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How Chess Players Remember All Those Lines and MovesWhen R Praggnanandhaa, the 17-year-old Indian chess prodigy, was asked how chess players remember all those lines and moves, he replied with a simple yet profound answer: "We don't."While it may seem like chess players have an eidetic memory, the truth is that they rely on a combination of techniques to navigate the vast and complex world of chess.Pattern RecognitionOne of the most important skills for chess players is pattern recognition. By studying countless games and positions, they develop an intuitive understanding of how pieces interact and how certain patterns lead to favorable or unfavorable outcomes. This allows them to quickly identify familiar situations and recall the best moves to play.ChunkingChess players also use a technique called chunking to break down complex positions into smaller, more manageable units. By grouping pieces and moves together, they can reduce the amount of information they need to hold in their minds at any given time. This makes it easier to remember the key ideas and strategies behind each position.Mental VisualizationAnother essential skill for chess players is mental visualization. They can visualize the board and the pieces in their minds, allowing them to analyze positions and calculate variations without physically moving the pieces. This ability to see the game in their heads helps them to remember the key features of each position and to anticipate their opponent's moves.Memory TechniquesWhile chess players don't memorize every single line and move, they do use memory techniques to improve their recall. These techniques include spaced repetition, which involves reviewing material at increasing intervals, and mnemonics, which are devices that help to associate information with something more memorable.Practice and ExperienceUltimately, the best way to improve memory in chess is through practice and experience. By playing countless games and studying the games of others, chess players develop a deep understanding of the game and its patterns. This knowledge allows them to recall the best moves in any given situation, even if they haven't encountered that exact position before.

Palak Gulia, the reigning Asian Games champion, has secured India's 20th Olympic quota in shooting for the 2024 Paris Games. The 18-year-old from Haryana clinched the bronze medal in the women's 10m air pistol event at the ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship (Rifle and Pistol) in Rio De Janeiro on Sunday.Gulia, who had won an individual gold and team silver in the 10m air pistol at the Hangzhou Asian Games, overcame a slow start in the 24-shot final. She displayed nerves of steel to climb steadily up the leaderboard and eventually score 217.6.Gulia eventually bowed out after the 22nd shot to settle for third place. Armenia's Elmira Karapetyan won gold, while Thai teenager Kamonlak Saencha clinched the silver and the second available quota place.India has now clinched a maximum of 16 Paris Olympic spots available to a country in pistol and rifle events. The country's shotgun shooters can still earn four Paris berths in men's and women's trap and skeet events when the ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship (Shotgun) commences in Doha on April 19.Gulia and Sainyam had qualified for the eight-woman final on Saturday placed sixth and seventh respectively with identical scores of 578. Save Karpetyan, who had already booked her quota in earlier competitions, all other finalists could claim the available Paris berths.Both Gulia and Sainyam had a forgettable start to the final, but came back strongly even as Saencha and the experienced Veronika Major of Hungary threatened to pull away from the field in the early stages with some sublime shooting.Gulia and Sainyam were struggling to get past the fifth position before the eliminations started. However, things turned the Indians' way as Major suffered a meltdown. Ahead of the 19th shot, Gulia took a 0.6 lead over Major with Sainyam exiting in fifth position. The Hungarian could not hit the 10-ring as the Indian did it once and sealed the quota place.Karapetyan (240.7) clinched gold on the final shot as Saencha (240.5) crumbled with a poor shot which fetched her 8.6.

In the eighth round of the Candidates chess tournament in Toronto, India's D Gukesh regained his joint lead with Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia after a decisive victory over compatriot Vidit Gujrathi. Gukesh's triumph came on a day when R Praggnanandhaa drew with Firouza Alireza of France, while Hikaru Nakamura defeated Fabiano Caruana in an all-American duel.Gukesh's victory was a testament to his tactical prowess. He surprised Gujrathi with a rare variation in the opening, forcing his opponent into a long thought process that cost him valuable time. Gukesh seized control of the only open file and used his queen and rook to penetrate Gujrathi's defenses. Despite Gujrathi's resistance, Gukesh's pressure proved too much, and he eventually checkmated his opponent in 38 moves.Praggnanandhaa, on the other hand, was unable to make significant progress with his white pieces against Alireza. The Indian opted for a variation in the Sicilian Taimanov that Alireza equalized without much difficulty. The players reached an equal endgame after the Queens were traded, and the draw was agreed upon ten moves later.Nakamura continued his dominance over Caruana, defeating the world number two in just 35 moves. Nakamura took his chances in the closed Ruy Lopez and capitalized on Caruana's unwarranted complications in the middle game. Caruana's time shortage also played a role in his downfall, as he missed a tactic in a difficult position.In the Women's section, Koneru Humpy scored a crucial victory over compatriot R Vaishali to move up to 3.5 points. Humpy's technical prowess proved superior to Vaishali's in an exchange down endgame, as her pair of rooks eventually outmaneuvered Vaishali's Bishop and Rook.The ninth round promises an exciting clash between Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa in the men's section, while Gujrathi faces the in-form Nakamura. The tournament remains wide open, with six rounds still to play.

In the ongoing Candidates Tournament, D Gukesh has regained a share of the lead after a comfortable victory over fellow Indian Vidit Gujrathi in Round 8. The second half of the double round-robin tournament commenced with reversed colors, and Gukesh capitalized on Vidit's time management struggles.Vidit's early time pressure, coupled with Gukesh's strategic pawn moves, led to a gradual loss of control over the a-file. Vidit's unnecessary pawn push on b5 and subsequent d4 advance proved detrimental, allowing Gukesh to dominate the open file with his rook and queen. Gukesh's precise play left Vidit with no counterplay, forcing him to resign.With this win, Gukesh joins Ian Nepomniachtchi at the top of the standings with five points. Despite the pressure, Gukesh remains composed, stating, "I've learnt to handle it. So far, I've handled it well."Hikaru Nakamura also made a significant move in the standings, defeating Fabiano Caruana to leapfrog ahead of his compatriot. Caruana, who entered the tournament as a favorite, has shown signs of vulnerability, and his blunder against Nakamura proved costly.Nakamura, who has now won four consecutive classical games against Caruana, attributes his success to his lack of pressure. "I feel no pressure in the Candidates. I'm playing for fun," he said. "I'm not saying I wouldn't be happy if I won. I'm just trying to play good chess and not make a fool of myself."

Paris's iconic metro system, once a source of pride for the city, has become a daily source of frustration for commuters as the French capital prepares to host the 2024 Olympics. The system, which transports millions of people daily, has been plagued by delays, overcrowding, and understaffing since the COVID-19 pandemic.User satisfaction has plummeted since 2020, when the RATP, which operates the metro, cut services due to mass work-from-home policies. Many employees were furloughed and never returned, while the training of new staff slowed significantly. As a result, trains are often overcrowded and run late, with some lines experiencing delays of up to 15 minutes during peak hours.The situation is expected to worsen during the Olympics, when an estimated seven million visitors will descend upon Paris. The metro will be a crucial mode of transportation for both tourists and locals, putting immense strain on the already struggling system.In response to the growing pressure, the RATP has implemented a major staff recruitment drive and is racing to complete key line extensions ahead of the Games. However, despite these efforts, eight out of ten lines still fall short of the minimum performance standard of 90% punctuality.To mitigate the impact of the metro's shortcomings, the city is promoting alternative modes of transportation. Each Olympic venue will be accessible by bike, with hundreds of kilometers of new cycle lanes and thousands of parking spots being built. Additionally, there will be no parking provision for cars at sports venues, which is expected to lead to increased traffic congestion.Despite the challenges, organizers remain confident that the city's transportation system will be able to handle the influx of visitors. They are urging Parisians to embrace walking and cycling as alternative modes of transportation.

Israel-Iran Tensions Escalate, Casting Shadow over Indian Workers in IsraelTensions between Israel and Iran have intensified, raising concerns for thousands of Indian workers recruited for construction projects in Israel. The conflict has its roots in an airstrike last week that killed two Iranian generals in Syria, prompting Iran to threaten retaliation.On Saturday, Iran launched drones towards Israel, according to the Israeli military. Iran's state-run media reported that dozens of drones had been fired. The Israeli military responded by closing its airspace.The escalating tensions have cast a shadow over the future of Indian workers in Israel. Over 5,000 Indians have been recruited for construction work, but the conflict raises questions about their safety and well-being. Experts have questioned the government's decision to allow the recruitment at this time.Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a corruption case against Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL), eight officials of NMDC Limited and NMDC Iron and Steel Plant (NISP) Limited, and two officials of MECON Limited, which come under the Ministry of Steel. The case involves a work contract worth over ₹314.57 crore.In other news, two men were killed in Manipur ahead of Home Minister Amit Shah's visit. The incident occurred at the boundary of Kangpokpi-Imphal East districts, days before Shah's scheduled election-related visit on April 15.Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy sustained a minor injury when a miscreant pelted a stone at him during his bus yatra. The incident occurred in Singh Nagar on Saturday evening.The government has directed e-commerce companies to remove drinks and beverages, including Bournvita, from the health drinks category on their portals. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had earlier directed all e-commerce food business operators (FBOs) to ensure appropriate categorization of food products.The Congress has announced candidates for 16 Lok Sabha constituencies across four states. Notable names include former Union Minister Manish Tewari from Chandigarh.The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has secured a 10-day custody of two terror accused arrested from near Kolkata in connection with The Rameshwaram Cafe blast case.Vistara CEO has informed employees that the non-flying staff would be informed of their new role in the combined airline entity between May and June. The airline is also working on feedback and concerns raised by pilots and cabin crew on the new salary structure.In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Shimron Hetmyer's cameo helped Rajasthan Royals beat Punjab Kings by three wickets. Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scored with 39 runs for Rajasthan Royals.

The Washington Capitals' playoff hopes received a much-needed boost on Saturday as they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 at home. The victory, their second in nine games, temporarily lifted them into the Eastern Conference's second and final wild-card spot.John Carlson's power-play goal with 11:31 remaining proved to be the game-winner. The Capitals had been struggling to generate offense against Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, but Carlson's blast from the point found the back of the net.Sonny Milano had given the Capitals an early lead with a goal in the first period, but Anthony Duclair tied the game for Tampa Bay in the second. Milano struck again in the third period to put Washington back in front, but Brandon Hagel equalized for the Lightning once more.With the game tied 2-2, the Capitals were awarded a 5-on-3 power play in the third period. Carlson made the most of the opportunity, firing a shot past Vasilevskiy to give Washington the lead for good.Nic Dowd added an insurance goal with 3:14 remaining to seal the victory. Charlie Lindgren made 32 saves for the Capitals, while Vasilevskiy stopped 31 shots for the Lightning.The victory was a crucial one for the Capitals, who are now in control of their own playoff destiny. They need to win their final two games of the season to return to the postseason after missing last year.The Lightning, meanwhile, are locked into the East's first wild-card spot and have only individual achievements left to play for. Nikita Kucherov reached 100 assists this season and is in contention for the NHL scoring race.

The Milwaukee Brewers continued their offensive onslaught on Saturday, crushing the Baltimore Orioles 11-5 at Camden Yards. The victory marked the sixth consecutive game in which the Brewers have scored at least seven runs, tying a franchise record set in 1982 and 1989.Jake Bauers played the hero for Milwaukee, launching a tiebreaking three-run homer in the fourth inning. Rhys Hoskins also went deep for the Brewers, while Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg, and Adley Rutschman homered for Baltimore.The Orioles jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second inning, but the Brewers quickly responded with three runs in the third. An error by Jorge Mateo and a couple of singles loaded the bases, setting the stage for Bauers' game-changing groundout. Hoskins followed with an RBI single, and a second run came home on Austin Hays' error to tie the game at 4.Rutschman's solo homer in the bottom of the third gave the Orioles a brief 5-4 lead, but William Contreras tied it again with an RBI single in the fourth. Bauers' first homer of the season then put Milwaukee ahead for good.The Brewers added to their lead with an RBI single from Sal Frelick in the eighth and a two-run double from Willy Adames. Milwaukee went 6 for 10 with runners in scoring position on Saturday and is now 33 for 69 over the last six games.Dean Kremer took the loss for Baltimore, allowing six earned runs and 10 hits in four innings. DL Hall, who was part of the offseason trade that sent Corbin Burnes to the Orioles, allowed five runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.Elvis Peguero pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the Brewers, while five other relievers combined to keep the Orioles off the scoreboard.

The San Francisco Giants snapped their seven-game home run drought in emphatic fashion, crushing the Tampa Bay Rays 11-2 on Saturday at Tropicana Field. Logan Webb, the 2023 NL Cy Young Award runner-up, was dominant on the mound, allowing just one run on six hits over seven innings.Thairo Estrada led the Giants' offensive onslaught with two solo home runs, while LaMonte Wade Jr., Jorge Soler, and Matt Chapman also went deep. Wade's two-run shot in the fifth inning gave San Francisco a 4-1 lead, and the Giants never looked back.The Rays' bullpen, which entered the game with the AL's highest ERA, struggled once again. Chris Devenski allowed three runs in the sixth inning, and Michael Conforto's RBI double in the first gave the Giants an early lead.Tampa Bay's only run came on Yandy Díaz's double-play grounder in the third inning. Ben Rortvedt, who pitched the final two innings for the Rays, allowed one run and three hits.The Giants' victory was their second in a row after dropping the series opener on Friday. They will face the Rays again on Sunday, with Blake Snell taking the mound for San Francisco. Snell won the first of his two Cy Young Awards with Tampa Bay in 2018.