Latest news with #ViswanathanAnand
New Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
For the spectators, it's about world champ vs World No 1: Gukesh on clash against Carlsen
STAVANGER: A few weeks ago, Stavanger, a quaint, unhurried seaside town in Norway's southwest, was bathed in sunshine. The locals had found it strange because the weather in Stavanger is usually 'rain, rain, rain'. Spring, then, had come early. Or so it seemed. But not anymore. On Sunday morning the pitter-patter of the rains was a constant soundtrack. Low-lying clouds and moisture laden winds had brought down the mercury by a couple of degrees. The weather was in stark contrast to Norway Chess' official hotel. At one point of time, both Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen, 10 world Classical titles between them, were in the lobby — the former checking-in and the latter carrying what looked like pizza. The presence of Carlsen, whose Classical days are well and truly numbered, ought to be cherished for you never know when he will decide to walk away from the format he has owned since becoming world champion for the first time in 2013. While Carlsen is royalty in these parts, this year's field in the Open section is so strong it could well be a mini Candidates. Carlsen, the World No 1, is joined by D Gukesh, the reigning world champion and World No 3, Hikaru Nakamura, World No 2, Arjun Erigaisi, World No 4 and Fabiano Caruana, World No 5. Completing the set is Wei Yi, World No 8, a former second of Ding Liren. It's why there's bound to be a lot of excitement, even from an Indian perspective. Since Gukesh's ascension last December, his results have been mixed. If he can best this field, he will answer his critics in some style. "I feel great being here (in Stavanger)," the Indian teen said in an interview with the organisers. "I've 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. I hope it will be a treat." After the Indian beat Liren to the title last year, the expectations have grown. And he's confident he can meet those. "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."
Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Top 10 women chess players in India: At No. 1 is the youngest Grandmaster
Top 10 women chess players in India: India has long been a chess powerhouse, producing world-class talent who have made their mark on the global stage. While legends like Viswanathan Anand and rising stars like D Gukesh often steal the spotlight, India's women chess players have been quietly and steadily making their presence felt, both at home and abroad. From prodigies dominating international tournaments to seasoned champions breaking barriers, these women have proven that chess excellence knows no gender. One of the key indicators of a player's prowess is their FIDE rating, which evaluates skill based on consistent performance against ranked the higher a player's rating, the stronger and more consistent their performance is. Here are India's top women chess players, ranked according to FIDE: Source: Forbes Koneru Humpy, born in Gudivada in 1987, showed early promise in chess, guided by her father from age six. By eight, she was winning local tournaments. In 2002, she made history as the youngest female Grandmaster at 15, breaking Judit Polgár's record. Humpy, later, became the second woman to surpass a 2600 Elo rating. Her achievements earned her the prestigious Arjuna Award and Padma Shri. Born in 1991 in Guntur, Harika Dronavalli became a Grandmaster in 2009, showcasing her chess prowess early on. She's a three-time bronze medalist at the Women's World Championship (2012, 2015, 2017) and won the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in 2016. She is the second Indian woman to cross the 2600 Elo mark and has received both the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri for her achievements. Born in 2001, Vaishali Rameshbabu earned the Grandmaster title in 2024. Alongside her brother Praggnanandhaa, they made history as the first sibling duo to both become Grandmasters and qualify for the prestigious Candidates Tournament. Divya Deshmukh, a rising star in Indian chess, earned the International Master title in 2023. One of her major achievements came in 2024 when she clinched the title at the FIDE World Junior Girls Chess Championship. She also played a key role in India's gold medal victory at the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad, further cementing her status as a promising young talent. Tania Sachdev is a renowned Indian chess player who holds the titles of Woman Grandmaster and International Master. She reached her peak FIDE rating of 2443 in September 2013. A key member of the Indian team, she contributed to their gold medal win at the 45th Chess Olympiad, hosted by the International Chess Federation in Budapest. Vantika Agrawal, born in September 2002, holds the FIDE titles of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and International Master (IM). She has three gold medals at the Chess Olympiad, and two golds at the 45th Chess Olympiad in 2024. Agrawal also secured a silver medal with the Indian Team at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. Her accolades extend to medals in Commonwealth, World Youth, Asian Youth, and National Championships. In recognition of her outstanding achievements, she was recently awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award. P V Nandhidhaa from Tamil Nadu, born on April 10, 1996, holds the FIDE titles of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and Woman International Master (WIM), making her the 17th Woman Grandmaster of India. She has achieved significant success in her career, including winning an individual Gold in the Asian Chess Championship in 2022 and becoming the reigning National Women Chess Champion in 2024. She has also secured medals in Commonwealth and Asian-level tournaments across various age categories. Her peak FIDE Elo rating is 2380, and she continues to compete at a high level. Padmini Rout, born on January 5, 1994, holds the titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). Rout has won the National Women's Premier Championship five times and was the Asian Women's Champion in 2018. She also earned an individual gold medal at the 2014 Women's Chess Olympiad. Born in 1992, Bhakti Kulkarni holds the prestigious FIDE titles of Woman Grandmaster (2012) and International Master (2019). A recipient of the Arjuna Award for her significant contributions to chess, Kulkarni has achieved notable successes, including winning the Asian Women's Chess Championship and representing India in various international tournaments. Rakshitta Ravi, born on April 24, 2005, holds the FIDE title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM), which she achieved in April 2023. Her parents, T S Ravi and Sai Meera Ravi, are both titled chess players. Rakshitta earned her Woman International Master (WIM) title at 13 and her WGM title at 17, making her India's 24th Woman Grandmaster.
Malay Mail
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Magnus Carlsen vs 143,000: Chess legend held to draw by the world
OSLO, May 21 — Chess legend Magnus Carlsen, considered one of the best players in history, has been held to a draw by a team of 143,000 opponents in an online match. Organised by the match site the duel — dubbed 'Magnus Carlsen vs. The World' — pitted the 34-year-old Norwegian against amateurs from around the planet who decided their moves by popular vote. The match with Carlsen, who was world champion from 2013 to 2023, opened on April 4, with each side allowed 24 hours to decide its next move. After more than six weeks, it ended in a draw Monday. 'I felt that I was a little bit better, early in the opening,' Carlsen said in a video. 'Honestly, since then, they haven't given me a single chance.' Carlsen is not the first grandmaster to take on a team of thousands. Russian chess giant Garry Kasparov played more than 50,000 opponents in a 1999 match, while India's Viswanathan Anand played around 70,000 last year, according to news agency NTB. — AFP
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen is forced into a draw in a showdown against ‘the world'
Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen was forced into a draw Monday by more than 143,000 people worldwide playing against him in a single, record-setting game. Billed as 'Magnus Carlsen vs. The World,' the online match began April 4 on the world's largest chess website, and was the first-ever online freestyle game to feature a world champion. The mega-match ended after Team World checked Carlsen's king a third time, a stunning outcome after had predicted Carlsen would win by a wide margin. This was the third 'vs. The World' record-setting online game. In 1999, Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov played against more than 50,000 people on the Microsoft Network and won after four months. Last year, Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand won his 'vs. The World' match against nearly 70,000 players on 'Very, very sound chess' Carlsen, 34, became the world's top-ranked player in 2010 aged 19 and has won five World Championships. He achieved the highest-ever chess rating of 2882 in 2014 and has remained the undisputed world number one for more than a decade. 'Overall, 'the world' has played very, very sound chess from the start. Maybe not going for most enterprising options, but kind of keeping it more in vein with normal chess — which isn't always the best strategy, but it worked out well this time,' Carlsen said in a statement Friday as Monday's draw seemed imminent. Because it was a freestyle match, the bishops, knights, rooks, queen and king were randomly shuffled around the board while the pawns remained in their usual spots. Freestyle chess is popular because it allows players to be more creative and avoid memorization. 'We made history' Team World voted on each move and each side had 24 hours to make their play. Carlsen played the white pieces. The world won on move 32 after checking Carlsen's king three times in the corner of the board where it could not escape. The rule is called "threefold repetition," meaning all of the pieces on the board are in the exact same position three times to prompt a draw. In the virtual chat, players appeared split on whether to force the draw — and claim the glory — or to keep playing against Carlsen, even if it ultimately meant a loss. 'Don't Draw! Let's keep playing Magnus,' one user wrote. 'This is an opportunity that won't come along again. I'd rather play the Master all the way to the end and see if we can battle it out another 20 or 30 moves! Let's have some FUN!!!' Another added: 'Thanks Magnus for such a great game. We made history.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen is forced into a draw in a showdown against ‘the world'
FILE - Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, left, of SG Alpine Warriors plays against Poland's Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Chingari Gulf Titans during Global Chess League in Dubai United Arab Emirates, on July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File) BERLIN (AP) — Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen was forced into a draw Monday by more than 143,000 people worldwide playing against him in a single, record-setting game. Billed as 'Magnus Carlsen vs. The World,' the online match began April 4 on the world's largest chess website, and was the first-ever online freestyle game to feature a world champion. Advertisement The mega-match ended after Team World checked Carlsen's king a third time, a stunning outcome after had predicted Carlsen would win by a wide margin. This was the third 'vs. The World' record-setting online game. In 1999, Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov played against more than 50,000 people on the Microsoft Network and won after four months. Last year, Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand won his 'vs. The World' match against nearly 70,000 players on 'Very, very sound chess' Carlsen, 34, became the world's top-ranked player in 2010 aged 19 and has won five World Championships. He achieved the highest-ever chess rating of 2882 in 2014 and has remained the undisputed world number one for more than a decade. Advertisement 'Overall, 'the world' has played very, very sound chess from the start. Maybe not going for most enterprising options, but kind of keeping it more in vein with normal chess — which isn't always the best strategy, but it worked out well this time,' Carlsen said in a statement Friday as Monday's draw seemed imminent. Because it was a freestyle match, the bishops, knights, rooks, queen and king were randomly shuffled around the board while the pawns remained in their usual spots. Freestyle chess is popular because it allows players to be more creative and avoid memorization. 'We made history' Team World voted on each move and each side had 24 hours to make their play. Carlsen played the white pieces. Advertisement The world won on move 32 after checking Carlsen's king three times in the corner of the board where it could not escape. The rule is called "threefold repetition," meaning all of the pieces on the board are in the exact same position three times to prompt a draw. In the virtual chat, players appeared split on whether to force the draw — and claim the glory — or to keep playing against Carlsen, even if it ultimately meant a loss. 'Don't Draw! Let's keep playing Magnus,' one user wrote. 'This is an opportunity that won't come along again. I'd rather play the Master all the way to the end and see if we can battle it out another 20 or 30 moves! Let's have some FUN!!!' Another added: 'Thanks Magnus for such a great game. We made history.'
