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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Getting checkmated, flagging on time: Gukesh loses 5-1 to his World Championship second Jan-Krzysztof Duda
Gukesh Dommaraju was handed a 5-1 defeat in an exhibition blitz event in Poland's Katowice by Jan-Krzysztof Duda, the man who helped the Indian teenager become the youngest world champion in chess history as a second. While blitz is not Gukesh's preferred format, the best-of-six games event saw Gukesh take a 1-0 lead in the start. While the Indian is miles ahead of Duda in terms of rating in the classical format (Gukesh is world number six with a rating of 2776, while Duda is number 23 with 2725), Duda is better at the faster time controls. The Polish grandmaster leads the boy from Chennai in blitz, which is one of the fastest time controls in the sport: Duda is ranked 14th in the world with a rating of 2752. Meanwhile, Gukesh is rated 2613 and barely makes it into the top 100. Gukesh rarely competes in blitz tournaments. He recently played in the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia tournament where he was leading after the rapid event ended, but after the blitz portion he ended third in the standings. In the fifth game of the exhibition match, Gukesh blundered from an equal position to get checkmated. With both of Duda's rooks converging on Gukesh's unprotected king on the first rank, Gukesh moved in the wrong direction, playing 45. Kd1 instead of Kf1, which would have kept the pressure on Duda's rook and avoided checkmate. Commenting on the blunder that led to checkmate, chess legend Susan Polgar said on X: 'This may potentially be a problem for him in his World Championship title defense. One cannot approach rapid and especially blitz the same way as classical chess. The approach and mindset have to be very different. He still has time to fix it but he has to learn to evaluate positions differently in faster time control. This is crucial because the current World Championship format includes rapid and blitz playoff. Complications = burning more valuable time on the clock.' In a previous game, the Indian teenager had lost by flagging (losing after having no time on his clock). From Poland's Katowice, the world champion will be headed to USA, where he will the lone Indian in action at the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament, which will kickoff the events starting on August 11th (Monday).
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First Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Chennai Grand Masters director reveals surprising reason behind Gukesh and Pragg's absence from tournament: 'We simply didn't get any...'
Chennai Grand Masters tournament director GM Srinath Narayanan revealed the reason why World Champion D. Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa are not featuring at the event, read more The third edition of the Chennai Grand Masters tournament is underway, and much like every Chess tournament, it will feature a heavy Indian battalion. The likes of Arjun Erigaisi, who is a super GM with a current FIDE Ranking of No.5, will enter the tournament along with veteran Vidit Gujrathi. Besides the Indians, other prominent players like Anish Giri and Jorden van Foreest will also be present at the event. However, the competition will remain sans the two national jewels, R Praggnandhaa and the current World Champion of Chess, D Gukesh. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While both Pragg and Gukesh have remained considerably busy over the last few years, they will miss out on the tournament. Not because they are taking some time off, but due to the fact that they have committed to raising the Indian flag somewhere else. Why Guki and Pragg not featuring in Chennai Grand Masters? Tournament Director and Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan addressed their absence and revealed the reason behind them not playing in the event. 'Ideally, we would have loved to have Gukesh and Pragg playing. But this year, we had to clash our event with the Grand Chess Tour because the calendar was insanely full. And we simply didn't get any free dates. But in the future, whenever they are available, we would certainly love to have them. And hopefully, we can schedule it at a time when it doesn't clash with another major event in the future years,' said Srinath. Gukesh, who is enjoying a purple patch in his career, will play at the St Louis Rapid and Blitz from August 10-15, a key leg of the Grand Chess Tour. Meanwhile, Praggnandhaaa has been juggling a packed schedule and hence could not find room to compete in the Chennai event. Despite the scheduling challenges, the Chennai Grand Masters tournament is set to garner much interest from chess fans and will make further strides towards relevancy. 'Over the last two years, we have already seen a tradition where a young talented player goes on to get world-class recognition after winning here. Happened with Gukesh in 2023, happened with Aravindh Chithambaram also… Similarly, we hope to keep unearthing more talents,' Srinath added.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Why Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh are not playing in 2025 Chennai Grand Masters
The third edition of the Chennai Grand Masters tournament is set to begin on Wednesday, boasting one of the strongest line-ups in Indian chess outside the global stage. With a main field featuring stars like Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Anish Giri, and Jorden van Foreest, and a vibrant Challengers section spotlighting emerging Indian talents, the tournament continues its rise as a staple fixture on the chess calendar. Gukesh D during the Norway Chess(Narendra Modi-X) But the absence of two of India's biggest stars, reigning World Champion D Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa R, has been a talking point in this year's edition, especially given the tournament's symbolic stature in Chennai, the home of Indian chess. Tournament Director and Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan addressed their absence candidly, pointing to unavoidable calendar conflicts as the primary reason. 'Ideally, we would have loved to have Gukesh and Pragg playing. But this year, we had to clash our event with the Grand Chess Tour because the calendar was insanely full. And we simply didn't get any free dates. But in the future, whenever they are available, we would certainly love to have them. And hopefully, we can schedule it at a time when it doesn't clash with another major event in the future years,' said Srinath. Gukesh, currently at the peak of his powers after his historic world title win earlier this year, is set to play at the St Louis Rapid and Blitz from August 10-15, a key leg of the Grand Chess Tour. Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa is also navigating a packed calendar of international commitments, leaving little room for participation in the Chennai event. Chennai Grand Masters' rising stature Despite the scheduling setback, the Chennai Grand Masters continues to gain prestige and relevance. Srinath emphasised the tournament's role in nurturing India's next wave of talent. 'Over the last two years, we have already seen a tradition where a young talented player goes on to get world-class recognition after winning here. Happened with Gukesh in 2023, happened with Aravindh Chithambaram also… Similarly, we hope to keep unearthing more talents,' he said. Even in its third year, the tournament remains ambitious, building on the momentum of India's chess boom and striving to become a permanent fixture.
India Today
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Magnus Carlsen trolls haters after Grand Chess Tour Zagreb win, deletes post later
Magnus Carlsen let his chess do the talking once again, capping a stunning comeback to win the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia title — his sixth straight Rapid and Blitz triumph on the Grand Chess Tour. With 22.5 points overall, Carlsen pulled away from the field in emphatic fashion, sealing the title with a final-round blitz win over local favourite Ivan aric. His blistering 7.5/9 on the first day of blitz had already set the stage, and a solid 5/9 on the final day was enough to finish 2.5 points clear of Wesley So, who took silver with 20 teenage prodigy and reigning world champion D Gukesh, who had dominated the rapid stage and even humbled Carlsen in Round 6, had to settle for third. He finished with 19.5 points, undone by a brutal collapse in the blitz ever the competitor, also had the final word — or meme, rather. He posted a cryptic celebratory image online after clinching the crown, a subtle jab at critics and perhaps a nod to those who questioned his comments earlier in the week. However, he delated the post from his X account later on Sunday. Just days earlier, the Norwegian had sparked controversy by calling Gukesh 'one of the presumably weaker players' in the field, a comment that raised eyebrows considering the Indian teenager had recently defeated him in classical format at Norway Chess. Gukesh responded the best way possible: with his second consecutive win over Carlsen, this time with Black in rapid, a calm and clinical performance that pushed him to the top of the that point, Gukesh looked like the man to beat. He stormed through the rapid stage with six wins, including victories over elite names like Carlsen and Wesley So, to finish clear at the top with 10 points. He held a three-point lead heading into the blitz and looked poised to make ROARS, GUKESH CRUMBLES IN BLITZBut the blitz portion brought a complete reversal of fortunes. Gukesh lost five of his first six blitz games on Day 1, drawing one and winning just one. His rhythm was off, nerves visible, and the crisp precision of his rapid games nowhere to be found. A final-round loss to compatriot R Praggnanandhaa capped a disappointing blitz performance that saw him lose six games on the first day stark contrast, Carlsen unleashed what he later called a 'decisive' run, scoring 7.5/9 on the opening blitz day to erase Gukesh's lead and seize control of the leaderboard.'From the morning, I felt this would be a tough day,' Carlsen said afterward. 'It was a very strong field but I'm happy to come out on top.'His second day of blitz wasn't as dominant, but his early lead gave him the cushion to close out the tournament without win marks Carlsen's sixth successive Rapid & Blitz title on the Grand Chess Tour, reinforcing his stranglehold on faster formats. While Gukesh has proven he belongs at the top, and his rapid triumphs over Carlsen cannot be ignored, the blitz segment exposed a gap in consistency, one the young Indian will no doubt look to close as he for his part, leaves Croatia with a bronze medal and the satisfaction of having beaten the sport's biggest name yet again. But for now, Carlsen's redemption arc is complete and the king of blitz remains firmly on his throne.- Ends
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Magnus Carlsen on taking on Gukesh at GCT Zagreb: I will approach it as if I am playing a weaker player
Magnus Carlsen has said that he will approach his upcoming match against Indian world champion D Gukesh as if he is coming up against 'one of the presumably weaker players.' 'I think Gukesh played quite well here last time, but it remains to be proven that he's one of the best players in this format,' said the Norwegian in the buildup to the pair's showdown at the Global Chess Tour, Rapid and Blitz tournament in Zagreb. READ ALSO: GCT 2025, Zagreb: Gukesh in four-way lead with Carlsen, So and Duda after opening day 'We have a very, very strong field…Gukesh hasn't done anything to [show] that he's going to do well in such a tournament. I hope, for his sake, that he can do better. But playing him in this tournament, I will approach it as if I'm playing one of the presumably weaker players (in the tournament),' Carlsen further added. The former world champion also named Alireza Firouzja as a 'clear second favourite' in the competition. Carlsen and Gukesh will meet thrice in Zagreb, once in rapid and twice in blitz. The first of these will be on July 3, marking the first time the two will face after their well-publicised meeting at the 2025 Norway Chess, where the Indian claimed a stunning victory.
