'Future FIDE President:' Anish Giri involved in an heated argument with Ian Nepomniachtchi, Hikaru Nakamura
The quarterfinals of the FIDE World Blitz Team Championship in London were marred by controversy after top-seeded WR Chess lost their opening match to Germany and Friends due to a delayed arrival.
Star players Ian Nepomniachtchi and Hikaru Nakamura reached the venue with mere seconds left on their clocks and soon resigned, later claiming they were not informed about the round's start time. Their appeal was upheld — and while other matches moved on, WR Chess was allowed a replay, which they won decisively.
Amid the chaos, Anish Giri confronted Nakamura and Nepomniachtchi on camera: 'If you'd won the first time, would you have appealed?'
The remark implied WR's protest stemmed from the loss, not principle.
Giri's challnge quickly turned into a tense exchange.
'Since when did you become so prominent in law? Future FIDE President!' Nepomniachtchi shot back.
While Nakamura didn't respond immediately, once Giri left, he turned to Nepo and asked: 'Why does he care so much?'
Nepomniachtchi replied dryly: 'Because it's Anish. That's his job. Whenever he starts talking, he's not as smart as we think he is.'
Later, Nepomniachtchi admitted the situation was 'messy,' saying the appeal 'could have gone either way' and that 'there was no good solution.'
Despite the drama, WR Chess bounced back with a 4.5–1.5 win in the replay and a 4–2 win in the reverse match. They went on to beat KazChess in the final, clinching their second blitz title.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Varshney scores second successive win in All India Chess Masters
Agency: Mumbai, Aug 17 (PTI) International Master Aryan Varshney beat Sunil Vaidya for his second consecutive win in the All India Chess Masters, the second season of the Mumbai FIDE Classical Tournament here on Sunday. Darsh Shetty got the better of Deepak Raina for his second win on the trot while Pasbola Samvid defeated Mohsin Yunus Shaikh to maintain his winning run as well. Om Gada beat Shubh Patel while AFM (arena FIDE master) Prashant Chogle defeated Anil Suchit. view comments First Published: August 17, 2025, 21:15 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.
India Today
10 hours ago
- India Today
Divya Deshmukh to compete in Open section of Grand Swiss Chess: What it means
"Chess does not fit women properly. It's a fight, you know? Women are weaker fighters."This was a statement made in 1989 by the undisputed king of chess at that time, Garry Kasparov to Playboy magazine. It was a statement that raised eyebrows and actually stoked the fire in female competitors. Then came Judit Polgar, who broke all the notions of women in chess and became the first female in the sport's history to achieve 2700 rating points. Polgar competed against male competitors and even recorded India's very own Viswanathan Anand. advertisementReaching the fag end of his career, Kasparov accepted defeat on the front that women can actually give men a run for their money in chess. Now, India's Divya Deshmukh is all set to go down the path of Polgar. Divya's story is well-known to everyone by now. A young, bright and confident girl who made all the noise by winning the Women's Chess World Cup by beating compatriot Koneru Humpy to become the first Indian to do so. Praise from all corners followed and the celebrations were grand but young Divya is now focused on the Candidates tournament. Now, while preparing for a big tournament like the Candidates, we usually see stars trying their hand in small competitions with aim of gaining some momentum and experience. Usually, the difficulty level may not be high. But Divya has decided to take it up a notch. Divya Deshmukh ready for the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025With momentum from the World Cup win in her corner, Divya has opted to participate in the open section of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, which will start from September 3. The aim is clear for the 19-year-old. She wants to perform well at the Candidates and make it to the World Championship match. Now, if she had enrolled herself in the women's section for the Grand Swiss, she would have stood a big chance of winning the whole thing. Instead, she decided to take the route the likes of Humpy and Polgar have taken before her and battle it out against the men. "Divya Deshmukh will play in the Open section of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in Samarkand after receiving a wild card from the FIDE President. In July, she won the FIDE Women's World Cup and became a Grandmaster.""Both Deshmukh and Aleksandra Goryachkina, who have already qualified for the FIDE Women's Candidates, chose to request wild cards for the FIDE Grand Swiss Open rather than compete in the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss," read the statement from FIDE. The Grand Swiss offers two Candidates' spots for the winner and runner-up, but with Divya already sealing her spot, the 19-year-old has opted to prioritise gaining experience by playing against higher-rated men. Not something newadvertisementDivya isn't the first Indian female to compete in the open section of a major tournament. Several players from India and abroad have consistently chosen this path, pitting themselves against the finest. One of the earliest trailblazers was Rohini Khadilkar of India, who in 1977 became the first woman to participate in the Indian Chess Championship, the national open event. Khadilkar's inclusion was opposed by some, prompting the then World Chess Federation's president to rule that women could not be barred from open Humpy has also competed in open events, particularly at the national level, where she has scored notable victories against big names. Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu has also competed in the Open section. She delivered an impressive performance in the 2023 Qatar Masters, a key step in her journey to becoming a opens the door for more women in Open sectionThe call for more women in the Open section is increasing. International Master and celebrated commentator, Tania Sachdev, said that women should compete against men more often, while ensuring that the female titles remain intact. advertisement'I feel like young girls should play in as many open tournaments as possible. They should train and compete against men and not focus only on women-only tournaments,' Tania said, as quoted by Sportstar, on the sidelines of Chennai Grand Masters 2025. "But I also feel that there is no need to take away women's titles. Because, for many players, that is an aspiration, encouraging young girls to take up the sport. [Doing that] will take away an entire generation of chess players,' said Sachdev. The competition for Divya at the Grand Swiss Chess will be tough. She will have World Champion D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi for company as the Open Section will feature some of India's finest. But expect the 19-year-old to live up to her billing of being a wildcard. While the aim may be the Candidates, don't be surprised if the 19-year-old pulls off some big wins in the competition. - Ends
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
a day ago
- First Post
Rising star Divya Deshmukh can prove Garry Kasparov wrong, follow Judit Polgar's footsteps; here's how
After winning the 2025 Women's Chess World Cup in style and becoming India's 88th Grandmaster, Divya Deshmukh faces a brand new challenge – that of competing in the 'Open' category of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss, alongside reigning world champion D Gukesh among others. Indian Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh could follow Judit Polgar's footsteps in proving Garry Kasparov's infamous quote on female players wrong as she competes in the 'Open' category of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss. Image: FIDE/Reuters Divya Deshmukh has been the biggest talking point in Indian chess recently, with the 19-year-old charting a sensational journey to victory at the FIDE Women's World Cup in Georgia's Batumi last month. Divya had entered the tournament as an International Master but left with the word 'Grandmaster' next to her name, acquiring the title without having to fulfill the three norms. Along the way, she defeated three players ranked in the world top-10 including veteran GM Koneru Humpy in a historic all-Indian final. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The young star, who qualified for next year's Women's Candidates along with Humpy, faces a brand new challenge – that of competing in the 'Open' category at the upcoming FIDE Grand Swiss tournament. Divya, after all, has received a wildcard entry into the 'Open' category along with Russia's Aleksandra Goryachkina, and is part of a stacked field that also comprises reigning Classical world champion D Gukesh as well as Indian No 1 R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi. What Kasparov had said about female chess players back in 1989 In the process, Divya has the opportunity to follow the legendary Judit Polgar's footsteps in proving Russian chess icon Garry Kasparov's controversial quote on female chess players wrong. 'Well, in the past, I have said that there is real chess and women's chess. Some people don't like to hear this, but chess does not fit women properly. It's a fight, you know? A big fight. It's not for women. Sorry. She's helpless if she has men's opposition,' Kasparov, counted among the greatest chess players of all time, had told the Playboy magazine in 1989. 'I think this is very simple logic. It's the logic of a fighter, a professional fighter. Women are weaker fighters,' he added. Polgar, of course, would force Kasparov to take back his comment with a trailblazing career in which the Hungarian GM became the only woman to break into the FIDE Classical top-10 in the 'Open' category and achieve an ELO rating above 2700. 'Makes complete sense to compete in a stronger event' Though Divya has a long way to go if she is to emulate Polgar's rich legacy, GM Shyam Sundar Mohanraj, a chess coach who has worked with several Indian women players in the past, feels she certainly is on the right track at the moment. 'At this age, especially, she will of course be very ambitious and focus on reaching 2700, which is a dream for any player. She is close to 2500 now, so it makes complete sense to compete in a stronger event. She will be playing more GMs, and she can test her preparation and how determined she is to give a strong comeback,' Shyam Sundar told The Times of India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Even if she scores less than 50 per cent out of the possible 11 rounds, still it will be a good experience for her, regardless of the rating, whatever happens, minus 10, 30, whatever it is, it will be a much-needed and greater experience. At a young age, Judith Polgar started playing in the Open sections, and that is how she became strong in the way,' he added. The FIDE Grand Swiss takes place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from 3 to 15 September, with the top two players set to qualify for next year's Candidates Tournament.
