Latest news with #ViswanathanAnand
India Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
R Praggnanandhaa thanks Vishy Anand after overtaking D Gukesh: This one felt special
India's Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa thanked his mentor Viswanathan Anand after reaching the historic milestone of becoming India's top-ranked player. Pragg overtook world classical chess champion D Gukesh to become the No.1 ranked Indian chess player in the live rankings. The 19-year-old achieved the feat by beating Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov with Black pieces in the final round of the UzChess Cup young chess star reacted to Viswanathan Anand's congratulatory tweet on Saturday and thanked the former world champion for his unwavering support. "Thank you so much, @vishy64theking sir! This one felt special, it means a lot coming from you. Grateful always for your support and inspiration!" advertisementWith his win in the UzChess Cup Masters, Praggnanandhaa's live rating has jumped to 2778.3, pushing him to the No.4 spot in the world rankings. The 19-year-old jumped three places to be in the No.4 spot at the moment ahead of his compatriot and World Champion D Gukesh, who has 2776.6 rating points. Arjun Erigaisi, who was India's highest-ranked player until Thursday, slipped from third to sixth in the live rankings. Magnus Carlsen continues to lead the way in the rankings with 2839.2 rating points, followed by Hikaru Nakamura (2807.0) and Fabiano Caruana (2784.2).Viswanathan Anand had tweeted out earlier that the win in the UzChess Cup Masters was the most unlikely one for Praggnanandhaa, as he was trailing with 2 rounds to go. At the start of Friday, Praggnanandhaa was a point behind leader Abdusattorov and half a point behind Sindarov, who was in the second spot. Eventually, Sindarov drew to finish with 5.5 points in nine rounds. Praggnanandhaa secured the win to make it a three-way is deservedly the new number four in the chess world and the highest rated player in India.(3/3)— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) June 27, 2025advertisementIn the first round of tie-breaks, which was a double round-robin blitz tournament, all the players ended with two points out of four. In the second round, Praggnanandhaa defeated Sindarov, while Sindarov beat Abdusattorov. Pragg also drew new ranking for Praggnanandhaa is just another chapter in what has been a fantastic 2025. The Indian grandmaster defeated Gukesh earlier in the year in stunning fashion to claim the Tata Steel Masters 2025. He became the first Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the title since 2006.- Ends
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First Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Praggnanandhaa becomes India's new No. 1 after UzChess Cup win, Gukesh slips to second
Indian sensation R Praggnanandhaa has become India's new No. 1 in classical chess after winning the UzChess Cup Masters in Tashkent. He surpassed the current world champion D Gukesh in the standings with Elo rating of 2778.3. read more R Praggnanandhaa is now one spot ahead of the world champion D Gukesh in live chess ranking. Image: X/FIDE Indian sensation Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has become the new India No. 1 in classical chess after winning the UzChess Cup Masters tournament. The 19-year-old defeated Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov with the Black pieces in the final round to clinch the title. Praggnanandhaa becomes new India No. 1 Thanks to this big win, Praggnanandhaa has now jumped to No. 4 in the live world rankings with an impressive Elo rating of 2778.3. He is now ahead of fellow Indians Dommaraju Gukesh, who is ranked 5th with a rating of 2776.6, and Arjun Erigaisi, who is at 6th place with 2775.7. The five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway is still at the top of the chart with a rating of 2839.2. He is followed by American grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura (2807) and Fabiano Caruana (2784.2). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After Praggnanandhaa clinched his third title of the year, he took to social media to thank everyone for all the support he received before the event. 'Wrapped up the #UzChessCup Masters with a win in the final round and wins in tie breaks. Tiebreaks were crazy indeed. Grateful for all the support that I have received so far. Onto my next challenge to Croatia,' Praggnanandhaa wrote in a post on X after his victory in Tashkent. Wrapped up the #UzChessCup Masters with a win in the final round and wins in tie breaks. Tiebreaks were crazy indeed. Grateful for all the support that I have received so far. Onto my next challenge to Croatia. — Praggnanandhaa (@rpraggnachess) June 27, 2025 In another post, Praggnanandhaa thanked former world champion Viswanathan Anand, who had congratulated the Indian youngster on his Uzbekistan Cup win. Anand said that out of all of Praggnanandhaa's wins this year, the one in Uzbekistan seemed the least likely, but given the way he made a comeback, he fully deserved to be World No. 4 and India's No. 1 player. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Thank you so much, @vishy64theking sir! This one felt special, it means a lot coming from you. Grateful always for your support and inspiration! ♟️🙏 — Praggnanandhaa (@rpraggnachess) June 28, 2025 However he defeated Arjun Erigaisi and today in the crucial match defeated Nodirbek Abdussattorov to tie for first place. In an impressive demonstration of character he won his third tiebreak of the year as well. (2/3) — Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) June 27, 2025 He is deservedly the new number four in the chess world and the highest rated player in India. (3/3) — Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) June 27, 2025
The Hindu
15-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
2025 FIDE Rapid & Blitz Team Championships: Erigaisi's MGD1 in knockouts, chases historic double
Arjun Erigaisi's Team MGD1 and Viswanathan Anand's Freedom powered into the knockouts on Day 1 of the Blitz leg at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships. Freedom advanced from Pool B along with Hexamind Chess Team, Theme International Trading, and Malcolm's Mates. MGD1, which won the Rapid leg in historic fashion, made it through a challenging Pool D, joined by KazChess, Hetman GKS Katowice, and Pool A qualifiers were WR Chess, Ashdod Elit Chess Club, Knight Dance, and FIDE Management Board. Pool C saw Uzbekistan, Germany and Friends, Rookies, and Generation XYZA make the cut. Also read | Indian boxer Nishant Dev wins second pro bout by unanimous decision What happens next? With the pool stage complete, the tournament now enters the knockout phase. Here's what lies ahead: - The 16 qualified teams (top four from each pool) will battle it out in a single-elimination format. - Each encounter consists of two games, with players alternating colours. - The time control is 3+2. And if teams are tied? - If a match ends level, teams will play up to three additional matches at 3+2, alternating colours each time, until a match is decided. - If still tied after three matches, a sudden-death game follows: a random pair of players (who've already faced each other) contest a bidding Armageddon game starting at 4+2. The tournament is taking place at the Novotel London West in London, England. WR Chess. The Blitz title last year was won by WR Chess, led by Magnus Carlsen, who is absent this year.
The Hindu
14-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship: Arjun Erigaisi and Team MGD1 win historic Rapid title
It was a landmark day for Indian chess as Team MGD1, led by Arjun Erigaisi, clinched the Rapid title at the third edition of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship, becoming the first Indian-sponsored team to achieve this feat in the event's history. MGD1 is not only a chess team but also a Pune-based chess management and investment firm that nurtures talent, organises tournaments, and fields Team MGD1 as its flagship venture. Distinct from other teams that feature one or two Indian players, MGD1's line-up is predominantly Indian, and includes Arjun Erigaisi, Pentala Harikrishna, Leon Luke Mendonca, Pranav V, and Atharvaa P. Tayade. In a tense final round against Malcolm's Mates, it was Erigaisi, Pranav, and Tayade who delivered crucial victories to secure the title after an intense day marked by a neck-and-neck contest with Hexamind Chess Team, featuring the likes of Levon Aronian, Vidit Gujrathi and Divya Deshmukh. Hexamind ultimately finished just one match point behind MGD1, while Viswanathan Anand's Freedom claimed third place with 17 match points. Day 1 highlights After four rounds of rapid chess on the opening day, Team MGD1 emerged as the sole leader, maintaining a flawless 4/4 match record. WR Chess, led by stars including Alireza Firouzja and Hikaru Nakamura, and Alexandra Kosteniuk, finished the day tied for second after drawing a fiercely contested match against Freedom, captained by Viswanathan Anand. ALSO READ | Gukesh reminds me of myself from 2008-2009, says Magnus Carlsen Notable absentees from this year's competition are Magnus Carlsen, who spearheaded WR Chess's triumph in the 2023 Blitz Team Championship, and Ian Nepomniachtchi, who couldn't attend due to passport trouble. Day 2 highlights The second day was a treat to all chess fans in India as Viswanathan Anand, showing flashes of his timeless brilliance, defeated Arjun Erigaisi in a pivotal Round 5 clash between Freedom and the dominant MGD1. This marked the first time MGD1 failed to win in this edition. But MGD1 swiftly regrouped in the next round, delivering a commanding performance against WR Chess. Meanwhile, Hexamind continued its rise in the standings, matching MGD1's tally of 13 match points after eight rounds. Close on its heels stood Freedom, Uzbekistan, and Germany & Friends, each poised within striking distance as the rapid stage approached its final day. In the end Team MGD1 held its nerve to seal the title and script history. About the event The third edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship commenced in Hammersmith, London, on Wednesday and will run till June 15. This year's event features an extended five-day format featuring 55 teams: three days dedicated to rapid chess (a 12-round Swiss system) followed by two days of blitz. The tournament has drawn grandmasters, prodigies, and amateur enthusiasts from around the world, all vying for the €500,000 prize fund, with €310,000 allocated to the rapid section and €190,000 to the blitz. Each team consists of six players per match, with the requirement to field at least one female player and one recreational player (rated below 2000 FIDE).
News18
13-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
World Rapid And Blitz Team Championship: Team MGD1 In Joint Lead As Atharvaa Tayade Stars
Last Updated: Team MGD1 and Hexamind have registered six wins, a draw and a loss each, to lead the pack with 13 points, while Viswanathan Anand's Freedom stand third with 12 points. Indian GM Atharvaa Tayade maintained his untainted run at the ongoing edition of the World Rapid And Blitz Team Championship in London as the Indian notched up his eighth win in as many outings to help Team MGD1 remain tied at the top of the table with Hexamind. Team MGD1 and Hexamind have registered six wins, a draw and a loss each, to lead the pack with 13 points, while Viswanathan Anand's Freedom stand third with 12 points to their name. Favourites WR Chess, featuring prominent players like American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja, and Wesley So, are currently in sixth place. Their title aspirations took a hit with consecutive losses. After drawing with the Anand-led Freedom in round five, Arjun Erigaisi's Team MGD1 triumphed over top seeds WR Chess 4-2 in round six. In round seven, MGD1 secured a narrow 3.5-2.5 victory against Germany and Friends. However, in the eighth and final round of the day, Hexamind dealt a significant 4-2 defeat to MGD1, resulting in a tie for first place. The major upset on day two was Freedom's 2.5-3.5 loss to Germany and Friends. Germany's top player, Vincent Keymer, led his black pieces to a crucial victory against Freedom's Rauf Mamedov on board one.
