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The Tata Steel Chess India Blitz 2024 in Kolkata witnessed a thrilling first half, with World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and three-time World Women's Blitz champion Kateryna Lagno dominating the Open and Women's sections, respectively.Carlsen, known for his exceptional chess prowess, started the tournament with a strong 6.5 points out of a possible 9. However, his winning streak was broken in round eight by Indian prodigy Arjun Erigaisi, who defeated him in a stunning 20-move game. Carlsen later settled for a draw against Vidit Gujarathi in the final round of the day.India's R Praggnanandhaa, a rising star in the chess world, emerged as a strong contender, securing second place with 6 points. After losing his first three games, Praggnanandhaa displayed remarkable resilience, winning six consecutive games to close the gap on Carlsen.Arjun Erigaisi and Russia's Daniil Dubov are tied for third place with 5.5 points each. Erigaisi's victory over Carlsen was a major upset, showcasing his potential as a future chess champion.In the Women's section, Lagno maintained an undefeated streak, accumulating 7 points with five wins and four draws. Valentina Gunina trails her by a single point, while Rapid Champion Aleksandra Goryachkina occupies third place with 5 points.Goryachkina had a promising start with three consecutive wins but struggled to maintain her momentum, drawing her remaining six games.

The Chennai Grand Masters 2024 witnessed a thrilling day of chess action, with India's Pranav V. continuing his dominance in the Challengers section and Arjun Erigaisi seizing the lead in the Masters category.Pranav, playing with black pieces, showcased his tactical prowess against Vaishali R. In a bold move, he sacrificed his Queen early on, forcing Vaishali to exchange her own. The game turned into a fierce battle, with both players exchanging heavy blows. However, Pranav's strategic maneuvering proved too strong, and he eventually forced Vaishali into a corner, securing his fourth consecutive victory.In the Masters section, Erigaisi emerged as the frontrunner after defeating Amin Tabatabaei in a clash of the leaders. Erigaisi, who recently ascended to the World No. 2 spot in Live Ratings, displayed his exceptional skills, accumulating 3.5 points from four rounds.Other notable performances in the Masters category included stalemates between Vidit Gujrathi and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, as well as Aravindh Chithambaram and Levon Aronian. Parham Maghsoodloo and Alexey Sarana also played out a draw.In the Challengers category, Leon Mendonca and Abhimanyu Puranik fought to a balanced draw, while Karthikeyan Murali showcased his talent with a strong win over Harika Dronavalli. Raunak Sadhwani and Pranesh M. concluded their match with a well-contested draw but lost ground on runaway leader Pranav.The Chennai Grand Masters 2024, taking place at the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai from November 5 to 11, 2024, features two categories: Masters and Challengers. The Masters category boasts a competitive field with a rating average of 2729, while the Challengers category provides a platform for emerging Indian talent.

Chennai Grand Masters: Arjun Erigaisi to Open Campaign Against Vidit GujarathiWorld No. 4 Indian chess grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi will kick off his Chennai Grand Masters campaign against compatriot Vidit Gujarathi on Tuesday. This marks Erigaisi's first tournament in India since crossing the historic 2800 ELO ranking mark.The eight-player classical event will witness a thrilling opening round, with Aravindh Chithambaram facing Iranian Amin Tabatabaei, Vachier-Lagrave Maxime taking on Maghsoodloo Parham, and American Grandmaster Levon Aronian playing Alexey Sarana.This year's edition introduces a Challengers event featuring female players for the first time. The Challengers participants will compete for a prize pool of Rs 20 lakh, with the winner receiving Rs 6 lakh and a direct berth in the Masters next year.In the Challengers category, Vaishali Rameshbabu will face Mendonca Leon Luke, while Harika Dronavalli will play Pranav V. Raunak Sadhwani will battle Karthikeyan Murali, and Pranesh M will take on Abhimanyu Puranik.The Challengers event provides Indian prodigies with an opportunity to compete at the highest level. Last year's inaugural edition was won by D Gukesh, who is currently preparing for the world championships title match against Ding Liren of China.The Chennai Grand Masters tournament is organized by MGD1 with ChessBase India and sponsored by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu. It will be held at the 1,100-seat Anna Centenary Library.

The sixth edition of Tata Steel Chess India, scheduled from November 13 to 17, will witness the return of World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. The Norwegian Grandmaster, who previously triumphed in the 2019 edition, will headline the prestigious event.India's strong contingent, fresh from their golden performance at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, will feature rising stars Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, and Vidit Gujrathi. Nihal Sarin and S L Narayanan will also represent India in the 'Open' category.Like previous editions, the tournament will comprise 'Open' and women's categories with identical rapid and blitz formats and equal prize money. India's women's team will be represented by Koneru Humpy, R Vaishali, D. Harika, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agrawal.Chess legend Viswanathan Anand, the tournament's ambassador, expressed his excitement: "I am looking forward to being back at Tata Steel Chess India. It has become the marquee event in India. This year brings the best of the world headed by Magnus Carlsen."Chanakya Chaudhary, vice-president of corporate services at Tata Steel, said: "We are excited to host the sixth edition of Tata Steel Chess India, which marks the return of world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. Members of the Indian men's and women's squads, following their gold medal wins at the Chess Olympiad, will also join the tournament alongside top global players."The tournament lineup includes:Open:- Magnus Carlsen- Nodirbek Abdusattorov- Wesley So- Vincent Keymer- Daniil Dubov- Arjun Erigaisi- R Praggnanandhaa- Vidit Gujrathi- Nihal Sarin- S L NarayananWomen:- Aleksandra Goryachkina- Kateryna Lagno- Alexandra Kosteniuk- Nana Dzagnidze- Valentina Gunina- Koneru Humpy- R. Vaishali- D. Harika- Divya Deshmukh- Vantika Agrawal

India's chess teams made history on Sunday, claiming gold medals in both the men's and women's categories at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest.The men's team, led by D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanadhaa, defeated Slovenia 3-0 in the final round to secure the title. Gukesh, playing with black pieces, displayed his technical prowess against Vladimir Fedoseev, while Erigaisi and Praggnanadhaa also emerged victorious.The women's team, featuring Tania Sachdev, Koneru Humpy, and Harika Dronavalli, clinched the gold with a 3.5-0.5 triumph over Azerbaijan. Sachdev and Humpy won their matches, while Dronavalli drew hers.This marks the first time that India has won gold medals in both the men's and women's categories at the Chess Olympiad. The men's team had previously won bronze medals in 2014 and 2022, while the women's team had won bronze in 2022.After their victory, the Indian contingent celebrated with a unique gesture, imitating the iconic slow-walk celebration of Rohit Sharma and Lionel Messi after winning the T20 World Cup 2024 and FIFA World Cup 2022, respectively.The Indian men's team finished the tournament with an impressive 21 points out of a possible 22, conceding only a single draw to Uzbekistan. The women's team also performed exceptionally, scoring 3.5-0.5 against Azerbaijan.This historic victory is a testament to the growing strength of chess in India and the dedication and hard work of the players and coaches. It is a proud moment for the nation and a significant milestone in the history of Indian chess.

Team MGD1, led by Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, made history by securing the silver medal at the inaugural World Blitz Team Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. The tournament, organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), featured 40 teams competing in a group-cum-knockout format.Team MGD1, composed entirely of Indian players, dominated Pool B, winning all seven matches. In the knockout stage, they defeated Astana-2 and Israel's Ashdod Chess Club to reach the semifinals. In the semifinals, they faced Al-Ain, the World Rapid Team Champions, and emerged victorious in a tie-breaker.The final match against Team WR Chess was a thrilling encounter. Erigaisi, India's highest-rated player in Classic Ranking, upset former World Champion Magnus Carlsen on the top board in Round 1. However, Carlsen's teammates secured victories on the other boards, giving Team WR Chess a comfortable lead. Team MGD1 fought back in the second round, holding the eventual champions to a 3:3 draw, but it was not enough to force a playoff."Beating Magnus Carlsen in any format is special," said Erigaisi. "But more than that win, it's the collective performance of the team that helped us with the silver medal. The way we bonded and fought for each other makes this medal so special."Team MGD1's success is a testament to the growing strength of Indian chess. The team's lineup included GM Srinath Narayanan, SL Narayanan, B. Adhiban, former Women's World Championships bronze medalist D. Harika, and amateur Mihir Shah."It's a very proud moment for all of us," said MGD1 co-founder Sreekar Chennapragada. "We at MGD1 are committed to the development of chess in India, and that is one of the reasons we fielded an all-Indian line-up in Astana. The players rose to the occasion."Team MGD1's silver medal is a significant achievement for Indian chess and a testament to the team's hard work and dedication.