WATCH: Ceremonial first moves at Norway Chess made by people sporting traditional Indian mundus
The ceremonial first moves in the fifth round of the Norway Chess tournament on Saturday were made with a distinctly Indian flavour: six Indian-origin owners of a South Indian restaurant in Stavanger made the first moves on all the six boards while wearing white mundus. The ceremonial first move is a chess tradition where special guest can make the first move on behalf of the player with white pieces. The player can then take back the move and play their actual first move as per their opening prep, or continue with the same move.
The owners of a South Indian restaurant named Spisoh, which is also a partner of the Norway Chess tournament, made the ceremonial first moves on Saturday. All the four Indian players, D. Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Koneru Humpy and R. Vaishali have been ordering their meals from the restaurant while in Stavanger for the ongoing Norway Chess tournament.
A post shared by Chess With Lokesh (@chesswithlokesh)
Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand and player-cum-commentator Tania Sachdev recently visited the restaurant on the rest day for lunch.
'Last time Magnus Carlsen broke FIDE tradition by wearing jeans to a game (at the FIDE world Rapid and Blitz tournament in December 2024). We wanted to extend that and show a fairly unknown India to the West by wearing our traditional dress to the strongest chess tournament in the world. We were not being disrespectful here, we did ask for prior permission to do this,' said Rathish Kunnath, one of the co-owners of the restaurant.
A post shared by Chess With Lokesh (@chesswithlokesh)
At the halfway stage of Norway Chess, reigning world champion Gukesh finds himself in the last position with 5.5 points in an extremely strong field of six players. Carlsen is the runaway leader with 9.5 points, USA's Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura in the second and third place, respectively. Arjun sits fourth while China's Wei Yi is fifth ahead of Gukesh.
In the women's section, Humpy is leading the pack with 8.5 points while the other Indian, Vaishali is fourth with 6.5 points.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
32 minutes ago
- Hans India
Indonesia Open: Sindhu goes past Okuhara, Sen crashes out
Jakarta: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu fought her way into the second round of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament while Lakshya Sen made an early exit after a hard-fought loss in the opening round on Tuesday. Sindhu edged past her long-time rival Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in a thrilling one-hour and 19-minute women's singles match, winning 22-20, 21-23, 21-15. Sindhu and Okuhara were locked in a hard-fought battle marked by unforced errors and multiple game and match points. In the opening game, the Indian shuttler displayed nerves of steel, saving a game point and firing timely attacking shots to edge it 22-20. The second game saw Sindhu take a narrow early lead before trailing 7-11 at the interval. She rallied back strongly and earned two match points with a powerful cross-court smash. But repeated errors allowed Okuhara to draw level at 20-all and the Japanese shuttler eventually took the game 23-21. In the deciding game, both players adopt a cautious approach, avoiding unnecessary risks. Sindhu led 11-9 at the break and then found her rhythm, stringing together a series of winners to race ahead 20-12. She earned eight match points and converted the fifth to seal the victory and advance to the round of 16. After the match, Sindhu remembered her past meetings with Okuhara in 14 years and the bond they share off the court. "14 years. 20 matches. From my longest to the shortest World Championship finals — always with her. We've shared wins, losses, and a rivalry only we understand. Keep fighting, Nozomi. The court's never quite the same without you," she wrote on X. Meanwhile, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist Sen put up a spirited fight against world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China but eventually went down 11-21, 22-20, 15-21 in a tightly contested first-round men's singles match that lasted one hour and five minutes. The 23-year-old made a strong return from a back injury that had sidelined him from last week's tournament in Malaysia, showing commendable grit despite the defeat. Down 11-17 in the second game, he staged a determined fightback, saving a match point and eventually snatching the game 22-20 to force a decider. However, the momentum didn't last, as world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi regained control in the third game to close out the match. In other matches, Anupama Upadhyaya bowed out following a straight-games defeat to South Korea's Kim Ga Eun. Later in the day, HS Prannoy and the men's doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are scheduled to take the court.
India.com
37 minutes ago
- India.com
Twin Baby Girls? 7 Perfect Indian Name Duos With Meaning
Muskan Kalra Jun 03, 2025 Saanvi means Goddess Lakshmi, signifying prosperity, grace, and spirituality. Tanvi is Delicate, slender, or beautiful, highlighting elegance and beauty. Diya is Lamp or light, symbolizes brightness, warmth, and positivity. A name with deep cultural ties to Indian festivals like Diwali. Riya means Singer, graceful, or richness, a name that evokes creativity and charm. Isha means Goddess, the ruling one, associated with power, purity, and the divine feminine. Nisha is Night, calmness, and serenity. A poetic and gentle name. Aanya is Graceful, inexhaustible, derived from Sanskrit and popular across Hindu and Christian communities. Symbolizes elegance and charm. Anaya means Caring, protection, or without a superior. A spiritual name suggesting divine care and uniqueness. Meera means Ocean, or devotee of Krishna, famous for the saint-poet Meera Bai known for her deep devotion and spiritual strength. Neera is Pure water, symbolizes clarity, peace, and essential life force. Tara means Star, symbolic of light, direction, and hope. Also a Buddhist goddess. Sara is Princess, pure, or noble. Popular across multiple cultures, including Indian, Arabic, and Hebrew. Kavya means Poetry or literary composition, associated with creativity, intelligence, and expression. Navya is New, fresh, or young, reflecting novelty and modernity. Read Next Story
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Not Just A Tantrum": Anand Mahindra's Epic Post On Magnus Carlsen's Reaction After Loss vs D Gukesh
India's D Gukesh won against Magnus Carlsen in Norway Chess 2025. This marks Gukesh's first classical victory over Carlsen in his career. Carlsen reacted by slamming the board and leaving the hall in frustration. India's chess prodigy and the reigning world champion D Gukesh once again made the country proud with his heroics in the Norway Chess 2025 tournament. On Sunday, Gukesh defeated the Norwegian World No. 1 and five-time World Champion, Magnus Carlsen, in the sixth round of the Norway Chess 2025. The 19-year-old defeated Carlsen in the classical format for the very first time in his career - a feat hailed across the Indian sporting landscape. After the match, Carlsen, visibly upset by the loss, slammed the board and exited the playing hall in frustration. The reaction from Carlsen went viral on social media like a wildfire with many fans criticising him. However, famous industrialist and Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra took to X (formerly Twitter) and presented a different side of Carlsen's act. "Carlsen's visible frustration at the end wasn't just a tantrum - it was the greatest compliment the World Champion could receive from the GOAT," wrote Anand on X. "No fist pump. No smirk. Gukesh didn't need one. His silence roared louder than Carlsen's exit," he added. Carlsen's visible frustration at the end wasn't just a tantrum — it was the greatest compliment the World Champion could receive from the GOAT No fist pump. No smirk. Gukesh didn't need one. His silence roared louder than Carlsen's exit. — anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) June 2, 2025 Playing against the hometown hero Carlsen in Stavanger (Norway), Gukesh found himself in trouble during the endgame. Carlsen looked set to extend his lead in the tournament with a second consecutive classical win over the Indian prodigy. But in a dramatic turn of events, Carlsen committed a rare blunder in a time scramble, and Gukesh pounced on the opportunity with precision. "There wasn't much I could do, I just had to make the most of it. I was making moves that were tricky for him, and luckily, he got into a time scramble. One thing I've learned from this tournament is that time scrambles can get out of control," said Gukesh. Speaking about Carlsen's outburst, Gukesh also backed his opponent and understood the frustration he must have faced. "I have also banged a lot of tables in my career," said Gukesh after the victory. (With agency inputs)
