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Time of India
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
FIDE allots chess World Cup to India, Goa Or Ahmedabad likely to be host city
Nagpur: The world chess federation (FIDE) on Monday gave India the hosting rights for the World Cup (open) to be held from October 30 to November 27. The All India Chess Federation (AICF) won the bid to host the World Cup after a gap of 23 years, but the infighting among officials delayed the announcement of the city where the world's best players will battle for the coveted title and three qualification spots for the 2026 Chess Candidates Tournament. TOI has learnt that the 29-day event will be staged either in Goa or Ahmedabad. An AICF official said, "Having won the bid, we will start the process of approval from the govt. Once that is done, we will soon announce the host city. Both Goa and Ahmedabad are interested in playing host to the world's top players. Everything will be finalised in our next executive meeting." New Delhi had hosted the knockout world championship in 2000 but the title clash was staged in Tehran. Hyderabad then hosted the eight-player World Cups (both Open and women) in 2002 when it was played in group-cum-knockout format. In a statement, FIDE said: "The World Cup 2025 will feature 206 players competing in a knockout format — a dynamic and unpredictable system where the losing player in each round is eliminated. The event has used several formats over the years, but since 2021, it has followed a single-elimination format." A handful of Indian players will take part in the eight-round knockout tournament. Every round will be played for three days — two classical games on the initial two days, followed by rapid and blitz tiebreaks. The top 50 rated players will take part from the second round while players seeded from 51 to 206 will compete in the opening round. As per the June rating list, as many as 20 Indian players including world champion D Gukesh have already qualified to participate in the World Cup. FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky said, "We are thrilled to bring the FIDE World Cup 2025 to India, a country with a deep-rooted passion and support for chess. Indian chess fans' enthusiasm has always been remarkable, and we anticipate great interest in the event among local chess lovers, both on-site and online."
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First Post
19-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
'Historic moment in Indian Chess': Divya, Humpy, Harika and Vaishali hailed for incredible run at Women's World Cup
Divya Deshmukh stunned Chinese second seed Zhu Jiner as all four Indians won their respective fourth-round matches to advance to the quarter-finals of the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. read more It was an incredible day for the Indian contingent at the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia with all four Indians – Grandmasters Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli and R Vaishali and International Master Divya Deshmukh – winning their fourth-round clashes on Friday. Not only does that boost the chances of an Indian winning the third edition of the prestigious competition, which is set to conclude on 29 July, it also increases the likelihood of Indian participation at next year's Candidates Tournament. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Women's World Cup, after all, offers three slots for Candidates – the qualification tournament to decide the challenge to the reigning world champion. And despite an all-Indian showdown between Divya and Harika in the quarters, the possibility of Indians finishing in the top three and securing their place in the Candidates remains alive for now. The tournament, meanwhile, has witnessed some incredible results. Earlier in the second round, it was IM Vantika Agrawal triumphing over GM Anna Ushenina, a former women's world champion, in the second round. And in Round 4, Divya defeated Chinese second seed Zhu Jiner, ranked 12 places above her on the latest FIDE ratings, in the tie-breaks after both players finished level at the end of the Classical games. Senior GMs Humpy and Harika defeated Alexandra Kosteniuk and Kateryna Lagno respectively while Vaishali triumphed over Kazakhstani Woman Grandmaster Meruert Kamalidenova. Indian chess president and others react to superb performance in Batumi Their heroics was celebrated by the chess community on social media with All India Chess Federation president Nitin Narang among those congratulating the quartet. Here are select reactions: A wonderful day for Indian chess as our three stars Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli and Divya Deshmukh have reached the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup after winning their tense tie breaker matches. Vaishali will aim to join them with another round of tie breaker games… — Nitin Narang (@narangnitin) July 18, 2025 CAREER-DEFINING MOMENT!!!!!! 🤩 Divya Deshmukh knocks out No. 2 seed GM Zhu Jiner and is through to the quarter-finals!!!!!!!! 🇮🇳🥳🥳🥳🥳 📷: Anna Shtourman#chess #womeninchess #FIDEWorldCup — Women's Chess Coverage (@OnTheQueenside) July 18, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Divya Deshmukh defeats hundred points higher rated Zhu Jiner of China to reach the quarterfinals of Chess Women's World Cup. This is what a hard-working youngster with correct priorities and minimal distractions can do!@DivyaDeshmukh05 — Abhinav Mishra (@abhinav_omkar) July 18, 2025 A historic moment in Indian Chess! GM Koneru Humpy, GM Harika Dronavalli, GM Vaishali Rameshbabu, and IM Divya Deshmukh - all 4 of them played the tiebreaks in the Pre-QFs, and won their matches to enter Quarter finals of FIDE Women's World Cup 2025! Photos: Anna Shtourman — Achyutha (@achyutha) July 18, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD IM Divya Deshmukh defeated her nemesis GM Zhu Jiner in the tiebreaks of the 4th round in the Women's World Cup to reach the QF 🔥 Finishing top-3 will get her a place at Women's Candidates, reaching the final will give her a GM norm & winning the title will earn her the GM title — Shaili (@shailivation) July 18, 2025 The quarter-finals will get underway on Saturday and will conclude with the tie-breaks on Monday. Besides the Divya-Harika face-off, Humpy and Vaishali will be up against Chinese opponents – facing Song Yuxin and Tan Zhongyi respectively. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
New Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Online event for two Challenger slots at Chennai Grand Masters
CHENNAI: Are you a titled player representing the All India Chess Federation (AICF)? You may have the chance to feature in the 'Challengers' section of the third edition of the Chennai Grand Masters, India's biggest annual chess event in terms of rating. 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 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 "The Play-In consists of a Swiss and a knockout phase." While the nine-round Swiss event will be held on Saturday night on 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).
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Majumdar: A passionate promoter of chess passes away
1 2 3 Kolkata: Indian chess lost one of its greatest supporters with the passing of Soumen Majumdar in the early hours on Wednesday in the city. Majumdar was 69 and is survived by wife and a son. Very few organisers had such an impact on the sports and the players as that of Majumder. Associated closely with the Alekhine Chess Club in the city, Majumder was instrumental in organising India's first GM tournament — Goodricke International tournament — for more than a decade. He also brought the Asian Individual Championship to Kolkata in 2003. Unlike many other organisers, it was always players first for Majumder, who extended a helping hand to them with a smile. That's why he remained the loving 'Soumen uncle' to most young chess players who went on to shine at the world stage. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata He also served the All India Chess Federation as its treasurer. Majumder was truly a Mr Dependable every player used to look for while in the city and that included international stars from former world champion Vasily Smyslov, Nigel Short to India's Viswanathan Anand, Dibyendu Barua, K Sasikiran, P Harikrishna, Surya Sekhar Ganguly, Sandipan Chanda and others. Young generation GMs from the city like Diptayan Ghosh, Sayantan Das, Koustav Chatterjee and others always remember Majumder's help during their formative days as chess players. "Soumen Majumdar was one of the most enthusiastic organisers," Anand posted on X. "He always thought big and was passionate about the game. When I landed in Kolkata after winning Regio Emilia, the motorcade from the tarmac to my hotel is a memory that is one of my most cherished. The Goodricke events were a landmark event in those… His smiling face and enthusiasm will always be special." Barua too fondly remembered Majumder's contribution. "He was one of the greatest promoters and true enthusiasts of chess in India. A visionary and passionate organiser, Soumenda played a pivotal role in shaping the Indian chess scene during the 1980s and 1990s, when international exposure was rare and difficult to come by for the Indian players. "His relentless efforts gave Indian players a platform to showcase their talent and gain invaluable experience," Barua wrote on social media.
Canada News.Net
27-06-2025
- Business
- Canada News.Net
Landmark initiative for Bharatiya Chess: AICF disburses 1st installment of its National Player Stipend Scheme
New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): In an epoch-making stride for Bharatiya chess, the All India Chess Federation (AICF) on Wednesday announced the launch of the Top National Players Stipend Scheme (TNPSS), a groundbreaking financial support initiative set to revolutionise the landscape of chess talent development in the nation. This dream project, passionately championed by AICF President Nitin Narang, marks an unprecedented commitment to nurturing the burgeoning chess prodigies of Bharat from the grassroots up. 'This is more than just a scheme. It shows how deeply we believe in the promise of every young chess player in Bharat.' AICF President Nitin Narang quoted in a press release. 'For the first time in our history, we are directly investing in the future of our 'golden girls and boys', providing them with the sustained financial bedrock they need to transform their talent into triumph. This is more than a token; it's a demonstration of our profound support and a catalyst for their dreams.', Nitin Narang added. 'One of the key objectives is to increase the importance of national tournaments, as they are the foundation for building a strong chess ecosystem in Bharat. It is at the nationals where we can identify and nurture talent', Narang explained. In a move echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of empowering athletes at grassroots level, TNPSS immediately dispatches its first quarterly stipends, ranging from a substantial 60,000 to an impressive 1,50,000, directly into the accounts of top young chess talents of Bharat. A total of 42,30,000 has been disbursed for the months of April to June of the current financial year, reaching deserving players across the Under 7 to Under 19 categories, both open and girls, based on their stellar performances in last year's nationals. President Narang explained the idea behind TNPSS, 'For too long, financial constraints have cast a shadow over the aspirations of our chess players. The demands of travel, training, and international competition often forces players to abandon their passion which is a profound loss for our nation. TNPSS is our definitive answer to these challenges. It is a bold stride towards a player-centric policy that empowers our youth to focus solely on honing their skills and conquering the chessboard.' This pioneering initiative is designed to provide robust financial assistance to promising top players from nationals for a critical period of two years. This invaluable support will significantly alleviate the burden of training and global competition expenses, allowing young players to immerse themselves fully in their game and pursue excellence on the world stage without economic hardship. The first beneficiaries of this visionary scheme are 42 top-ranked players based on their national-level performances last year. These players represent the pinnacle of talent across the U7, U9, U11, U13, U15, U17, and U19 age categories. The quarterly stipends are structured to reflect their age and potential, ranging from 60,000 for Under 7 to a significant 1,50,000 for Under 19, underscoring the AICF's comprehensive commitment. The TNPSS boasts an ambitious budgetary outlay of 6,15,60,000, a clear signal of the AICF's long-term strategic investment in the future of Indian chess. The inaugural beneficiaries of the Top National Players Stipend Scheme include: Under 7: Open: Devanarayanan Kalliyath, Prayank Gaonkar, Aaradhyo Guin Girls: Aaranya R, Arpitangshi Bhattacharya, Saiaastha Singh Under 9: Open: Nidhish Shyamal, Aarit Kapil, Divith Reddy Adulla Girls: Kiyanna Parihaar, Divi Bijesh, Vanshika Rawat Under 11: Open: Madhvendra Pratap Sharma, Advik Amit Agrawal, Aarav A Girls: Pratitee Bordoloi, Aadya Gowda, Divi Bijesh Under 13: Open: Reyan Md, Sherla Prathamesh, Pranav Sai Ram R S Girls: Saranya Devi Narahari, Nivedita V C, Nihira Koul Under 15: Open: Ilamparthi A R, Vaz Ethan, Sherla Prathamesh Girls: Prishita Gupta, Jain Ashita, Saparya Ghosh Under 17: Open: Sriram Adarsh Uppala, Arpith S Bijoy, Jaiveer Mahendru Girls: Tejaswini G, Kirthika B, Anupam M Sreekumar Under 19: Open: Adireddy Arjun, Sourath Biswas, Jaiveer Mahendru Girls: Mrittika Mallick, Velpula Sarayu, Sneha Halder This landmark initiative is a cornerstone of AICF's long-term vision to forge a robust, structured, and inclusive chess ecosystem across Bharat. By providing direct financial assistance to the most promising talents, the AICF is ensuring that young players receive every conceivable support to excel on both national and international stages, solidifying India's position as a global chess powerhouse. 'Bharat has not merely risen; we are now a dominant force, a chess superpower.', said Narang as quoted by the AICF press release. (ANI)
