Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa produced a spectacular game to get the better of fellow-Indian Vidit Gujrathi in the third round of the Candidates Chess tournament in Toronto on Saturday.
The 18-year-old Gukesh is the youngest ever challenger for the crown and had won the third game on Wednesday.
Vantika Agrawal delivered when it mattered most as she defeated Grandmaster Irina Krush, helping India secure a 2-2 draw against United States.
The event that was inaugurated by five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand will have 11 rounds before the best player in the under-20 category can be determined in both sections.
Praggnanandhaa on Sunday attributed the change in fortune to increased confidence and ambition
Chess sensation R Praggnanandhaa along with his parents meet PM Modi
Grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh played out a hard-fought draw yet again, signing peace with top seed and local favourite Fabiano Caruana.
Chess960, created by former world champion Bobby Fischer in 1996, has been gaining in popularity after an invitational tournament played last year at the Weissenhaus Luxury Resort, which hosted the G7 Foreign Minister summit in 2022.
From Joe Root vs Jasprit Bumrah's high-stakes chess match to the all-round brilliance of Ben Stokes vs Ravindra Jadeja, and from emerging face-offs like Shubman Gill vs Shoaib Bashir to K L Rahul's test against Chris Woakes, each duel carries weight far beyond statistics.
Carlsen came up with a fine exchange sacrifice maintaining parity, and after 49 moves the draw was a just result giving the best player in the world a deserving 1.5-0.5 victory.
Aravindh Chithamabaram took his tally to 3.5 points out of a possible four.
'Chess and cricket are similar, but in cricket, you can show your aggression, but in chess, you can't. It is all about how calm you are in chess.'
Grandmaster Nodirbek Yakubboe said he didn't respond to Indian GM R Vaishali's handshake gesture because of 'religious reasons'.
At the end of the fifth round India's Aravindh Chithambaram is now followed by four players -- the Iranian duo of Amin Tabatabaei and Bardiya Daneshvar and Americans Hans Moke Niemann and Sam Shankland -- who all have four points each.
'Rahul is a seasoned player of politics and chess. He makes his moves after careful consideration.
Rajbaris are a link to Bengal's rich past, of grand mansions, classical fine dining, and allow guests to be pretend zamindars for those few hours or days that they stay.
'We have to change our mindset to grow. We've got to think about our lacunas, our shortcomings and we have to work on that all the time. In three years' time we will not need any government funding.'
Another Indian, Arjun Erigaisi could not crack the solid defences of Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran and had to settle for a draw.
The chess champ loves to dress her nails and hair.
Divya Deshmukh of India outclassed Bulgaria's Beloslava Krasteva to clinch the title in the World Junior Girls' chess championship
Historic moment, hails Anand after four Indians reach FIDE WC quarterfinals
China and Pakistan are in a tight strategic alliance. India must deal with them one at a time, but be prepared in case they decide to collude, points out Shekhar Gupta.
Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy won the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2024-25 (Pune leg) title on the basis of her superior tie-breaks over Zhu Jiner of China after the two players were tied for the top spot on Wednesday.
Erigaisi Arjun was held to a draw by Alexey Sarana of Serbia
Praggnanandhaa did not have to sweat hard to hold Caruana under Classical but in the Armageddon the American was a transformed player as he took advantage of his white pieces.
'You need hard work along with talent to reach exceptional heights.'
Kareena hosted a get-together at her residence over the weekend. Take a look at the pictures.
The intimate wedding, attended by close family and friends, was reported by Norwegian media outlet NRK.
Local hero Vincent Keymer was at his best as he drew the first blood against Fabiano Caruana of the United States. Going in with 1-0 lead with one game to go, the onus is now on Caruana to draw level that will force a tiebreaker.
'At just 18, Gukesh's poise and brilliance are a testament to India's unstoppable youth. Prodigies like him are inspiring a new generation, building an army of champions ready to dominate global chess for decades. This is the confident, resurgent and rising India. Jai Hind!'
R Praggnanandhaa, the newly-crowned Tata Steel Chess champion, was given a warm reception upon his return to Chennai. The 19-year-old made history by defeating reigning World Champion D Gukesh in the final, marking the biggest win of his career. Fans, officials from the Tamil Nadu government, and the national federation gathered at the airport to welcome the young chess prodigy. Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the Tata Steel Chess title.
'Thanks Superstar @rajinikanth sir for your warm wishes and inviting, spending time and sharing your wisdom with us.'
Praggnanandhaa has expressed his determination to approach the World Cup final against Magnus Carlsen with a fresh mindset.
Praggnanandhaa draws with Aronian, shares top spot at Superbet Classic
'The match,' asserted FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, 'has been played at the highest standards of fair play, no investigation is required.'
Humpy, Jiner share lead at Pune leg Women's GP
Anand's post affectionately dubbed Gukesh as the 'boy who would be king'
In an event completely dominated by the Chinese, Ju Wenjun went on to snare the world title, defeating compatriot Lei Tingjie 3.5-2.5.
The cricketer, who was part of India's T20 World Cup 2024 winning squad, said such awards, however small in nature, will work as an inspiration for young athletes to bring laurels to the country.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances