Chandigarh: Ayaan Garg crowned chess champion
Madhav Garg secured victory in the Under-10 category with 6 points. The open tournament was organised to encourage young local chess players.
In the women's and girls' categories, Vanshika Yadv was awarded the title of Best Woman in the open category. Vaishnai emerged as the Best Girl in the Under-14 category, Jiaana Garg earned the title of Best Girl in the Under-10 category, and Inaayat Kaur was recognised as the Best Girl in the Under-7 category. Lavit Kansl was honoured as the Best Boy in the Under-7 category.
The tournament was organised by the Chandigarh Chess Academy and attracted enthusiastic participation, with 232 players from various states in northern India competing. Among them, 68 were internationally rated players, adding a high level of competition and skill to the event.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
World Cup chess: Humpy, Divya draw Game 2, push match into tiebreaker
Mumbai: A more sedate draw in the second classical game of the FIDE Women's World Cup final between young Divya Deshmukh and the seasoned Koneru Humpy took matters into the faster tie-breaks on Monday to determine the new Indian champion at Batumi, Georgia. India's Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh at the FIDE Women's World Cup final.(FIDE/X) Playing with white on Sunday, GM Humpy was expected to press for an advantage. Despite creating some chances towards the end to push her opponent into an awkward position, the two shook hands for a 34-move draw that was less dramatic than on Saturday. Still, speaking to FIDE after Sunday's game, the teen challenger felt it could've been a much easier draw for her. 'I got into some trouble for no reason,' she said. IM Divya has been the more adventurous finalist across the two classical games, but now enters into a rapid and blitz tie-breaks territory where her experienced opponent flaunts greater pedigree. Humpy, 38, is the reigning world rapid champion, a title she had also won in 2019. In the faster formats, as Divya herself called it, her opponent is a 'really strong player'. 'In rapid, Humpy is the current world champion. Even if it comes down to blitz, she has been a world No.2 before. I think Humpy could have better chances in rapid and blitz. Divya will have to play very carefully because of Humpy's judgement that tends to put her in better positions around the 10-minute mark,' GM Pravin Thipsay told HT. Divya, however, has also shown good form in the rapid format in this tournament. She won both her rapid matches against GM Harika Dronavalli to enter the semi-final. The key for the teen, according to Thipsay, lies in the positions she can get into when the clock runs down to the final 2-3 minutes of the games. 'If it's passive, she will find it difficult to defend. If she has the initiative, she can win. If things come down to less than one minute or so, Divya's speedy calculations can help her,' said Thipsay. While Humpy has been a picture of calm so far in this all-Indian title clash, Divya has had her up-and-down moments. Speaking about it 24 hours later, she would still rue that missed opportunity in the first game, when she could've really pushed for a victory from a 'closing to winning position', as Thipsay put it, before an impulsive moment and a miscalculated move blew it away. For Divya, that draw stung. 'I was quite disappointed with the first game because I saw everything but ended up making the wrong choice. It was quite a pity. Even though it was a draw, it felt like a loss,' she told FIDE. To her credit, the 19-year-old recovered from that quickly and turned up just as composed and prepared with black to thwart any dangers. 'Divya has shown great maturity for her age. She's very professional in her approach, which is normally not seen in players of that age,' Thipsay said. She will need all of that professionalism and maturity for the decisive tie-breaks against her more accomplished opponent in the format. 'She's a really strong player, but I'm hoping things go my way,' Divya said. The tiebreaker will be held on July 28, Monday.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
How gymnast Pranati battles injuries to find success
New Delhi: Pranati Nayak breaks into a big smile at the mention of the Asian Championships. Last month in the South Korean city of Jecheon, the seasoned Indian gymnast earned a well-deserved women's vault bronze, her third in the continental event after Ulaanbaatar 2019 and Doha 2022. In March, she had also clinched the same metal at the World Cup in Antalya. Pranati Nayak earned a women's vault bronze at the Asian Championships at Jecheon, South Korea last month. (Getty Images) But all this success has come at a cost. In a sport where athletes start and retire pretty early, Pranati continues to deliver at well over 30, which means her recovery takes time, especially in recent times as her body is afflicted with multiple injuries. 'I have injuries in my right elbow and both the ankles. I have a tennis elbow because of which it pains a lot. Despite being right-handed, I don't do anything with my right hand. From filling bottles to drinking water, I do everything with my left hand. I use my right hand only during training and give it rest for the rest of the time,' Pranati told HT over a video call from Bhubaneswar. 'I have had chronic pain in my right ankle for over two years now. I regularly do rehab but as soon as I participate in a competition, the load and consequently the pain increases. After competition, I take a week's rest. Then I start again. This is how I manage my competitions and training.' It has become a norm for Pranati to meet doctors, physios and undergo scans on a regular basis. Unlike her younger days, the diminutive gymnast now takes at least a week to recover after a competition. It is understandable given the load her ankles take. Pranati, who mainly attempts the 720 Tsukahara vault these days, makes 15 landings even before competition starts. The number can go up if the landings are not perfect. Also, these landings are on hard mats as they are done on competition podiums unlike in training where she lands in a mud pit. 'We mostly train in the pit. That way, we can save our feet and ankles. It's a softer landing, meaning we can take more repetitions. The landing mat is very hard. My ankle swells up each time after competition. It also happens when I travel. When I sit, my feet don't reach the floor. It just hangs in the air. That also leads to swelling,' said the Olympian, who is only 4 feet and 9 inches tall. But Pranati has taken injuries in her stride and accepted the fact that her body will not get younger and that she has to manage it. Unlike back in the day when a massage, steam or ice bath would decrease the pain, she is coping with how to handle her pain. 'I have to move forward with this. I am used to it now. My only concern is how to recover and train well. For that I have to maintain my weight, make sure there are no additional injuries,' said the gymnast from Bengal. Having clinched the bronze at the Asian Championships, Pranati is eyeing further glory as she will next take part in the FIG World Challenge Cup in Paris and Szombathely (both in September) followed by the Jakarta World Championships in October. Next year, the World Cup series starts in February as she has firmly set her target at the Commonwealth Games followed by the Asian Games. While Indian gymnasts have won multiple medals at the Asian Championships, they have not been able to replicate the success at the Asian Games where India have won only one medal till date — Ashish Kumar's bronze in men's floor exercise in Guangzhou 2010. If she qualifies, Aichi-Nagoya 2026 will be her fourth Asian Games. 'If we can win a medal in Asian Championships, we can also at Asian Games. The same gymnasts participate in both. There is no difference. If I give my best, there can be a good chance of winning a medal. I have to get more points. This is my goal,' said Pranati, who last month was added to the sports ministry's Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) scheme.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
‘Terror and sports cannot go together': Congress on Asia Cup matches against Pakistan
The Chandigarh Congress has opposed the proposed India-Pakistan cricket matches scheduled to be held during the Asia Cup in September, urging the Union Government to withhold clearance for the fixtures. The party has argued that 'terror and sports cannot go together,' questioning the moral and strategic logic behind resuming cricket ties with Pakistan. Rajiv Sharma, chief spokesperson of the Chandigarh Congress, said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has agreed to play against Pakistan at a neutral venue. He said the people of Chandigarh and other places in the country are upset with what he termed an 'unwarranted agreement,' particularly at a time when Operation Sindoor, launched in response to cross-border terrorism, is still ongoing. 'It is extremely disappointing that while not a single perpetrator of the Pahalgam attack has been brought to justice, the cricket boards of both nations are moving towards friendly sporting ties,' Sharma said. He warned that Indian sponsors' funds could inadvertently benefit the Pakistan Cricket Board, which, he claimed, may use the money to further terror activities against India. The Congress leader also questioned the BCCI's rationale behind opting for a neutral venue to accommodate Pakistan's interests, stating that India holds the right to host the tournament and should not compromise its position. Calling the decision an 'insult to the self-respect of the people of Chandigarh and the nation,' Sharma urged Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari to raise the issue in Parliament. He also slammed the office-bearers of the Union Territory Cricket Association for their silence on the matter, accusing them of compromising national pride for personal or political gains.
