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First Post
19-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Magnus's menace: How young Indian Grandmasters are proving to be his toughest challengers
Though he remains the world's top-ranked player across formats and is still a force to be reckoned with, Magnus Carlsen has been on the losing side fairly frequently in recent months. And it's one group of players in particular that have accounted for those losses more than any other – young Indian GMs. read more Magnus Carlsen has lost to D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa in the last couple of months, including in the ongoing Freestyle Chess Las Vegas. Image credit: Grand Chess Tour/Norway Chess/Tata Steel Chess Magnus Carlsen's authority as the world's best chess player had hardly been challenged since he defeated Viswanathan Anand in 2013 to be crowned world champion, three years after he rose to the top of the FIDE ratings for the first time in his career. Carlsen would go on to defeat Anand in a rematch the following year, and thus began an era of domination rivaled only by legends of the game such as Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov in the board game's history. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And even at the age of 34, more than two decades after attaining the title of 'Grandmaster', Carlsen continues to scale new heights in chess, having recently become the first player ever to breach the 2900 ELO rating barrier, albeit in Freestyle format. Nonetheless, at the same time, the Norwegian chess icon, who has been the world's top-ranked player continuously since 2011, finds his authority increasingly challenged with each passing tournament. And there's a particular group of players who have proven to be a thorn in the flesh for Carlsen more often than not – young Indian Grandmasters. Particularly, the current generation of rising stars, who have excelled over the last couple of years, has transformed India into a powerhouse of sorts in the world of chess. Losing against Indian players isn't a recent phenomenon for Carlsen – he had, after all, lost to veteran Grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna at the Lausanne Young Masters in 2005. Legendary GM Anand too had scored quite a few wins over Carlsen in the early years of his career – especially during his second reign as world champion from 2007 to 2012, and most recently at the 2022 Norway Chess. Magnus Carlsen's dominance in chess had rarely been challenged for more than a decade after he defeated Viswanathan Anand in 2013 to be crowned world champion for the first time. Reuters Karthikeyan Murali became only the third Indian to defeat the Norwegian at the Qatar Masters in 2023. Over a year later, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa would become the first of the current generation of stars to triumph over Carlsen in the Classical format – at the Norway Chess, his home event, of all places. Later that year, Arjun Erigaisi would outclass Carlsen in just 20 moves at the Tata Steel Blitz event in Kolkata STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'King' and 'weaker player' jibes intensify rivalry with Indians So why the spotlight on Carlsen's defeats against young Indians in recent months? It might have something to do with India's rise as a chess nation since 2024 – a year that witnessed Gukesh Dommaraju become the youngest champion in the history of the Candidates Tournament and the World Championship, besides India becoming only the third nation to achieve a golden sweep at the Chess Olympiad. That and Carlsen's feud with FIDE, in which the former not only criticised the Lausanne-based world governing body and how they ran the sport at a global level, but also slammed Classical chess in favour of the new Freestyle format. Some of those potshots were directed towards Anand, who has served as FIDE's deputy president since 2022. And it was only a matter of time before Gukesh and his cronies would be targeted. Carlsen and Gukesh had come face-to-face for the first time since the latter was crowned world champion at this year's Norway Chess. After beating him in dominant fashion in the opening round, Carlsen took a jibe at Gukesh by quoting a line from the popular HBO series, 'You come at the king, you best not miss.' A little over a month later, ahead of the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia, Carlsen took a fresh dig at Gukesh by referring to him as "one of weaker players". STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Letting the chess pieces do the talking On both occasions, Gukesh responded with brilliance on the chess board to silence Carlsen without saying a word. In Norway, Gukesh fought back from a near-hopeless position to defeat Carlsen for the first time in his career, pulling off what surely was the biggest win of his career alongside his triumph over Ding Liren in the World Championship in December. What made the result even more dramatic was Carlsen's infamous fist-slam on the table in anger that elicited a shocked reaction from his opponent. World chess champion Magnus Carlsen slams table after losing to young chess prodigy — Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) June 18, 2025 And earlier this month in Zagreb, the teenage Grandmaster from Chennai defeated Carlsen for the second time in as many meetings, this time to shut him up for the 'weaker players' jibe. Also Read | Gukesh doesn't miss while coming at 'King' Carlsen, justifies the 'world champion' tag And unlike his victory in Stavanger, this was a win in the Rapid format – one he was considered weak in – in which he dictated terms from start to finish. The manner in which he lost even led to Russian icon Kasparov questioning Magnus' dominance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD D Gukesh had defeated Magnus Carlsen twice in as many meetings recently, albeit in different formats. Image: Grand Chess Tour It wasn't just the traditional forms of the game that Carlsen has been challenged in. At the ongoing fourth leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Las Vegas, USA, Carlsen lost to Praggnanandhaa in just 39 moves after committing a couple of blunders. The defeat derailed his campaign after a strong start in which he had won his first two games and drew the third, and culminated in the Freestyle Chess co-founder shockingly failing to reach the quarter-finals. And if that's not all, Carlsen had nearly lost to nine-year-old Candidate Master Aarit Kapil in Titled Tuesday event last month ahead of his trip to Croatia. A spicy rivalry that makes chess so much more interesting And it's not just Indians who are getting the better of Carlsen over the course of the last one year – German Grandmaster Vincent Keymer, after all, had pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent months after beating Carlsen in the semi-finals of Freestyle Chess Weissenhaus in February, the event that he would end up winning later. However, his equation with Indian GMs, especially the young trio of Gukesh, Pragg and Arjun, just has that extra spice which certainly has made chess all the more eventful. There's little doubt over the fact that Carlsen continues to reign supreme, as evidenced by the fact that he won the Norway Chess as well as SuperUnited Croatia, events where he made headlines for his losses to Gukesh more than anything else. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India's 'Golden' Generation', however, is leading the way when it comes to highlighting the fact that Carlsen isn't quite the unstoppable force he once was, especially when he voluntarily decided against defending his world title in 2022, as if to suggest he grew bored with the lack of competition.
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First Post
11-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
D Gukesh's coach sheds light on managing Indian star's ambitions, keeping him grounded: 'Many forget that he's only 19'
Polish Grandmaster Grzegorz Gajewski has been coaching D Gukesh full-time since 2023, overseeing his victories at the Candidates Tournament and the World Championship last year, speaks on managing the 19-year-old's ambitions and dealing with the burden of expectations. read more D Gukesh has had Polish Grandmaster Grzegorz Gajewski as his coach since 2023. Image: Grzegorz Gajewski on X After an incredible run in 2024, reigning Classical world champion Gukesh Dommaraju has been experiencing mixed fortunes this year. While the 19-year-old Indian Grandmaster finished runner-up at Tata Steel Chess in February and third at Norway Chess, where he defeated Magnus Carlsen for the first time in his career, he has had an underwhelming run in the first two legs of the Freesstyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. His mixed run in 2025 can be perfectly summarised by his performance at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia, the third event of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour where he finished top of the standings at the end of the Rapid leg but eventually finished third on the overall standings after poor run in the Blitz games. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gajewski sheds light on managing Gukesh's ambitions Gukesh's coach Grzegorz Gajewski recently opened up on managing the young superstar's ambitions, revealing that he has to remind the player himself that he's just 19. 'Chess wise, it's a tricky period because as world champion, the expectation is that much higher. In the process, many people forget that he's only 19. Sometimes, he even forgets that he's only 19,' the Polish GM told The New Indian Express. '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,' added Gajewski, who has been coaching Gukesh full-time since 2023 and has been working on sharpening his skills in faster time controls of late. Gukesh will be taking a break after the event in Zagreb, having opted against participating in the American leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Las Vegas that gets underway later this month and features compatriots Arjun Erigaisi, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi.
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First Post
06-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Gukesh shatters image of a one-format champion with latest victory over Carlsen and Rapid title in Croatia
D Gukesh not only defeated Magnus Carlsen for the second time in as many meetings in the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia, he ended up winning the Rapid section of the event to finally dispel the notion of his ability as a world-class player being limited to just one format. read more Gukesh Dommaraju had silenced his critics in some style last month when he defeated Magnus Carlsen for the first time in his career in Norway Chess. And in the past week, not only did he beat the legendary Norwegian Grandmaster twice in as many meetings, he also shattered the image of being a one-format player by winning the Rapid title at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia. The teenaged Grandmaster had been having a torrid run since in December and finishing runner-up at the Tata Steel Chess right after, with many questioning whether he deserved to be counted among chess' elite or not. The fact that he hardly made an impact in the two Freestyle events in the intervening months only served to add fuel to the fire that raged around him. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The stunning turnaround against the world No 1 in Stavanger last month was therefore much needed for the lad from Chennai to highlight the fact that his rise to the top wasn't out of sheer luck. That, however, did not eliminate the question mark that continued to hover over his form in the faster Rapid and Blitz formats. The 19-year-old's rise in the sport isn't anything less than meteoric and his run from April 2024 to February 2025 helped solidify his status as a superstar. A perceived weakness in the faster formats Gukesh, however, has had this perception of being a world-class player in one format – Classical a.k.a. Standard chess. And there isn't better evidence for that perception than his triumph in the World Championship, where the consensus was that Gukesh had to find a way to prevent Chinese GM Ding Liren from taking the contest into the tie-breaks – where the Indian would be at a disadvantage in the Rapid and Blitz formats. That proved to be the case at Tata Steel Chess in Wijk aan Zee in February – where Gukesh and compatriot R Praggnanandhaa finished level on points at the end of the Classical games and the latter triumphed in the blitz tie-breaks. Had Ding managed to play out a draw in the 14th and final Classical game in the World Championship, he would certainly have been considered a favourite heading into the tie-breaks. Coming back to SuperUnited Croatia, Gukesh not only had a point to prove against Carlsen who had quite bluntly referred to him as one of the 'weaker players' in an interview ahead of the opening round, he also had to shake off the image of a player who was heavily dependent on the luxury of getting enough time for his mental calculations for him to outsmart his opponents. And he did that in some style. Grinding his way out of tough situations and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat has been the hallmark of two of his most memorable triumphs – against Ding and Carlsen in December and June respectively. Adding another feather to his cap in Croatia His second victory over Carlsen on Thursday, however, wasn't anything like that. Gukesh, for once, went toe-to-toe with his hallowed opponent, pounced on an opening via a blunder in the 35th move and forced Carlsen to resign just 14 moves later. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gukesh's magic, however, wasn't just limited to his sixth-round meeting with Carlsen on Day 2 of the event. After starting with a defeat against Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Gukesh clawed back with a victory over Alireza Firouzja and 'Pragg' to end the day in the joint-lead alongside the Norwegian and two others. A solid start was then followed by a clinical run as Gukesh moved into the sole lead with a hat-trick of wins, defeating Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Fabiano Caruana besides Carlsen. Also Read | Kasparov on Gukesh's latest victory over Carlsen: 'Now we can question Magnus' domination' And on the final day of the Rapid leg of the tournament that's part of the Grand Chess Tour, Gukesh sealed his title with draws against Anish Giri and Ivan Saric before signing off with a victory over Wesley So to finish with 14 points – three more than Duda, who finished second by a point ahead of Carlsen. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'It does refute certain theories' FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky reminded the chess world that while Gukesh did not become the best Rapid player in the world with his exploits in Zagreb, he certainly dispelled 'certain theories' about him and earned the right to be viewed as 'one of the best'. 'No, an amazing performance in Zagreb does not mean that Gukesh became the world's best rapid player overnight. But yes, it does refute certain theories. You can't just score like that vs world's best by chance - or by having good three days. Exactly as when Dubov or Nodirbek won the FIDE World Rapid, it did not mean they suddenly became the strongest. But from thereon it was clear, they are one of the best,' Sutovsky wrote in a post on X on Saturday. At the time of writing this piece, Gukesh did flounder on the opening day of the Blitz, finding himself at the bottom of the table with seven defeats in nine games including against Carlsen, the reigning Blitz world champion who currently leads the standings with 7.5 points. Then again, Rome wasn't built in a day. Gukesh has just proven himself in a format that has a minimum time control of 10 minutes, and to expect him to have a similar impact in a three-minute game – knowing his nature and style of play – would be a bit unfair. Give him some time, and a performance like the one that won him the Rapid title in Croatia might not be too far off. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
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First Post
04-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Praggnanandhaa reveals he's 'much more confident, ambitious' after stellar run, says 'still a lot of fight till December
R Praggnanandhaa has won three major titles so far this year, including the prestigious Tata Steel Chess in February, and is currently the highest-ranked Indian on the FIDE ratings at fourth. read more R Praggnanandhaa won Superbet Chess Classic Romania and UzChess Cup Masters in addition to the Tata Steel Chess in what has been a stellar run this year. Image: R Praggnanandhaa on X Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is a lot more confident a player following a stellar run this year and is setting his sights on competing at the Candidates Tournament next year. Praggnanandhaa has won three titles so far this year, including the prestigious Tata Steel Chess in February, and is currently ranked fourth in the FIDE Classical Ratings, ahead of compatriots Arjun Erigaisi and D Gukesh – who occupy the fifth and sixth spots respectively. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Praggnanandhaa, who had starred in India's historic golden sweep in last year's Chess Olympiad, would go on to win the Superbet Chess Classic Romania in Bucharest as well as the UzChess Cup Masters last week, where he defeated local favourites Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov in the tie-breakers. And in an interaction with Press Trust of India, the 19-year-old – one of the youngest GMs in the sport's history – revealed that he is hungrier than ever after his recent success. 'I wasn't able to win as many games as I would have liked to (last year), but yeah, I'm much more confident now and much more ambitious than earlier. And, hopefully, I'll make it to the Candidates,' Praggnanandhaa told the news agency. Pragg also keeping an eye on FIDE Grand Swiss and World Cup And the Indian GM currently finds himself in an ideal position to qualify for Candidates by occupying the top spot on the FIDE Circuit 2025 standings with 86.28 points. Nodirbek and compatriot Aravindh Chithambaram occupy the second and third spots with 50.78 and 41.32 points respectively. Candidates 2026 will feature the winners of FIDE Circuit 2024 and 2025 – the former having been won by American GM Fabiano Caruana. The prestigious tournament will also feature the top-two finishers of FIDE Grand Swiss and the top three finishers in the FIDE World Cup, both of which take place later this year, along with the player with the highest average rating from August 2025 to January 2026. Though he is leading the 2025 FIDE Circuit standings, 'Pragg' is confident of making the Candidates final list through other avenues even if he cedes the top spot to Nodirbek or some other player towards the end of the cycle. 'Yes, there are different (several) spots, of course. I am currently leading (the race for a Candidates spot) but there is still a lot of fight till December. But I think, I mean, I will also be playing the Grand Swiss and the World Cup. So, if I can make it in one of those, that will be better because I don't have to wait till December,' Praggnanandhaa added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As for the best player in the world at the moment, Praggnanandhaa maintained that world No 1 Magnus Carlsen will still well ahead of others despite the rise of India's 'Golden Generation', of which he is a part. 'I think Magnus is still the best player in the world. And I don't think there is any question about it. Whenever he plays a tournament, he is the favourite. He has been proving that he is still the best by winning every tournament. For me, personally, I take a lot of inspiration from him, the way he plays. 'For example, he won 9 out of 9 (games) in Grand Slam Freestyle Tournament, which I don't think anyone can do except Magnus. So, yeah, it's just brilliant,' Praggnanandhaa added.
Indian Express
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
R Praggnanandhaa explains why players like Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura are moving away from classical chess
With players like Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura gradually moving away from playing classical chess, Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa said that it was likely due to the mental and physical exhaustion that comes as a part of playing the format. 'It's difficult to play classical chess because everyone is well prepared… the opening preparation part is huge in classical chess. If you compare it to freestyle, you don't have to prepare before a game, while in classical chess, you're basically forced to. I don't think anyone actually enjoys that process, but you're forced to and you have to have a plan for everything. That requires a lot of effort,' said Praggnanandhaa. 'And when you play a lot of such tournaments, then your energy is also (drained)… I mean you can also be mentally and physically exhausted. So all these things happen. I think that's the reason why everyone prefers other formats. I mean, I myself like freestyle much more because of the fact that you don't have to prepare before a game. That doesn't mean we don't want to work on (our) chess. We enjoy working on chess. But the fact that you have to (put endless hours in preparations)… you're forced to do before the game like three-four hours of preparation, then it's not really something that everyone enjoys. So yeah, I like freestyle. I like rapid and it's a bit more than classical for sure. But I think classical is still the main thing,' he added. Magnus, the five-time world champion, and world No.2 American Grandmaster Nakamura have played fewer classical games, and instead focused on freestyle, rapid and blitz formats. Praggnanandhaa has won three tournaments already this year, including the Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee in February and the Superbet Chess Classic Romania in May earlier in the year. The 19-year old also gained 12 rating points, thanks to his performance at the UzChess Cup tournament in Tashkent, which helped him climb to the world no 4 spot for the first time in his career in the latest FIDE ratings list released by the global governing body of chess on July 1.
