Online event for two Challenger slots at Chennai Grand Masters
In a novel initiative, the organisers of the event have reserved two slots of the undercard to the winner and runner-up of the 'CGM Play-In', an online-only competition to be played on chess.com on July 12 and 13. "Titled players representing the India Chess Federation can compete in the Quantbox CGM Play-In for a chance to qualify for the Challengers section of the Chennai Grand Masters," informs the title page of the event on chess.com. "The Play-In consists of a Swiss and a knockout phase."
While the nine-round Swiss event will be held on Saturday night on chess.com, the top seven players will advance to the knockouts, to be staged on the website a night later (the winner of the Swiss event will receive a first-round bye). There's also a money component for the online event; the winner is set to receive $280 (Rs 24,000), with the runner-up pocketing $210 (Rs 18,000).
The bigger incentive, though, is the opportunity to play against the likes of R Vaishali, D Harika and Abhimanyu Puranik, all three of whom have signed up to feature in the Challengers section. The format for the online event is going to be 10+2, with single-elimination in the knockout phase.
Titled players are players who are CMs, FMs, IMs, WGMs or even GMs.
All-Indian field
The 10-person Challengers field will only consist of Indian players. The field also includes the talented Leon Luke Mendonca, who also featured in the event in 2024. The big incentive is that the winner in the section will be invited to play in the elite Masters competition in 2026. For example, Pranav, who emerged winner in the Challengers section in 2024, has confirmed his participation in the Masters section this year.
Rs 1 crore in prize money
In all, the 20-player two-tier competition will have a total prize money of Rs 1cr. The person winning the Masters event will take home Rs 25 lakh. In the Challengers section, the winner be richer by Rs 7 lakh.
Challengers
D Harika, R Vaishali, Karthikeyan Murali, Abhimanyu Puranik, Aryan Chopra, Leon Luke Mendonca, Adhiban Baskaran (the announced field so far).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
39 minutes ago
- News18
Sanju Samson Trade: KKR Offer 2 Indian Players In Exchange To Rajasthan Royals
KKR have reportedly offered one of Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Ramandeep Singh to RR for Sanju Samson. CSK still on the table. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have reportedly offered 21-year-old batting star Angkrish Raghuvanshi and India all-rounder Ramandeep Singh in a prospective trade deal with Rajasthan Royals (RR) for their captain, Sanju Samson. According to Anandabazar Patrika, KKR only wants to lose one of them in exchange. Trading of players during the off-season has been available since 2009. However, it has become much more popular recently, as teams have grown and the competition has become more competitive. There are two types of trades available: all-cash, like Hardik Pandya moving to the Mumbai Indians from the Gujarat Titans in 2023, and player exchanges, where there's a straight swap and the balance in book value is adjusted with cash. In Samson's case, his book value, i.e., the salary he earns at RR, is Rs. 18 crore. Angkrish earns Rs. 3 crore while Ramandeep gets Rs. 4 crore. So if KKR were to trade only one of them, they would have to pay RR Rs. 15 or 14 crore, respectively, in addition. The report said RR has another alternative. They are open to making a deal with Chennai Super Kings, who are reportedly looking at Samson as a MS Dhoni heir. But, the report said, RR want one of skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, or middle-order star Shivam Dubey, which CSK don't want. On paper, Samson seems like the perfect choice for KKR. He gives them a captaincy option after an uninspiring season under Ajinkya Rahane, a top-order hitter they have missed for a while, and solves their long-standing issue of not having a reliable wicketkeeper-batter. However, Angkrish and Ramandeep are players KKR have, if not scouted, at least brought out the best of and presented to the world. Both struggled for runs last season — Angkrish looked great on occasions but never got a settled top-three role in the team, which is his game, due to an abundance of options there — but were key to the previous title-winning campaign. RR have always liked building around young prospective international-level talents, too, and both Angkrish and Ramandeep fit the bill. However, only the latter solves their last season's issue of a lack of lower-order spide. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Sandhu wins Mysuru Open, clinches third title of season
Agency: Mysuru, Aug 15 (PTI) Yuvraj Sandhu clinched his third title of the 2025 season here on Friday with a thumping eight-shot win at Mysuru Open that also helped him consolidate his lead in the PGTI Order of Merit. Sandhu (61-65-62-61), who hails from Chandigarh, emerged wire-to-wire winner after an exceptional final round of nine-under 61, matching his tournament low from round one, that saw him end the week with an astounding total of 31-under 249. The 28-year-old Sandhu, an international winner, picked up the winner's cheque of Rs 15 that took his season's earnings to Rs 73,67,200, giving him a substantial lead of over Rs 12 lakh in the PGTI Order of Merit. As the preferred lie rule was in application through the week due to the rains preceding the event, Yuvraj's tournament total, the lowest ever on the PGTI, will not register as a PGTI record. Bangladesh's Jamal Hossain (62-65-64-66) came in second at a total of 23-under 257 following his effort of 66 in the final round. Delhi's Arjun Prasad (66-62-64-66) secured the third place at 22-under 258 after shooting a last round of 66. As a result, Arjun, one of the most consistent performers this season with eight top-10s to his credit, moved up from third to second place in the PGTI's money list with season's earnings of Rs. 61,12,549. Sandhu, the leader from round one till the end, began the last day with a healthy three-shot lead. Sandhu went on to strengthen his position at the top early on day four with five birdies on the front-nine. His drive on the Par-4 third hole found the green while he chipped-in and produced a great chip for a tap-in on the next two holes. On the back nine, Sandhu continued his march towards the title by adding four more birdies courtesy a couple of terrific tee shots and his second chip-in of the day on the 11th. 'Winning with a 31-under score and a huge margin to add to that is something that every professional golfer dreams of. I dedicate this win to my grandmother who we lost about two months back and also to my caddie Sonu who did an outstanding job this week," Sandhu said. 'I had a side bet with my caddie that I will break my previous PGTI record of 10-under by shooting an 11-under today. Unfortunately, I couldn't achieve that today but it was something that motivated me through the round." Jamal Hossain, who was overnight second, came up with six birdies on the day but his early double-bogey made it hard for him to catch up with a rampaging Yuvraj. Mysuru's Dhruv Bopanna had the best finish among the local professionals as he totalled three-under 277 to end up in tied 53rd position. PTI AT AT AH AH view comments First Published: August 15, 2025, 19:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Neeraj Chopra's wife Himani Mor rejects Rs 1.5 crore job offer; her father reveals why
Neeraj Chopra and Himani Mor (Photo @Neeraj_chopra1 on X) Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra 's wife, Himani Mor, has taken a major turn in her professional journey, stepping away from tennis to pursue a career in sports business. Himani, a former professional tennis player, decided to close the chapter on her playing career to focus on building her own venture. In a conversation with Dainik Bhaskar, her father, Chand Mor, revealed that she had even declined a lucrative offer abroad. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'She also turned down a Rs 1.5 crore sports-related job offer in the USA and instead will focus on her own business now,' he said. Currently, Himani is in Europe with Neeraj, who is in the middle of an intense training block ahead of a packed competition calendar. An alumna of Delhi University with a degree in Political Science, Himani also holds a qualification in Sports and Fitness Management from Franklin Pierce University in the United States. The couple tied the knot earlier this year in a private ceremony at a resort in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. Announced quietly through social media posts, the wedding was followed almost immediately by their departure to the USA. With Neeraj's demanding training and competition schedule, the family has yet to host a formal reception. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Secret Lives of the Romanovs — the Last Rulers of Imperial Russia! Learn More Undo Meanwhile, Neeraj has withdrawn from the upcoming Silesia Diamond League in Poland, an event that had been billed as a marquee clash between him and Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem. Both names were absent from the final entry list, leaving fans curious. Is the champion javelin thrower fit? By all indications, yes. The absence does not appear to be injury-related. Instead, it is believed that Neeraj is conserving his energy and fine-tuning his preparations for a bigger stage: the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The men's javelin throw is scheduled for September 17 and 18, where Neeraj will aim to add another chapter to his remarkable career. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
