FIDE Women's World Cup: It's even stevens after game 1
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Indian Express
8 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Why Koneru Humpy's 2nd place finish at FIDE Women's World Cup deserves as much praise as winning title
Kushager Krishnater calls the week gone by the 'most draining seven days' of his career as a chess second. You have a feeling that Koneru Humpy, who at 38 is experiencing a second wind in her pathbreaking career, would agree. Humpy ended second in the FIDE World Cup on Monday, after losing to 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh in a battle of generations at Batumi. The defeat to Divya came after the first two games in the classical format on Saturday and Sunday ended in draws. Then the first game in the rapid section on Monday ended in a draw as well. Finally, in the second game, there was a breakthrough as Divya managed to clinch victory. For Humpy and team, finishing second after having come this far left them 'gutted', says Krishnater, who has been a second to Humpy since August 2022. This has included working with the Indian women's star during her FIDE Women's Candidates tournament challenge last year. He is an International Master, who has worked with over 10 Grandmasters. This includes super elite grandmasters like Arjun Erigaisi and Vidit Gujrathi, besides Humpy. A FIDE Master at 16, he was an IM by the age of 18. Krishnater says that the World Cup is the 'most difficult format' for Humpy, since, at 38, it means playing for one month at her peak level, which she managed until the final tiebreak game. He details the intense work that the team did after both classical games ended in draws. 'After the match against Alexandra Kosteniuk, the intensity of our work is something that we have never reached so far in our working relationship. For example, we worked till 11 in the night on Sunday (during the final against Divya). And on Monday morning, we started at 8 am, and went on till 11.30 am, which was just one hour before the game. She gave it all, despite like one month of consistency and her being in a stage of her career where she has played for so many years. It is a physically taxing job, playing nearly one month at a FIDE World Cup,' says Krishater. 'I can easily say that since the time we have been working together, this has been the most draining work — physically draining work — for both of us, especially for Humpy.' While he admits he did not discuss her workout regime, he does say: 'To do this for 24 days, I don't think it's easy for anyone. I'm sure she was working out diligently before she came. That's why even during the quarter-finals, she was very fresh.' It's that freshness, that's allowed her to keep battles going and try to squeeze water out of stone, like in the second classical game against China's Lei Tingjie, where Krishnater thought after a point that there was 'no venom left' in the pieces. But Humpy continued playing and soon, she was one move away from victory. On the board, all the work that is happening behind the scenes is bearing fruit. 'The fact that Humpy's style is constantly evolving and she is showing a familiarity with a lot of the latest trends tells me that she is working very hard, that she is still motivated to work and update herself on things. Most importantly, she courageously enters those battles with opponents no matter what their age or training was,' five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand told The Indian Express. The crazy hours Krishnater details are something that are par for the course for young teenage players like Divya or Gukesh, who have the energy to work for hours on chess before striding into a battle and then grind it out for five-six hours more. And then doing it all over again the next day. For Humpy, this was also a challenge because over the last few years, she has managed to find a balance between her family life and her professional pursuit — which is rare in Indian chess. As Krishnater points out, that ever since Humpy reached the quarters, she entered the zone of focussing primarily on her chess. 'After Humpy reached the quarter-finals, it has been so hectic. I can easily say that the past week has been like the most draining job for me. Having worked with all kinds of players, this has been the most difficult job. And then to think that Humpy is somebody who is 38, and still willing to give it all,' he says. The FIDE Women's World Cup is the second-most prestigious event in chess, behind the Women's World Championship. But unlike the Women's World Championship, which features up to 12 one-on-one battles between the same two players, the World Cup is a seven-round tournament where Humpy had to play six opponents of different skillsets in two one-on-one classical games (and games in faster time controls after that if needed). Besides the work behind the scenes, Anand also credits a changed mindset for Humpy's recent results: she won the World Rapid Championship in December last year for the second time in her career. Anand calls it Humpy's 'willingness to learn and to experiment' rather than sticking with things that have worked well for her. 'Her confidence, the fact that she has done well in the World Rapid Championship last year also suggests that she is comfortable with all kinds of formats. Maybe the main thing is an open mind. She is willing to take on any format, and doesn't tell herself that I'm good in this (format). The main force driving this for Humpy is that she feels good about herself,' says Anand before drawing a comparison with Hikaru Nakamura: 'Maybe she now competes without feeling a lot of pressure and she just thinks, 'let me try this and enjoy myself'. That attitude comes across very well, maybe in a way similar to Hikaru.' Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
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First Post
41 minutes ago
- First Post
Exclusive: Nihal Sarin to make Esports World Cup 2025 debut, says new format is the 'future of chess'
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin is set to compete at the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, representing Team S8UL. In an exclusive chat with Firstpost, he shared thoughts on his preparation, tournament format, and why he believes this is the future of chess. read more Advertisement Nihal is the sole Indian to secure his spot in the Esports World Cup via LCQ. Image: Special arrangement Indian chess Grandmaster Nihal Sarin is all set to compete in the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, where he will represent Team S8UL. Speaking exclusively to Firstpost, the 21-year-old shared his thoughts on preparation, format, and the experience of playing in this unique environment. Nihal earned his place at the World Cup after a superb run in the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). 'Of course, it was a very tough field. I was just trying to enjoy and not take any pressure,' Nihal said. 'There was some pressure, but I was really enjoying everything. Fortunately, I managed to show a pretty good level.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The youngster put on an impressive display in the LCQ group stage, registering five wins and finishing with 5.5 points to secure a spot in the top four of Group B. In the playoffs, he produced a remarkable comeback against Belarusian player Denis Lazavik, and followed that up with another 1.5-0.5 win over Anish Giri. Sarin on his preparation for Esports World Cup He sealed his ticket to Riyadh by beating Andrey Esipenko 2.5-1.5 in a thrilling winners' bracket match. When asked about his preparation for the main event, Nihal said, 'In regard to preparation, nothing special. Just trying to relax and reset and be well rested before the new tournament.' Nihal, who is currently ranked 8th in India and 37th in the world with a FIDE rating of 2692, will join 15 of the world's top players at the Esports World Cup. The lineup includes Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Alireza Firouzja, and fellow Indian Arjun Erigaisi. Nihal also praised his team, S8UL, for the support and opportunity to be part of the event. 'I am very, very thankful to my team S8UL for giving me the opportunity to be part of this fantastic event. I have never really seen anything like this. They are supporting in every way possible. They are taking care of me extremely well. I will remember this experience for a lifetime.' Sarin on future of chess and the best format Nihal backed the tournament format, calling it the future of the sport. 'I strongly feel that this format, or a similar format, is the future of chess,' he said. 'The traditional, classical chess is the purest form and of highest quality — it's like Test cricket. But this Esports format, with live commentary, a faster pace, and even a video game element, is great for viewership. That's what sports need to grow.' The Esports World Cup 2025 chess event will have a $1.5 million prize pool (over Rs 13 crore). Each player will get 10 minutes for the whole game and there won't be any extra time added after each move. If the match ends in a tie, it will be decided by one final Armageddon game. The final will be played as a best-of-three sets match.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Gautam Gambhir's conduct unbecoming of a head coach, but Oval curator Lee Fortis a difficult character to work with
At the start of the summer, England's head coach asked their players to improve their 'humility' after comments made by several players in the media came under scrutiny. Pacer Mark Wood acknowledged that they could be a 'bit dumb'. Gautam Gambhir was involved in a heated exchange with the Oval curator Lee Fortis. (HT_PRINT) At Lord's a fortnight back, the same man who had called for humility indicted his wards for being 'too nice'. Brendon McCullum, the Mr. Nice Guy from New Zealand, had had enough of niceness; this Test series hasn't been the same again. Things came to a head on the third evening at Lord's when Shubman Gill had a go at Zak Crawley for deliberate time-wasting tactics. The next day, when India finished needing 135 for victory with six wickets in hand, Washington Sundar said India would 'definitely' win the Test, 'perhaps by lunch'. When the left-hander walked out to bat on the final morning, McCullum exhorted his players from the balcony to start putting their lips to greater use. England's childish, ungracious behaviour towards the end of the Manchester Test, with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar turning down Ben Stokes' offer of a draw to pursue their individual hundreds, has cost the captain and his sullen side numerous fans. Even reputable English journalists and cheerleading former players have slammed the team's conduct. Against this backdrop, the teams head to The Oval for the final act, which is due to begin on Thursday. After their exertions with the ball – England bowled 257.1 overs at Old Trafford, the last 142 of which yielded just two wickets – the hosts took Tuesday off while India had an optional morning session, which should have been routine and regular. This, though, was anything but normal; the flashpoint was an unseemly standoff between head coach Gautam Gambhir and head of ground staff Lee Fortis, who has a reputation for being a difficult character to work with. Not that Gambhir doesn't, in reality. From outside the boundary line, a lot of finger-pointing from Gambhir was obvious. An expletive-ridden rant by the coach, with liberal use of the 'f' word, could be heard from nearly 80 yards away. Shitanshu Kotak, the batting coach, acted as the pacifier, bringing his exquisite man-management skills into play, trying to keep his colleague from losing his cool entirely while also engaging Fortis in polite conversation. Gambhir's conduct was unbecoming of a head coach, but there had to be a backstory to his extreme reaction, right? Gambhir is snappy and impatient at press conferences, often launching into answers without hearing out questions in their entirety. He repeatedly invokes the country, 140-crore Indians, and passion. He spews fire when he talks about picking the best players and not actually dropping anyone. His heart might be in the right place, but he is not everyone's cup of tea for his testy, testing behaviour. Even by his standards, though, Tuesday was a step too far. But a step provoked, it transpires. Doesn't justify his flare-up, but when there is smoke, there usually is fire, too. Fortis took exception to Gambhir and his support staff inspecting the match-pitch from close quarters. He is said to have, not with the utmost politeness, asked them to retreat 2.5 metres so that he could 'protect' his property. That was the first straw, especially considering he hadn't made a similar demand a little earlier of McCullum and Rob Key, the managing director of the England team. The one that broke the camel's back was a member of the support staff rolling an ice-cooler onto the square, at which point Fortis shouted loudly, rudely telling the said individual not to do so. That was when Gambhir lost his shirt, reminding Fortis of his 'capacity' by saying, 'You're just a groundsman, stay in your capacity.' It was an episode that didn't drape anyone in credit. Kotak, who fronted up at the press conference, was honest, forthcoming, calm and unemotional. 'We went to see the wicket, and the coaches were standing there. They sent a man and told him to tell us to stand 2.5 metres away,' Kotak explained. 'That was a little surprising because from the day after, there is going to be a five-day Test match (on that pitch). We were standing wearing joggers (not spikes), so that was a little awkward. 'We have all played so much cricket. We know curators are a little overprotective, a little possessive about the square and ground,' Kotak went on unhurriedly. 'But just looking at the wicket with rubber spikes, just two days before a Test, there is nothing wrong. Curators also need to understand that the people they are talking to are highly skilled and intelligent people. If you go to the ground now where we practised, you will see that the outfield hasn't been marked with spikes from any of the bowlers. We try to ensure that all that comes from the head coach -- that we'll try and see that this ground should not get damaged. But if you sound a bit arrogant… You can be protective, but at the end of the day, it's a cricket pitch. It's not an antique that you can't touch because it's 200 years old, and it can be broken.' Just about the only slices of sanity to emanate from a morning of madness. With potentially six more in store.
