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World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen dominated the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid Tournament in Kolkata on Thursday, securing three consecutive victories to take the sole lead in the 'Open' section. Carlsen's flawless performance saw him defeat S L Narayanan, Wesley So, and Arjun Erigaisi, amassing a commanding five points out of a possible six.In the women's section, Russia's Aleksandra Goryachkina mirrored Carlsen's impressive display, securing three victories to establish a solitary lead. Her triumphs over Vantika Agrawal, R. Vaishali, and Kateryna Lagno propelled her to a tally of five points.Carlsen's closest challenger is former World Rapid champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who trails with 4.5 points. Abdusattorov drew against Nihal Sarin and Vidit Gujrathi before defeating Narayanan, positioning himself as Carlsen's primary threat heading into the final day.In the women's section, Georgian Grandmaster Nana Dzagnidze is hot on Goryachkina's heels with four points. Dzagnidze's successful day included wins over Vaishali and Koneru Humpy, as well as a hard-fought draw with Lagno.India's D. Harika, Vantika Agrawal, and Valentina Gunina share third place with 3.5 points each.

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