'Earlier, I used to beat Indians at will': What global chess stars in their 30s, 50s, and 80s say about India's dominance
NEW DELHI:
After Gukesh Dommaraju won the Candidates last year in Toronto,
Garry Kasparov
— former world champion and one of the greatest players in history — famously said, 'The 'children' of Vishy Anand are on the loose.'
He later hailed Gukesh's achievement as 'shifting tectonic plates in the chess world.
'
Kasparov was proved right when, six months later, at the age of 18, Gukesh became the youngest world chess champion in history, surpassing Kasparov himself, who had won the crown in 1985 at the age of 22.
Kasparov's prophetic words appear to be coming true.
A glimpse of that shift was seen last week at the Tivoli Garden Resort in Delhi's Chhatarpur, where a cavernous hall — large enough to host an indoor football match — was transformed into a battlefield of brains for a week.
Playing hall of Section 'A' at Delhi GM Open Tournament. (Special Arrangement)
The Delhi International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament, held from June 7 to 14 under the aegis of the Delhi Chess Association (DCA), drew a fascinating mix: Grandmasters (GMs), International Masters (IMs), Women International Masters (WIMs), Candidate Masters (CMs), and Woman FIDE Masters (WFMs) from across the globe.
And in that sea of talent, one thing was unmistakable: India's young stars were setting the board on fire, leaving even seasoned players in awe.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik
IC Markets
Mendaftar
Undo
'It's so much harder now'
Take 36-year-old Georgian GM Tornike Sanikidze. After each game, you'd find him stepping out for a smoke, often joined by compatriot and fellow GM Levan Pantsulaia. Their conversations, between drags, almost always circled back to one theme: the fierce challenge posed by India's young guns.
'This tournament is very beautiful and very hard,' Sanikidze, who was seeded 18th but finished 53rd, admitted to TimesofIndia.com after his final round.
'There are so many grandmasters, and so many kids. That makes it a very strong tournament. It was very hard for me.'
'Cricketers Aren't Cattle... ': Harish Thawani on the IPL and Business of Indian Cricket
Sanikidze knows what he's talking about: 'I was here in 2013. Even then, I could see the new generation coming. Back then, I was rated 2518, and I left at 2513; that's how hard it was to play Indians. And now? Look at the top 10. There are four Indians. The world champion is Indian. That says everything.'
A chess revolution
Slovak GM Mikuláš Maník, 50, is no stranger to Indian tournaments; this was his 44th.
But even he admits he's been taken aback by the meteoric rise of India's chess scene.
'Every year, the tournaments here get stronger,' Maník observed, often seen outside the playing hall analysing games on a sideboard after a round of play, especially when his opponent was a prodigy.
'India has done remarkable work with its young talents. And it's only getting better. The chess quality here is improving at a rate that's hard to believe,' he added.
'
Before, I'd beat Indians at will'
Perhaps the most striking perspective came from 80-year-old Rani Hamid, the legendary WIM from Bangladesh and the oldest in the fray.
A 20-time national champion and former British chess champion, Hamid has seen decades of subcontinental chess unfold.
'I used to beat Indian girls at will,' she said with a gentle smile. 'It felt good back then. But now, look where India is, and where we are.
The difference is too big.'
And perhaps the veterans have a point.
In all, last week in India's national capital was a snapshot of a global chess community coming to terms with a new order. In this new era, India — with its fearless young players and a growing stable of grandmasters — is not content with being a mere participant. There is a fire in their belly; each one of them wants to win, and without an iota of doubt, India is leading the charge in world chess.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
a minute ago
- Hindustan Times
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma wanted to continue in Tests but were told to go: India legend fires a rocket at Agarkar, BCCI
Sourav Ganguly retired in October 2008. Four years later, in 2012, Rahul Dravid called time on a glorious 16-year-long career. VVS Laxman was the next to go after a few months, followed by Sachin Tendulkar in November 2013. Eleven months later, it was Virender Sehwag's turn. In a span of two years, four of the Fab Five of Indian cricket were gone. Just like that. That's how retirement in Indian cricket has traditionally been. The transition takes place gradually. One by one, the seniors, because of their dwindling forms and slowing reflexes, take a step back, allowing the youngsters to take over. They don't always leave at the same time. Rohit Sharma (L) and Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket roughly within a week of each other in May earlier this year(File) However, three months later, this pattern broke when two of Indian cricket's biggest batting stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, announced their retirements from Test cricket, all within a five-day gap. Rohit was the first to pull the plug on his Test career, casually dropping an Instagram story to announce his departure from the India whites. Two days later, news broke that Kohli wrote to the BCCI that he wants to retire from Test cricket. And in the next 48 hours, he made it official through a post on Instagram. Kohli, Rohit. Also gone. Just like that. Also Read: Rohit Sharma asked Rishabh Pant 'retirement le lu?' after India won Champions Trophy; Virat Kohli said 'Abey yeh toh...' Over the next 15-20 days, multiple theories and reports came to light. Were they genuinely done or forced to retire? After all, Kohli returned to play Ranji Trophy for Delhi, and even told his Delhi coach that he wanted to score at least 4-5 centuries in England this time round. And Rohit, in a freewheeling chat with Michael Clarke, during the IPL break, had clearly mentioned that he was looking forward to the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. But the fact that all of this resulted in their retirements didn't sit well with the fans, with many speculating behind-the-scenes roles that led to… rather pushed them to retire. Also Read: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli asked, 'How will you keep yourself motivated?'; 'Should have said we won't play ODIs, T20Is' Time may or may not answer this question, but legendary Indian cricketer Karsan Ghavri has. The former left-arm pacer for India, who opened the bowling with Kapil Dev in the 1970s, has added fuel to the fire, openly claiming that while Kohli, Rohit wanted to continue playing Tests for India, the BCCI's 'politics', along with the selection panel led by its chairman Ajit Agarkar, eventually made the decision to shove Ro-Ko out of Test cricket. "He [Kohli] should have definitely continued playing for India easily, probably for another couple of years. But something really forced him to retire. And unfortunately, when he retired, he was not even given a farewell by the BCCI. Such players, such a great player who has done such great service to BCCI, India cricket and Indian fans, should be given a grand and fabulous farewell," Ghavri, who played 39 Tests and 19 ODIs for India, said on the Vickey Lalwani Show. Karsan Ghavri goes on record Kohli went out as the fourth-highest run-getter for Tests in India, finishing with less than 10,000 runs in the format, a fact that is still tough to digest given his quality. During his 14-year-long career, Kohli became India's greatest Test captain, leading the team to 40 wins, including the first-ever series win in Australia during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. There's no denying the fact that Kohli's Test form plummeted in the last five years, but it's hard to come to terms with the fact that he let go of the format he loves the most at the age of 36. Rohit's Test career never quite took off like Kohli's, but after being made to open in September 2019, he enjoyed a second wind in his batting. Ghavri, 74, went on record to state that the decision-makers did not want to see Kohli and Rohit take any further part in Test cricket, and despite Ro-Ko's resistance, they were asked to leave. "It's due to internal politics within the BCCI, which is hard to understand. And I think this is the reason he retired prematurely. Even Rohit Sharma retired prematurely. They were asked to go out. It's not like they wanted to leave. They wanted to continue. But the selectors and BCCI had different ideas. It was a matter of some kind of petty politics," added Ghavri.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'Bring me a cute Labubu': Ben Shelton's girlfriend Trinity Rodman joins Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek in viral doll craze
Ben Shelton's girlfriend Trinity Rodman joins Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek in viral doll craze (Image via Getty) Cori Dionne Gauff, better known as Coco Gauff, and Iga Natalia Swiatek have now joined the Labubu craze. These small, fuzzy dolls from the Chinese brand Pop Mart have taken the sports world by storm. On August 13, Coco Gauff unboxed her very first Labubu in a video posted by WTA Tennis. Just a day later, Iga Swiatek also got hers. Now, the trend has reached American soccer star Trinity Rodman. The Racing Louisville forward, who is dating American tennis player Ben Shelton, made an adorable request to her fans, asking them to bring her a Labubu for good luck during her upcoming match. Trinity Rodman Joins the craze while Ben Shelton shines in Cincinnati While the dolls were making tennis fans smile, Ben Shelton was busy making headlines on court. The 22-year-old American is currently playing at the Cincinnati Open after winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto on August 11. He is on a nine-match winning streak across North America and has not dropped a set in Cincinnati. On August 15, he beat Jiri Lehecka in straight sets in just 81 minutes to reach the quarterfinals. Trinity Rodman, who has been supporting Shelton courtside, also has her own big match coming up for Racing Louisville. On August 15, ahead of Shelton's next match, she posted an Instagram Story asking fans to bring her a Labubu doll instead of the usual candies. She wrote: 'Plz plz instead of candy can someone bring me a cute labubu to the game tmr i will die.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why You Need Temperature Control Sensors for Efficiency - Learn More AskLayers Learn More Undo Her playful message quickly spread online, showing how this light-hearted trend has now crossed from tennis into soccer. With Shelton preparing to face Alexander Zverev next, both he and Rodman will be looking for a little extra luck, maybe in the form of a fluffy Labubu. Also Read: 'Trump Let This Convicted Killer Free': Martina Navratilova Criticizes Donald Trump After Venezuela Prisoner Swap Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek's Labubu moments The fun started when Coco Gauff received her first Labubu on August 13 during the hard-court swing in North America. The WTA shared the moment on Instagram, showing Gauff smiling and laughing as she opened the box. The next day, August 14, Iga Swiatek, the world No. 1 from Poland, unboxed her own Labubu in another WTA video. Labubu dolls are part of a 'blind box' collectable series made by Pop Mart. Each doll costs about US $40 and is sold without revealing the exact design inside. This mystery element, mixed with their cute yet odd look, has made them a huge hit on social media. Fans across tennis are now hunting for them, and players are proudly showing theirs off. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Kroy Biermann reveals disturbing custody details and warns Kim Zolciak home is hurting their children's mental health
Kroy Biermann reveals disturbing custody details and warns Kim Zolciak home is hurting their children's mental health (Image via Getty) Kroy Biermann has asked a Georgia court to make his home the main residence for the four children he shares with reality star Kim Zolciak. The former NFL player claims that the current shared custody arrangement is harming the kids' mental health. Under the existing plan, each parent takes care of two children at a time, with the older sons and younger twins switching homes weekly. Kroy Biermann argues that this split setup is not good for the children and wants full custody to provide stability and proper guidance. Kroy Biermann details concerns over Kim Zolciak's parenting and household environment According to court documents filed by Kroy Biermann's legal team, there is a 'noteworthy absence of structure and accountability' in Kim Zolciak's home. Biermann claims that his children often lack parental supervision when at their mother's house. Biermann accuses Kim of leaving the kids home alone or with other people for long periods of time. Biermann thinks this doesn't allow it to have consistent training for the children, that are a must for their emotional and mental health. The ex-NFL player stresses how one home offers the kids more stability in routine, behavior, and their family togetherness. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Linda Kozlowski, 67, Shows Off Her Perfect Figure In A New Photo The Noodle Box Also Read: Travis Hunter Continues Two Position Role As Trevor Lawrence And Coaching Staff Monitor His Snap Count Closely Kroy Biermann explains the need for primary custody to protect children's best interests Kroy Biermann points out that the current weekly rotation between his home and Kim Zolciak's disrupts the children's daily lives. He claims the older sons and younger twins live almost separate lives, and this split can create confusion and stress for the children. Kroy Biermann says that his goal is to offer a stable environment where all four kids can be together, receive consistent guidance, and have regular parental involvement. He argues that being the primary custodian in his home would be better supervision, more structured activities and a healthier environment for the kids. The legal filing was filed in Georgia in August 2025, and Kroy Biermann's lawyers are now asking the judge for a review and to grant him primary custody. The case is gripping due to the continued disagreements between former NFL star Biermann and Kim Zolciak about how they are parenting and caring for their children. Biermann states the move has everything to do with the children's best interests, nothing to do with personal matters, and to ensure a more stable and accountable home for all four kids. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
