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Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
A new era in Indian chess: Four grandmasters in top 10; R Praggnanandhaa leads FIDE Circuit
NEW DELHI: Indian chess is entering uncharted territory. For the first time in history, four Indian players now feature in the world's top 10 live ratings — a momentous leap for the nation on the global chessboard. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The newest name to break into the elite ranks is Aravindh Chithambaram, who climbed to World No. 9 with a live rating of 2757.8. He joins D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa, cementing India's growing dominance in international chess. Aravindh's surge comes on the heels of a hard-fought victory at the 6th Stepan Avagyan Memorial in Jermuk, Armenia. He and Praggnanandhaa both finished with 6.5/9, but Aravindh claimed the title thanks to a better Sonneborn-Berger score — a tiebreaker determined by the strength of opponents faced. Final-round drama in Jermuk The tournament couldn't have been closer. Aravindh and Praggnanandhaa, who are also training partners under coach RB Ramesh, drew their first-round encounter and remained locked in step for much of the event. Entering the final round, both were tied at 5.5 points and needed a win to take the title. Praggnanandhaa struck first, defeating Robert Hovhannisyan of Armenia. Aravindh, playing black, responded under pressure by toppling Aram Hakobyan, sealing a flawless performance: 4 wins, 5 draws, zero losses. For Praggnanandhaa, the result was bittersweet. 'It was a good tournament for me,' he told Chessbase India, 'but I missed that one chance in Round 2 against Jonas Buhl Bjerre. That win would've made the difference.' Praggnanandhaa leads the circuit Despite finishing second, the 19-year-old continues his blazing run in 2025. He now ranks sixth in live ratings (2774.2) and leads the FIDE Circuit standings with 83.59 points from five events. His consistent form, including wins at Tata Steel Masters and GCT Romania Classic, and top-three finishes in Prague, GCT Poland, and now Jermuk — puts him in pole position to qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Close behind is Aravindh with 41.32 points from just three events — proof of his rapid rise and potential to catch up. What's Next? The momentum doesn't stop here. Both Aravindh and Praggnanandhaa are slated to compete in the Uzchess Cup, kicking off June 18 in Uzbekistan. They'll be facing elite opposition again — including Ian Nepomniachtchi, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Arjun Erigaisi. Indian chess has never looked stronger, and this new generation is proving it's here to stay.
India Gazette
25-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
World Champion Gukesh arrives in Stavanger; pegs face-off against Magnus Carlsen
Stavanger [Norway], May 25 (ANI): The youngest world chess champion, India's Gukesh Dommaraju, arrived in Stavanger on Saturday for the most-awaited contest of the year at the Norway Chess 2025, scheduled to begin from May 26 here at the Sparebank 1 Sor-Norge headquarters. For the first time since he was crowned the world chess champion, after beating Ding Liren in a best-of-14-game match in Singapore last year, the 18-year-old will face off against World No.1 Magnus Carlsen in the classical format. Speaking about taking on the Norwegian icon Carlsen in his backyard, Gukesh said as per a press release, 'I feel great being here (in Stavanger). I have had good memories from Norway. I am sure playing Magnus here in a classical game will be a fun challenge. Also, for the spectators, it is about the world champion versus the No.1 player in the world. It surely sounds very exciting, so it is surely something I am very happy to give, myself and the chess fans. And I hope it will be a treat.' The last time Gukesh participated in Norway Chess was in 2023, where he finished third, securing the crucial International Chess Federation (FIDE) Circuit points needed to qualify for the 2024 Candidates Tournament. This achievement made him the third-youngest player in history to qualify for a Candidates tournament, following in the footsteps of Bobby Fischer and Magnus Carlsen. By August 2023, Gukesh shattered another record, becoming the youngest player ever to achieve a rating of 2750. A month later, in September 2023, he surpassed Viswanathan Anand as India's top-ranked player, marking the first time in 37 years that someone other than Anand held this distinction. He was on song in 2024, starting the year with a first-place finish at Tata Steel Masters in January, and he dominated the Candidates Tournament, securing his spot in the World Chess Championship match. At the Olympiad, he led Team India to gold while earning an individual gold medal on board one with an outstanding performance. Elaborating on keeping up with the expectations, particularly after his recent success, Gukesh said, 'It is a new level. But when I see it as a challenge to prove to myself that I can handle this. Even though the expectations are high, I can meet them if I keep working hard and doing my best.' Among the challenges in a classical game, Gukesh feels one of the things to be vary about is fighting his own thoughts. 'In a classical game, you end up playing for five hours, and those are the times you cannot be fully thinking about the game. I think there are random thoughts that come into our mind,s but the important thing is to stay in the game and come back to those thoughts later. This is the purpose of the note that you're making. And you can't afford to allow weak moments,' he explained. India's Arjun Erigaisi will also feature in the Norway Chess which will have one of the strongest line-up including Hikaru Nakamura (USA), Fabiano Caruana (USA), Wei Yi (China) and in Norway Chess Women 2025 Ju Wenjun (China), Lei Tingjie (China), Koneru Humpy (India), Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), Vaishali R (India) and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (Spain) will fight for top honours. (ANI)
Hans India
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Gukesh back in action in Superbet Classic
Bucharest (Romania):World Champion D Gukesh will be the top seeded player at the Superbet Classic, where the young chess wizard will have the opportunity to cross the 2800 rating mark for the first time in his career. The tournament, starting Wednesday, is the first event under classical chess in Grand Chess Tour this year. Gukesh, ranked third in the world on ratings, will have his task cut out as all the nine Tour participants compete in the first tournament together. The wild card has been awarded to Deac Bogdan-Daniel as part of the host country. After a second-place finish at the Tata Steel Masters in January, Gukesh will be seen playing in a Classical event after a little over three months. The 18-year-old is known to be an expert in Classical chess and all his major successes have come in this format. At 2787 points currently, a good performance can help Gukesh touch the 2800 rating milestone. Besides the World champion, R Praggnanandhaa will be the other Indian in the fray ready to give everyone a run for their money. Pragg, the winner of Tata Steel Masters tasted decent success in the preceding superbet rapid and blitz at Warsaw in Poland where he finished third. Apart from the two Indians, Fabiano Caruana of United States, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan and Firouzja Alireza of France are the other main contenders for the title. Participants D Gukesh, R Praggnanadhaa (Ind); Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian Wesley So (USA); Firouzja Alireza, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra); Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb); Duda Jan Kryzsztof (Pol); Deac Bogdan Daniel (Rou).
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Grand Chess Tour Romania Classic 2025: Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa back in action
World Champion D. Gukesh will be the top-seeded player at the Grand Chess Tour Classic Romania, where he will have the opportunity to break the 2800 rating mark for the first time in his career. The tournament, starting on Wednesday, is the first classical event of the Grand Chess Tour this year. Gukesh, currently ranked third in the world, faces a tough challenge, with all nine Tour participants competing together for the first time. The wildcard entry goes to Deac Bogdan-Daniel, representing the host nation. ALSO READ | Gukesh-Nakamura battle headlines Checkmate: USA vs India chess team match After finishing second at the Tata Steel Masters in January, Gukesh returns to classical chess after a break of over three months. At just 18, he has earned a reputation as a classical chess specialist, with most of his major successes coming in this format. Currently at a rating of 2787, a strong performance could see him surpass the 2800 mark. Joining Gukesh will be fellow Indian R. Praggnanandhaa, who is also expected to be a serious contender. Praggnanandhaa, the winner of the Tata Steel Masters, enjoyed notable success in the preceding rapid and blitz events in Warsaw, where he finished third. The field also includes several strong contenders: Fabiano Caruana of the United States, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan, and Alireza Firouzja of France. Experienced players such as Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France and the American duo of Wesley So and Levon Aronian, and Jan-Kryzsztof Duda of Poland cannot be overlooked, given their vast experience and competitive resilience. The nine-round event will see each participant play against every other player once, with a total prize pool of USD 350,000. Caruana is always a consistent threat in classical chess, and should he find his rhythm, he could challenge both Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa. Meanwhile, Firouzja and Abdusattorov are known for their bold and unpredictable style, capable of taking down any opponent on their day. Participants: D Gukesh, R Praggnanadhaa (Ind); Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian Wesley So (USA); Firouzja Alireza, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra); Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb); Duda Jan Kryzsztof (Pol); Deac Bogdan Daniel (Rou).
News18
07-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
D Gukesh Set To Return As Top-Seed For Superbet Classic
Last Updated: World Champion D Gukesh aims to cross the 2800 rating mark at the Superbet Classic, starting Wednesday. World Champion D Gukesh will be the top seeded player at the Superbet Classic, where the young chess wizard will have the opportunity to cross the 2800 rating mark for the first time in his career. The tournament, starting Wednesday, is the first event under classical chess in Grand Chess Tour this year. Gukesh, ranked third in the world on ratings, will have his task cut out as all the nine Tour participants compete in the first tournament together. The wild card has been awarded to Deac Bogdan-Daniel as part of the host country. After a second-place finish at the Tata Steel Masters in January, Gukesh will be seen playing in a Classical event after a little over three months. The 18-year-old is known to be an expert in Classical chess and all his major successes have come in this format. At 2787 points currently, a good performance can help Gukesh touch the 2800 rating milestone. Besides the World champion, R Praggnanandhaa will be the other Indian in the fray ready to give everyone a run for their money. Pragg, the winner of Tata Steel Masters tasted decent success in the preceding superbet rapid and blitz at Warsaw in Poland where he finished third. Apart from the two Indians, Fabiano Caruana of United States, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan and Firouzja Alireza of France are the other main contenders for the title. The likes of Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and American duo of Wesley SO and Levon Aronian cannot be ruled out, given the immense experience and grit they bring on board. The year started on a positive note for Praggnanandhaa in the Tata Steel Masters and he finished second behind compatriot Aravindh Chithambaram in the Prague Masters in late February. Now with his third-place finish in the Superbet rapid and blitz, the world number seven can confidently look forward to another good performance. Fabiano Caruana is one consistent performer in classical chess and he will be a real threat to the Indian duo if he gets going. Alireza and Abdusattorov are known for their risk-taking ability and they can turn the tables on anyone on their good day. Participants: D Gukesh, R Praggnanadhaa (Ind); Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian Wesley So (USA); Firouzja Alireza, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra); Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb); Duda Jan Kryzsztof (Pol); Deac Bogdan Daniel (Rou). First Published:
