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Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Norway Chess: Magnus Carlsen stays top of standings; Koneru Humpy takes sole lead
extend his lead in the Norway Chess tournament following an Armageddon victory over Fabiano Caruana, while Hikaru Nakamura suffered a devastating loss to Arjun Erigaisi after blundering from winning positions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The day featured three Classical draws followed by three decisive Armageddon games, with Wei Yi defeating World Champion D Gukesh in the tiebreaker. In the women's section, Koneru Humpy took sole lead after winning her Armageddon game against Lei Tingjie. Carlsen maintained his position atop the standings despite facing early difficulties against Caruana in their classical encounter. The World No. 1 admitted to being unprepared for Caruana's opening choice in the Ruy Lopez. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. "I was just kicking myself for—just why did I not anticipate this earlier?" Carlsen said about his improvised response. Carlsen acknowledged his recent approach to chess theory has changed: "Sometimes it works well, sometimes it doesn't." He noted that he hasn't followed theory as closely as during his 2021 world championship preparation, though he remains aware of top-level games. In the Armageddon game, Carlsen secured a commanding position early and converted his advantage after Caruana's error. Nakamura experienced a particularly frustrating day, missing winning chances in both games against Arjun Erigaisi. The classical game saw Nakamura gain an early advantage but fail to convert his extra pawn. The Armageddon game proved even more dramatic, with Nakamura blundering away a winning position. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Wei Yi continued his impressive Armageddon performance, securing his third such victory of the tournament. After missing a win in the Classical game against Gukesh, Wei prevailed in the tiebreaker through superior control of the dark squares. In the women's section, R Vaishali scored the day's only Classical victory, defeating Sara Khadem in what she described as "a very smooth" game. "This win feels good. The first few games did not go my way. I hope I'll have a good tournament from here on!" Vaishali said after her victory propelled her from last place to fourth in the standings. Exclusive | Arjuna Awardee Vantika Agrawal: 'People still ask, 'Chess is fine, but what do you really do?'' Ju Wenjun maintained her unbeaten classical record while securing her fourth Armageddon win of the tournament against Anna Muzychuk. This result, combined with Humpy's victory over Lei, established Humpy as the sole leader at the tournament's midway point. The tournament structure awards three points for classical wins and one point for draws, with an additional half-point available through Armageddon games. The competition continues with Round 6 on Sunday, featuring a rematch between D Gukesh and Magnus Carlsen, with the World Champion seeking revenge for his first-round defeat. The tournament runs through June 6 in Chess: Magnus Carlsen stays top of standings; Konery Humpy takes sole lead
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Norway Chess: Magnus Carlsen floors Arjun Erigaisi in endgame for sole lead
, the Dronacharya of endgame, showed no mercy against Arjun Erigaisi. Ruthlessness reigned in the fourth round of Norway chess meet in Stavanger on Thursday. Stunningly, the Norwegian World No. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 1 had pointed out the correct 30th move (Qe7) to the world via a confession box during the live webcast. That move would have given Arjun the best chance to draw the game. Most importantly, Carlsen also explained the logic behind it. When you are a pawn less in the queen, double rook and pawns endgame, it's better to exchange queens first. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. However, Arjun allowed a rook trade first — human answer to the pressure on the board and chaos inside. And the queen exchange never happened. It was just a marginal inaccuracy, but Carlsen turned that into a cardinal mistake. Exclusive | Arjuna Awardee Vantika Agrawal: 'People still ask, 'Chess is fine, but what do you really do?'' He went for a rook exchange and played with such beauty and precision that both Stockfish (chess engine) and Caissa (chess goddess) would have doffed their hats to the endgame masterclass from the white side of an English opening game that lasted 48 moves. It was nigh impossible to stop Carlsen when he played at high level, especially after he drew his previous two classical games against Nakamura and Wei Yi and lost both in the Armageddon. Carlsen brought his king to the centre against Arjun while facing the checks in the queen and three pawns vs queen and four pawns climax to score three points. In his only previous game in classical format against Arjun (Wijk aan Zee 2023, Reti, Zukertort Symmetrical), the first grab had happened on the 28th turn. Carlsen had won with black pieces then. China no. 1 Wei Yi Exclusive: Norway Chess 2025, Indian chess stars & China's chess culture Stars aligned for Carlsen as D Gukesh defeated overnight leader Fabiano Caruana in Armageddon. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It meant Carlsen moved into the sole lead with six rounds to go in this six-player double round robin elite event. He is on eight points followed by Caruana on 7. The bottom-placed Yi (4) is not too behind in terms of points. Both Gukesh and Arjun are joint fourth with 4.5 points each. On the women's side, joint leader K Humpy could not capitalise on R Vaishali beating co-leader Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine in Armageddon. Humpy lost in the Armageddon against China's women's world champion Ju Wenjun. Both Humpy and Muzychuk are on 7 points. Vaishali is sixth and last on 3.5 points.
New Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Glam meets grit as Miss World hopefuls get sporty in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: With She Moves the World blaring from speakers at the Balayogi Indoor Stadium in Gachibowli, 72 Miss World contestants traded gowns for athletic gear as they turned the pageant's sports finale into a roaring celebration of strength, culture and global camaraderie. From Indian martial arts to chess battles against local prodigies, the event proved that beauty queens are as fierce in competition as they are graceful on stage. A large number of sports enthusiasts and guests filled the stands as the programme began with a performance medley highlighting Indian martial arts, yoga and skating. The skating segment, choreographed by Arjuna Awardee Anup Kumar Yama, saw a 24-member team deliver a spectacular routine. This was followed by a yoga presentation by a 22-member team led by guru K Dattatreya that left the contestants visibly impressed. Later, the Miss World contestants joined in a group yoga session. Miss Albania, Elona Ndrecaj, who participated enthusiastically, said, 'I practise yoga every day. It was very interesting, and I loved being a part of this session.' As the sports competitions commenced, the energy in the stadium soared. Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao lit the ceremonial torch and jogged around the stadium, officially opening the event. He also tried his hand at badminton, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
PV Sindhu rocks a MH12-coded convocation speech at Pune: ‘My husband is from here… Even his bike is from here!'
PV Sindhu showed up for the 2025 convocation of a private university in Pune that her husband Sai Datta had attended, and entertained the graduating flock to some pristine memories from her illustrious career. The Olympic medallist from Rio and Tokyo blended snatched of personal memories and career highlights while speaking about her partner, her father PV Ramana and former coach, Pullela Gopichand. Recalling how she had bawled her eyes out – 'ugly tears' – not cute Instagram droplets- around both her Olympic successes, Sindhu also spoke for the first time about why the 2022 Commonwealth Games medal meant so much to her. She would draw more than a few chuckles and uproarious laughs with her speech at the Lavale campus. What brought her to Pune was her husband Sai Datta having graduated from the same private University. 'This isn't just a speech for me. This is personal. Because — well, I didn't study here. But my husband did. And ever since we met, FLAME hasn't stopped showing up in my life. My husband is from here. My manager, Ananth, is from here. Some of his closest friends are from here. His bike is from here!' she quipped at the MH-12 coded ultimate souvenir from Pune. 'His heart is from here. So even though I didn't walk these corridors as a student — I've heard so many stories, sat through so many 'bro, I can't explain it — you had to be there' or 'bro, you never chilled on the cricket ground' FLAME honestly, it feels like I graduated from here too,' she added. The graduate partner had missed his own convocation for his parents' anniversary, she noted. Sindhu recalled lessons that had stayed with her from 4 AM wake-up calls to Olympic podiums. It included her manifesting success for herself by scribbling on her father's visiting card. 'Dreams are free… but effort never is. I was 8 years old when my father — an Arjuna Awardee himself — received his medal. I remember him proudly showing me this card that read: 'P.V. Ramana — Arjuna Awardee.' And what did I do? I took a pen, scratched out his name… and wrote mine instead. 'P.V. Sindhu.' She would however warn about the fine print of dreams. 'hey don't tell you about the 4 AM alarms. They don't tell you about driving 150 km a day to train — for ten years straight. They don't tell you about missing weddings, parties, school trips… or even my own sister's wedding, because of a tournament. They don't tell you about the days your legs give up… but your mind says, 'One more set.' Or the nights you cry quietly into your pillow… only to wake up the next day and pretend everything's fine. That's the part nobody claps for. That's the rent every dream demands,' she said. She also busted the myth that athletes were perennially motivated. 'People often ask me, 'Sindhu, how do you stay motivated?' Let me tell you a secret: I don't. Not every day. Not every week. But what I do is — show up. Even on the days I didn't feel like it. Especially on the days I didn't feel like it. You're not always going to feel inspired. You're not always going to feel strong. But if you just show up — you're already ahead of most.' Sindhu took the students down another memory lane – which Indians remember as a happy moment, but where she had secretly grieved a lost gold. '… the Rio Olympics, 2016. I had made it to the finals. The whole country was watching. The pressure? Unreal. I played my heart out. But I lost. Silver medal. Now, to the world, it looked like victory. But in my heart — it felt like defeat. Because I knew I had almost done it. Almost. That night, I sat alone and cried. And no — not a cute, Instagram-tears kind of cry. It was an ugly, full-body, 'I gave everything and it still wasn't enough' kind of cry. And the worst part? It wasn't the last time,' she said. Recalling how she lost two World Championship finals and got labelled as 'the girl who always comes second', she recalled how a straight up chat with her coach firmed up her resolve as she answered her own questions: 'People whispered, 'Maybe she just doesn't have the edge anymore.' And for a while… I believed them. Until one day, after a particularly brutal loss, my coach sat beside me and asked. 'So… what do you want to do now?' And my answer was simple: 'I'm not done.' That's it. Not a quote for a coffee mug. Not some dramatic movie moment. Just — 'I'm not done.' Because failure doesn't stop you. Doubt does. And if you want to do something big in life — you're going to have to fail for it. Repeatedly. Publicly. Sometimes, even hilariously. The COVID bronze had been a different experience at Tokyo where she restored her peace, she said. 'COVID had delayed the Olympics by a year. I came in drained — mentally, physically, emotionally. Possibly the hardest year of my life. In the semifinals, I faced my dear friend Tai Tzu-Ying — one of the craftiest players the sport has ever seen. And I lost. I didn't sleep that night. I cried straight through. And then, badminton does one of the cruelest things it can — It asks you to show up again the next morning. For bronze. No space to grieve. No time to reflect. Just another match. Another fight. But somehow… I did it. And I won. That bronze medal? It wasn't just a podium finish — it was me reclaiming my peace.' Losing the 2018 CWG gold to Saina Nehwal had hurt, and Sindhu told her audience how she played witha busted foot to tick the box. 'At Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, 'I'd had a great year — three titles already. But there was one medal missing from my cabinet: Commonwealth gold. In 2018, I'd lost to my compatriot Saina. That hurt. I wanted this one,' Sindhu said. In the quarterfinal, Sindhu went for a jump smash — 'a shot I've probably hit 50,000 times in my career. It's one of the most natural movements for me. But this time…As I landed, I heard it;— A sharp, ugly katt in my heel.' She And knew something had gone wrong as she finished the match in pain as her physio told her 'We might have to head home.' Needing to play two more matches and win, her team would cut open her shoe. 'My foot was so swollen I couldn't fit it into my shoe — we had to cut it open on the side. And yet… I played. Through pain. Through fear. Through a body that was literally breaking down. I played — for the flag on my chest. For the girl who scratched her dad's name off that Arjuna card. For the medal that had slipped away once before. Two full matches. One shattered heart that refused to give up. And I won. That missing gold? Finally mine.'' Sindhu would also use the occasion to show her gratitude for her team. 'Despite what headlines love to say —there is no such thing as self-made. Every medal I've won, every podium I've stood on — it may have been me out there on the court…But behind the scenes? There was an entire army. Coaches. Physios. Trainers. Parents. Friends. Mentors. Teammates. Drivers. Cooks. Masseurs. People who believed in me — sometimes even on the days I didn't believe in myself.' Sindhu also recalled how Pullela Gopichand had toughened her as an athlete. 'When I was 13, my coach made a few of us juniors sweep the court before practice. At the time, I thought it was punishment. Later, I understood — he was teaching us that no role is beneath you when you're building something great. Humility was the first lesson. Years later, before the Rio Olympics, my coach did something even more extreme — He took away my phone. And sugar. For three whole months. Yes — I know that sounds like a Black Mirror episode. But back then, he believed I needed total focus. And maybe he was right — I made it to the Olympic final. After the match, when I'd won silver…He handed the phone back to me, smiled, and said, 'Well done. Now go order your ice cream.' That little moment — the phone, the silver, the ice cream — that was our gold.,' she recalled. There were mushy words for her husband, an alumnus at FLAME too. 'Even love, if you're lucky enough to find it, becomes part of your team. My husband — who's here today — is not just my partner in life. He's my mirror. My late-night soundboard. My unofficial coach. My emergency joke writer. The one person I can cry in front of when it really hurts. So yeah — medals are nice. Podiums are great. But knowing there's someone in the stands who would clap for you… even if you lost every match? That's the win that matters most,' she said adding humour to gravitas. Sindhu would talk about her vulnerabilities too. 'Even I fall into it sometimes — worrying about rankings, sponsorships, who said what, what headline will come tomorrow. But here's what I've learned: You can climb every mountain… and still feel empty at the top. Unless you learn to protect your joy.' What is joy for her? 'Like ice cream after a tough match. (Which, thanks to our beloved Prime Minister Modi ji, is now apparently national policy.) A guilt-free binge-watch of some terrible reality TV — don't ask which one. Playing with my dog like we're both puppies. Or holding my husband's hand on a quiet walk, without being stopped every two steps for a selfie. That's my reset button. That's the world reminding me: You're more than your results.' Sindhu ended the speech with a profundity. 'In fact, there was a time I confused ambition with tension. I thought pushing harder meant caring more. But you know what? Peace is productive. Laughter is fuel. Joy is discipline. So whatever your version of joy is — protect it fiercely. Make space for it. Fight for it the way you fight for ambition might get you there. VBut joy is what keeps you going. Don't let medals, titles, or 'the grind' steal the very thing that makes you human,' she said.
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In major jolt, 13 Delhi councillors quit AAP, announce formation of Indraprastha Vikas Party
In a significant political shake-up within the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), 13 councillors elected on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) tickets have tendered their resignations and announced the formation of a new political front — the Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP). The group, led by Hemchand Goyal, councillor from Molarband, is set to function as an independent bloc within the MCD. In a signed statement submitted to the MCD, the councillors cited disillusionment with the AAP's leadership and lack of internal coordination as key reasons for their departure. 'All of us Municipal Councillors were elected in the Delhi Municipal Corporation in the year 2022 on the ticket of Aam Aadmi Party, but despite coming to power in the Delhi Municipal Corporation in 2022, the top leadership of the party was unable to run the Delhi Municipal Corporation smoothly,' it said. 'The coordination between the top leadership and the Municipal Councillors was negligible, due to which the party came in the opposition. Due to failure to fulfil the promises made to the public, we the following councillors are resigning from the primary membership of the party,' the statement added. While the IVP has claimed that 15 councillors have joined its ranks, only 13 have publicly confirmed their affiliation so far. Among those who have joined the new front are Bankner ward councillor and Arjuna Awardee Dinesh Bhardwaj, a former captain of the Indian kabaddi team; Himani Jain from Vasant Vihar; Usha Sharma from Sadar Bazar; Sahib Kumar from Vikas Puri; Rakhi Yadav from Hastsal; Ashok Pandey from Vikas Nagar; Rajesh Kumar from Mubarakpur; Sumar Anil Rana from Rohini-B; and Devendra Kumar from Mayur Vihar Phase 2. The most surprising defection is that of Mukesh Goel, a seasoned municipal leader who recently contested the Adarsh Nagar assembly seat on an AAP ticket and served as the Leader of the House in the MCD. Goel, once a prominent Congress figure during its tenure in the MCD, joined AAP ahead of the 2022 civic elections and was named the party's Leader of the House thereafter. Speaking to The Indian Express, Goel said, 'The party will only function as a front at the MCD level. The AAP was sitting at the helm of the MCD for 2.5 years, in that period, the councillors have been not allotted any budget, they were told to not raise matters of concern from their areas. There were constant fights between the AAP and the BJP, and the AAP never acted like a responsible government and never agreed to sit and listen to the concerns of the opposition. They never allowed the monthly house meetings to be held and they would always end in ruckus. There was gross civic neglect. Our plan is to act like a strong opposition at the MCD level which the AAP has been unable to do.' Asked whether his decision was influenced by being replaced as the MCD's Leader of the Opposition by Ranjeet Nagar councillor Ankush Narang following AAP's loss in the recent mayoral election, Goel said, 'While in the Congress, after working as the standing committee chair for years, the party had named Jai Kishan ji to be the new standing committee chair and I continued to work as a normal karyakarta for years. It is about mutual respect, which is lacking in the leaders of this party. They don't even pick up our calls.' The announcement was made at a press conference at the Constitution Club, where Goel also hinted that more councillors were likely to join the new formation in the coming days. This development comes just weeks after the BJP regained control of the MCD by winning the mayoral elections, marking a critical reversal of fortunes after two years in the Opposition. The timing is particularly significant as elections for chairpersons of the 12 zonal ward committees — instrumental in determining the composition of the powerful 18-member Standing Committee — are fast approaching. The Standing Committee plays a key role in the civic body, and no proposal exceeding Rs 5 crore can be passed without its approval. The deadline for filing nominations for these posts is May 22. Previously, the AAP had managed to secure five of the 12 zonal committees. Out of the 18 Standing Committee members, the BJP had managed to secure nine while the AAP was a close 8, one seat had remained vacant due to an AAP-BJP tussle, hindering the composition of the standing committee. The new defections may now further complicate its position in the upcoming civic leadership contests.
