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Deccan Herald
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Deccan Herald
Praggs clubbed with Carlsen; Gukesh opts out of Vegas bash
Praggnanandhaa found himself clubbed with Magnus Carlsen in the same group, while Arjun Erigaisi and Vidit Gujarathi were bunched together in the other pool of the 16‑player Freestyle chess tournament to be held here. World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen will yet again start as the favourite for the title in this edition that saw a lot of pre‑event activities including participation of NBA players. The tournament‑proper starts late on Wednesday. The event carries a total prize pool of USD 500,000 with USD 200,000 reserved for the winner. Each group has eight players in the line up and the top four will advance to the next stage while the bottom half will play against each other. World champion D Gukesh is going to give the event a miss as he will be playing the main event of the Grandmaster tournament here on Thursday. The 19‑year‑old Praggnanandhaa will start his campaign against Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan, a player who was struggling at the previous edition of Grand Chess Tour in Zagreb, Croatia. Carlsen will play the winner of the first edition, Vincent Keymer of Germany, in his opening round. American Hans Niemann will make his first appearance in the Freestyle chess tournament and take on Erigaisi in the opener.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Where is D Gukesh? World Champion skips Vegas Freestyle Chess
D Gukesh (Image credit: FIDE) NEW DELHI: R Praggnanandhaa has been drawn in the same group as world number one Magnus Carlsen for the upcoming 16-player Freestyle Chess tournament set to begin here on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi and Vidit Gujrathi will feature in the opposite group. Carlsen, the reigning world No.1, enters the event as the favourite yet again in a tournament that has already generated buzz through several pre-event activities, including participation from NBA players. The main event gets underway late on Wednesday. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The tournament boasts a total prize fund of USD 750,000, with USD 200,000 earmarked for the winner. Each group consists of eight players, with the top four advancing to the next stage. The bottom four will compete separately in classification matches. World Champion D Gukesh will not feature in this edition, choosing instead to prepare for the upcoming Grandmaster Tour's main event scheduled in about a month. The 19-year-old Praggnanandhaa will open his campaign against Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who had a difficult outing in the recent Grand Chess Tour leg in Zagreb, Croatia. Carlsen, on the other hand, will take on Germany's Vincent Keymer, the winner of the inaugural edition of the Freestyle Chess event. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Redefine Your Future with a Top Online MBA SRM Online Enquire Now Undo Making his debut in the tournament, American Hans Niemann is set to face Arjun Erigaisi in the opening round, while Vidit Gujrathi will lock horns with fellow elite Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana of the United States. Inside Lord's: Exclusive Stadium Tour & Must-Do Experiences In a first, the tournament will also feature a woman participant—Kazakhstan's Bibisara Assaubayeva—competing alongside the world's top male players. Freestyle Chess, also known as Fischer Random or Chess960, is a variant where the starting positions of the pieces are randomized. With minimal opening theory available, the format has gained popularity for encouraging dynamic and combative games right from the outset, reducing the frequency of draw-heavy encounters seen in classical formats. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Many people forget that he's only 19. He even forgets he's 19, says D Gukesh's coach Grzegorz Gajewski
D Gukesh during the Grand Chess Tour competition in Zagreb, Croatia. (Image: X) Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh secured third place at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz competition in Croatia, surprising many as he had only a 0.3 percent chance of winning according to pre-tournament simulations. The 19-year-old world champion showed significant improvement in faster time controls, winning the Rapid section before struggling in Blitz, ultimately finishing behind Magnus Carlsen and Wesley So. Despite being a powerhouse in Classical chess with a rating of 2776, Gukesh's performance in faster formats has been notably lower, with Rapid (2686.8) and Blitz (2612.6) ratings below the elite 2700 mark. His coach, Grzegorz Gajewski, sees this third-place finish as a sign of major progress. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "We are doing some exercises strictly devoted to the faster time controls," Gajewski told New Indian Express, explaining their focused training approach. These special exercises and practice games aim to boost Gukesh's skills in shorter time formats. Gajewski faces an interesting challenge managing his young protégé. "Chess wise, it's a tricky period because as world champion, the expectation is that much higher," he notes. The coach often needs to remind Gukesh of his youth, as the teenager's ambition sometimes makes him forget he's competing against more experienced players. "Chess wise, it's a tricky period because as world champion, the expectation is that much higher," he says. "In the process, many people forget that he's only 19. Sometimes, he even forgets that he's only 19. It's about managing his own ambitions, he's of course very hungry and just wanting to crush everybody on the board. But the reality is that the competition is very strong and many of his opponents are older, even the very young guys are older than him. " The coach emphasised on the overall development rather than format-specific improvements. "For me, the most important thing is for Gukesh to develop as a player not in terms of Classical or Rapid or Blitz... there are many areas to improve and once he improves in those areas he will become stronger in all formats," Gajewski explains. Since becoming world champion in Singapore last year, Gukesh has shown mixed results but achieved notable victories, including two wins against Magnus Carlsen in different formats. His recent Croatian performance adds to these achievements, marking steady progress in his developing career. Catch Manika Batra's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 3. Watch Here!
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Chess: Carlsen fights off Gukesh in Zagreb as ChessFest returns to Trafalgar Square
It looked as if the Carlsen era might finally be over. The Norwegian, 35, had just lost his second game in a row to India's world champion, Gukesh Dommaraju, 19, who was on a streak of five successive wins and leading the Zagreb event three points ahead of Carlsen. The game was like their first in Stavanger, where Carlsen had spoiled a winning position and images of his frustrated table thump went round the world. 'Now we can question Carlsen's domination,' said Garry Kasparov. Except this time the sequel was different. The format changed from rapid to blitz and Carlsen launched his own eight-game unbeaten streak including a win against the Indian teenager using 'old man's chess' with no tactics, while Gukesh tailspun into a catastrophic run of 1.5/9. An alternative description would be that Carlsen reverted to the style of Grind Like a Grandmaster, co-authored with England's David Howell. At the end of the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz, part of the Grand Chess Tour sponsored from St Louis by the billionaire Rex Sinquefield, Carlsen banked another $40,000 winner's cheque, his fourth in six starts in Croatia. He scored 22.5/36, Wesley So (US) 20, Gukesh 19.5. There was a third Gukesh v Carlsen game, but that proved a damp squib as the pair opted for a well-known drawing line in the Ruy Lopez Berlin. Overall, it remains a successful 2025 for Carlsen, who achieved his sixth successive tournament victory of the year following the Chessable Masters, the Paris Freestyle Grand Slam, the Grenke Freestyle Open, the Classic and Stavanger. 'When nobody else has a great performance, my B-game is usually enough' said Carlsen. 'It was a fairly even tournament overall, and nobody could break away from the pack. It doesn't feel like I've won really. It feels like I just came, played alright, and nobody else did anything special.' Meanwhile, the modest Gukesh continues to meditate at the start of every game and to emphasise that he is still working continuously in self-improvement. Carlsen has other issues. Next week at Wynn Las Vegas is the third of five tournaments in the $3.5m Freestyle Grand Slam, the series based on random starting positions for every game. In a qualifier for the final place, Carlsen's arch-rival, Hans Niemann, unexpectedly won through. The next leg of the Grand Slam was planned for Delhi, but it has been cancelled due to a lack of local sponsors. In a simultaneous announcement, Jan Henric Buettner, the German entrepreneur who has been the public face of Freestyle, resigned as its chief executive and will be replaced by Thomas Harsch. This may raise questions about whether Freestyle's campaign to gain wider acceptance in the chess community is faltering. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion More details have been released of Sunday's free 11am-7pm ChessFest in Trafalgar Square, for which the weather forecast is hot and sunny. You and your children can play blitz or simultaneous games against England's leading grandmasters, there will be living chess with human pieces, a transatlantic prodigy match, puzzle contests, free tuition for chess novices, and much more. Fuller details are also available for other ChessFests in Portishead on Saturday, Hull on Sunday, and Liverpool on 20 July. English international tournament victories these days are rare, so it is something to celebrate like London buses when two come along at once. The 2022 British Champion, Harry Grieve, won the Vitoria-Gasteiz Open in Spain, scoring an unbeaten 7.5/9 to edge two others on tie-break and winning a much admired bishop endgame. Meanwhile, at the South Wales International in Bridgend, the Kent IM Aaravamudhan Balaji, 21, outpaced several other GMs and IMs to win first prize with an unbeaten 8/9. The Fide Women's World Cup is under way in Batumi, Georgia, It qualifies three players for the 2026 Women's Candidates, so has a strong entry. There have already been some shocks. Aleksandra Goryachkina, one of the favourites, lost her first game while the USA's Irina Krush hung her queen in an all-US clash with Carissa Yip. Unfortunately, there are no British entrants. The event can be followed daily on lichess. 3980 1 Bxd6! If 1…Qxd6 2 Re8+ Kh7 3 Qb1+ and 4 Qxa2 wins a rook. If 1…Re2 2 Bf4! Qxf4 3 Re8+ and 4 Qxf4 wins the queen. The game ended 1 Bd2?? Qh3! 2 Ra3?? Ne4! and White resigned due to 3 fxe4 Rxa3 while otherwise Black mates by Qg3+ Kh1 Nf2 mate or by Qg3+ Kf1 Qf2 mate.
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Chess: Carlsen fights off Gukesh in Zagreb as ChessFest returns to Trafalgar Square
It looked as if the Carlsen era might finally be over. The Norwegian, 35, had just lost his second game in a row to India's world champion, Gukesh Dommaraju, 19, who was on a streak of five successive wins and leading the Zagreb event three points ahead of Carlsen. The game was like their first in Stavanger, where Carlsen had spoiled a winning position and images of his frustrated table thump went round the world. 'Now we can question Carlsen's domination,' said Garry Kasparov. Except this time the sequel was different. The format changed from rapid to blitz and Carlsen launched his own eight-game unbeaten streak including a win against the Indian teenager using 'old man's chess' with no tactics, while Gukesh tailspun into a catastrophic run of 1.5/9. An alternative description would be that Carlsen reverted to the style of Grind Like a Grandmaster, co-authored with England's David Howell. At the end of the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz, part of the Grand Chess Tour sponsored from St Louis by the billionaire Rex Sinquefield, Carlsen banked another $40,000 winner's cheque, his fourth in six starts in Croatia. He scored 22.5/36, Wesley So (US) 20, Gukesh 19.5. There was a third Gukesh v Carlsen game, but that proved a damp squib as the pair opted for a well-known drawing line in the Ruy Lopez Berlin. Overall, it remains a successful 2025 for Carlsen, who achieved his sixth successive tournament victory of the year following the Chessable Masters, the Paris Freestyle Grand Slam, the Grenke Freestyle Open, the Classic and Stavanger. 'When nobody else has a great performance, my B-game is usually enough' said Carlsen. 'It was a fairly even tournament overall, and nobody could break away from the pack. It doesn't feel like I've won really. It feels like I just came, played alright, and nobody else did anything special.' Meanwhile, the modest Gukesh continues to meditate at the start of every game and to emphasise that he is still working continuously in self-improvement. Carlsen has other issues. Next week at Wynn Las Vegas is the third of five tournaments in the $3.5m Freestyle Grand Slam, the series based on random starting positions for every game. In a qualifier for the final place, Carlsen's arch-rival, Hans Niemann, unexpectedly won through. The next leg of the Grand Slam was planned for Delhi, but it has been cancelled due to a lack of local sponsors. In a simultaneous announcement, Jan Henric Buettner, the German entrepreneur who has been the public face of Freestyle, resigned as its chief executive and will be replaced by Thomas Harsch. This may raise questions about whether Freestyle's campaign to gain wider acceptance in the chess community is faltering. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion More details have been released of Sunday's free 11am-7pm ChessFest in Trafalgar Square, for which the weather forecast is hot and sunny. You and your children can play blitz or simultaneous games against England's leading grandmasters, there will be living chess with human pieces, a transatlantic prodigy match, puzzle contests, free tuition for chess novices, and much more. Fuller details are also available for other ChessFests in Portishead on Saturday, Hull on Sunday, and Liverpool on 20 July. English international tournament victories these days are rare, so it is something to celebrate like London buses when two come along at once. The 2022 British Champion, Harry Grieve, won the Vitoria-Gasteiz Open in Spain, scoring an unbeaten 7.5/9 to edge two others on tie-break and winning a much admired bishop endgame. Meanwhile, at the South Wales International in Bridgend, the Kent IM Aaravamudhan Balaji, 21, outpaced several other GMs and IMs to win first prize with an unbeaten 8/9. The Fide Women's World Cup is under way in Batumi, Georgia, It qualifies three players for the 2026 Women's Candidates, so has a strong entry. There have already been some shocks. Aleksandra Goryachkina, one of the favourites, lost her first game while the USA's Irina Krush hung her queen in an all-US clash with Carissa Yip. Unfortunately, there are no British entrants. The event can be followed daily on lichess. 3980 1 Bxd6! If 1…Qxd6 2 Re8+ Kh7 3 Qb1+ and 4 Qxa2 wins a rook. If 1…Re2 2 Bf4! Qxf4 3 Re8+ and 4 Qxf4 wins the queen. The game ended 1 Bd2?? Qh3! 2 Ra3?? Ne4! and White resigned due to 3 fxe4 Rxa3 while otherwise Black mates by Qg3+ Kh1 Nf2 mate or by Qg3+ Kf1 Qf2 mate.
