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The Hindu
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
India Chess Wrap, May 14: Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh see contrasting fortunes; Nihal jumps to fourth
R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh played out draws in Round 7 of the Grand Chess Tour: Superbet Chess Classic in Romania. However, their standings tell different stories. Praggnanandhaa currently shares the lead with three others on four points, placing him in a strong joint-fourth position. In contrast, Gukesh is yet to score, marking a surprising dip in form following his triumph over Ding Liren in the World Championship. Meanwhile, at the Asian Individual Chess Championships, Nihal Sarin made a significant leap from tenth to fourth place after an impressive Round 8 victory over S.P. Sethuraman. ALSO READ | 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships: Dates, format, prize money and key changes Demonstrating precise calculation and sustained pressure, Nihal converted a promising middlegame into a comfortable win. He now shares second place with Narayanan Sunilduth Lyna on six points, firmly positioning himself in contention as the tournament enters its final rounds. Vaishali draws with Tan In the ongoing FIDE Women's Grand Prix, R Vaishali had a chance to move to the top of the standings in her Round 8 game against World Championship runner-up Tan Zhongyi, but instead settled for a solid draw. She now sits in fourth place, just one point behind Anna Muzychuk, who leads with 5.5 points. Vaishali chose a safe approach with the Ruy Lopez opening and developed her pieces steadily. Tan responded with some sharp kingside play, but Vaishali stayed calm and defended accurately. As the match moved into the middlegame, the positions became simpler. By move 35, queens and several other pieces were off the board, leaving both players with just rooks and pawns. The endgame was balanced, with no clear winning chances for either side. Tan looked for opportunities with her rook, but Vaishali held firm. After a series of repeated moves, the game ended in a draw. It was a well-played encounter with smart decisions and solid play from both sides. Tan is currently third with 5 points. The final round will be played on May 15.
The Hindu
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
India Chess Wrap, May 15: Praggnanandhaa still in contention as Gukesh opens account at Superbet Classic
D. Gukesh scored his first win of the Grand Chess Tour: Superbet Chess Classic Romania, defeating Levon Aronian in a game that showed why he is considered one of the best players in the world. Aronian, playing with the white pieces, chose the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation and traded queens early, aiming for a calm, strategic game. But Gukesh had other ideas. When Aronian pushed his central pawns, Gukesh responded boldly by bringing his king into the centre. It was an unusual decision, but it worked in his favour, giving him control and helping him turn the game around. From there, Gukesh gradually took control, defending accurately and activating his rooks. His h-file pawn became a serious threat, and with no good moves left, Aronian resigned. Gukesh's brave use of his king played a key role in the victory. After going winless for seven rounds, Gukesh finally broke through and moved up to ninth place with 3.5 points. He may not be in the running for the title, but another Indian, Praggnanandhaa, led the standings after a vital win against Wesley So. His final opponent? Aronian. The last round takes place on 16 May. Nihal Sarin books World Cup spot Meanwhile, at the Asian Individual Chess Championships in Abu Dhabi, Nihal Sarin pulled off a brilliant win in the final round against tournament leader Bardiya Daneshwar, completing a stunning turnaround. Sarin, who had been in tenth place, won his last four games to finish with 7 points — equal with Daneshwar, who took first place on tie-breaks. This strong finish earned Sarin a spot in the World Cup, to be held in India later this year. He will be joined by five other Indian players who also qualified: Pa. Iniyan, R. Raja Rithvik, S.L. Narayanan, M. Pranesh, and G.B. Harshvardhan — making it a strong performance for India. In the women's section, Vantika Agrawal was the highest-placed Indian, finishing fourth. Elsewhere, the Women's Grand Prix in Austria concluded with Anna Muzychuk winning the tournament. She held off a strong challenge from India's R. Vaishali, who needed a win in the final round to stay in the race. Despite a brave effort, Vaishali drew the game and finished fourth with 5 points — a solid result in a competitive field.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Indian Chess Wrap, May 12: Karthikeyan goes down to Daneshvar at Asian Individual Championship
Indian Grandmaster Murali Karthikeyan went down fighting against Bardiya Daneshvar of Iran but Srija Sheshadri came back from behind to beat Russia's Anastasia Bodnaruk in the sixth round of Asian Individual Chess Championships in Al Ain on Monday. Daneshvar has emerged as the sole leader on 5.5 points after another victory and is the front runner for the gold medal in this $80000 prize money tournament. It was a Sicilian defense by Karthikeyan as black and Daneshvar employed the Alapin variation. The opening does not enjoy a great following at top level chess but Karthikeyan felt the heat in the middle game as Daneshvar got more active pieces. After the dust settled, Karthikeyan was down a pawn in the rook ending and lost in 49 moves. Ivan Zemlyanskii of Russia emerged as the sole occupant of the second spot defeating Jiang Haochen of China. It was a long drawn affair in which the Russian dominated the endgame and took his tally to five points. Karthikeyan slipped to joint third spot on 4.5 points and giving him company was M. Pranesh who drew with Russian Sergei Lobanov. In the women's section, overnight joint leader Srija Seshadri sprang a major surprise on Bodnaruk in a battle of wits after nearly six hours of play. Srija with white pieces had to combat against as many as three black pieces against her queen but the end was quite satisfactory for the Indian as Bodnaruk blundered a rook and lost. With three rounds still to come, highest rated Indian Vantika Agrawal made another stride forward at the expense of Afruza Khamdamova of Uzbekistan. Vantika took her tally to 5 points and climbed to joint second spot along with compatriot P V Nandhidhaa who defeated Tokhirjonova Gulrukhbegum of Uzbekistan.
Al Etihad
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
Under the patronage of Nahyan bin Zayed, Asian Individual Chess Championship to take place in Al Ain Region
6 May 2025 17:08 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the Asian Individual Chess Championships for Men and Women – Masters Section will be held at Danat Al Ain Resort from May 6-16, organised by Al Ain Chess Club and the UAE Chess Federation, under the supervision of both the Asian and International Chess Federations, the event is considered the largest in the history of Asian Sultan bin Khalifa bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan, President of the Asian Chess Federation and Chairman of Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club, stated that hosting the championship in Al Ain reflects the UAE's position as a leading hub for mind sports, and embodies the leadership's vision of supporting international intellectual and sports of the Asian Chess Federation, Hisham Al Taher, explained that the championship serves as a platform to discover new champions and qualify them for the 2025 World will see more than 600 male and female players from 38 Asian countries, and a record 284 players in the Classical Championship, compared to just 142 in the 2022 edition in India. The men's section features 178 players — a 93.4 percent increase from previous numbers and the women's section includes 106 players — an 85.6 percent UAE is represented by eight players, most notably Grandmaster Salem Abdulrahman, ranked 7th in tournament comprises nine classical rounds, with a special Blitz Championship on 10 May minimum rating requirement is 2,000 for men, 1,800 for women and will see a total prize fund of Dh300,000 ($80,000), awarded in full and tax-free. Official FIDE ratings as of May 1, 2025 will be used and for the first time, VAR (Video Assistant Referee) technology will be implemented in chess to ensure fairness in disputed situations. Al Taher said, 'We promise a championship worthy of Asia, filled with excitement, top-tier organisation, and sportsmanship, a true milestone in the history of chess.'
