from breaking even with major sponsors on board. But the inaugural edition of the NC Classic is not about the bottomline. When asked about the funding and business model, Neeraj sounded like a parent conducting the first wedding in a family. Burning a small hole in the pocket didn't matter at this stage. 'If I talk about the business side, for me right now the only aim is to make this event a success. That is my focus. That the NC Classic is happening, that in itself is a big thing. Rest of the things don't matter now. I want to promote the sport,' he said. The current world champion has had a lot on his plate. He's been in Bengaluru for a week, going the extra mile to ensure a glitch-free event. Being on the other side, he's already spoken about having 'new-found respect for people who put an event together'. 'One of the toughest parts was to think and plan about such a big event and then also having to compete in it. The mind of an athlete is a bit slow. For me, so far it has been about just competing,' Neeraj said. He also spoke like a serious sports administrator with a long-term vision for the growth of the sport. 'As we see, there are so many international competitions in Germany and other nations almost every week. So, this is what I want in India, as there should be at least four-five competitions which are world-class. The athletes should get a chance and people should see them play. That will be very good for our sport,' the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist said. Sachin Yadav, 25, sitting beside Neeraj and sharing the dais with Rohler and Yego, is one of the five Indian athletes in the fray. There's been talk of Sachin, an Asian Championship silver medallist, being the one to carry Neeraj's legacy forward. Sachin, a man of few words, said he was looking forward to sharing the field with some of the greats. He remembers the day Neeraj got in touch with him. 'I couldn't believe that I got a message from Neeraj bhai. Thanks so much to Neeraj bhai for inviting me to this competition. I am very happy to be here. There are throwers from all over the world, some of the best. I can compete with everyone and that too in India,' Sachin said. Rohler, the 2016 Olympic gold medallist, said the inaugural NC Classic was a step forward for the sport in India. 'Neeraj being on the top of the world in the sport… this is like the logical step to bring the sport to the people, not only on TV but in person,' Rohler said. The German, however, said quality coaches are key to tap the potential of the next generation. 'There are talented athletes, but who will coach them? So I am looking forward to seeing the whole development of the sport to make it something sustainable and not just a small trend,' he said. Yego, who like Neeraj in India, was the javelin trend-setter in Kenya, a country famous for its long-distance runners. The emergence of world-class throwers from outside the traditional powerhouse countries has warmed his heart, Yego said. 'Who would have thought that India would have a competition featuring only javelin. So we might see next year, or years to come, more countries deciding to host javelin competitions. This is a good initiative and coming from one of our friends, Chopra. So the sport is growing,' Yego said. Back in the official hotel, there were fans waiting to click selfies with Neeraj. He had a final training session in the evening, followed by a pre-event dinner for the athletes, officials and guests. On the eve of the big day, Neeraj had a hundred things on his mind. He was hard-pressed for time but seemed to have things under control. Like he does, more often than not, once a competition begins.
