Indian chess ace Viswanathan Anand will find himself in the unfamiliar position of starting as the lowest-ranked player when he takes on a tough field in his first Classical tournament since losing the world title, in the Zurich Challenge in Zurich at the Savoy.
Anand said the presence of four Indians in the event tells about the growth of chess in the country.
India's chess prodigy, D Gukesh, etched his name in history on Thursday by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion at just 18 years old.
Men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet, under whose leadership India won a second successive bronze medal at the Olympics, said the honour is a recognition of his "fascinating" journey in which he still has plenty more to achieve.
The Indian challenge extends to the Challengers' section, where Divya Deshmukh will compete against some strong Grandmasters.
Congratulate, D Gukesh, on his monumental achievement and for bringing immense pride to India!
Emulates mentor Visvanathan Anand, who had won the tournament back in 1986.
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.
Indian Grandmaster Gukesh made history on Thursday, becoming the youngest-ever to win the world title defeating Liren in the 14th and final game of the championship in Singapore.
Norway's Magnus Carlsen continues to be the undisputed world No.1 with 2832.5 points, followed by United States' Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura (2802) and country-mate Fabiano Caruana (2798).
At the closing ceremony, Gukesh was adorned with a garland as he proudly held the coveted trophy.
World champion D Gukesh finished last after losing to Iranian-French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja in the second game of their seventh place play-off match at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam.
Reigning world chess champion D Gukesh has stated that he is open to competing in all formats of chess, including the newly popular freestyle format, but believes that classical chess, with its rich history, will always hold the greatest significance. Despite concerns of a potential split in the sport between supporters of freestyle and classical chess, Gukesh sees no reason for division, highlighting the excitement of freestyle while acknowledging the importance of the traditional format's legacy.
The years of sacrifice and hard work is finally paying dividends. The iconic Vellamal School, which is the alma mater of World champion Gukesh, now has another international player of repute to boast about. After all, Aravindh is Gukesh's senior.
Carlsen was fined $ 200 for wearing jeans, which are "explicitly prohibited" under tournament regulations
'I spoke to Paddy, and I made some changes.' 'After that, I slept well in the last two days -- at least eight hours each day.' 'So, I was fresh in the games. Sleep is very important.'
Overjoyed by India's remarkable dual triumph at the Chess Olympiad, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand said that while this marks a promising beginning, there is still much work to be done for women's chess in the country.
Viswanathan Anand is the third Indian in the top 10, occupying the 10th spot with an ELO rating of 2750.
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.
D Gukesh saw the world championship trophy for the first time on Friday after becoming the youngest ever to win it but said he would wait a while before laying his hands on it.
World Chess Champion D Gukesh and World Junior Chess Champion Pranav Venkatesh are from the same school and were classmates till Class 10!
'I always cook from my heart,' says New York Chef Vijaya Kumar who won his third Michelin Star recently.
Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram crashed through the defenses of super-solid Anish Giri to jump in to sole lead after the end of the seventh round of Prague Masters.
World Champion D Gukesh began his campaign at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour with a mixed bag of results, including three draws and a lone loss, signaling that he is adapting to the new format.
After securing his victory, an emotional Gukesh couldn't hold back tears. The weight of the moment hit him as tears streamed down his face.
The image of a smiling D Gukesh standing with outstretched hands will forever be embossed in the memory of a nation of billions.
Arjun Erigaisi breathed a sigh of relief after receiving his US visa to compete in the upcoming World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York
Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh, the youngest player ever to qualify for the World Chess Championship, held defending champion Ding Liren to a draw in their fourth-round encounter in Singapore on Friday.
Erigaisi also requested External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and the All India Chess Federation (AICF) to help him get the visa.
Praggnanandhaa will meet pre-event rating favourite Fabiano Caruana of United States while Abdusattorov has to tackle the solid defences of Vincent Keymer of Germany in the other key clashes of the 11th round.
'I think the world championship matches are decided not purely by chess but by who has the better character and who has the better willpower. And I think those qualities, I did show quite well'
'You need hard work along with talent to reach exceptional heights.'
Teenager Gukesh Dommaraju of India became the youngest chess world champion by beating defending champion Ding Liren of China on Thursday
Defending champion Ding Liren says the in-form Dommaraju Gukesh is the big favourite to win their World Chess title showdown in November.
Gukesh will have to carry with him the tag of world champion and along with it loads of expectations and increased scrutiny. But the 19-year-old is prepared to stand in the limelight.
Grandmaster D Gukesh will face his first major challenge since becoming world champion when he begins his campaign in the Tata Steel Chess tournament, which starts on Friday in Wijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands.
Newly-crowned World chess champion D Gukesh returned to Chennai on Monday to an enthusiastic reception his fans.
Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh draws with defending champion Ding Liren in second game of World Chess Championship in Singapore.
'The championship was well fought this year.' 'Ding played better than expected. Gukesh was below his level, but good enough to beat Ding.'
Magnus Carlsen on Monday criticised senior FIDE officials, including its deputy president Viswanathan Anand, for mishandling the dress code violation issue
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