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21Jan By source belowNo Comments

Sports

England tour of India: India vs England first Twenty20 international in Kolkata: Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav on Gautam Gambhir and the team

Head coach Gautam Gambhir with captain Suryakumar Yadav during a practice session ahead of the Twenty20 international against England in Kolkata. | Photo Credit: ANI Captain Suryakumar Yadav thinks the Indian team is moving in the right direction under coach Gautam Gambhir.Remembering his days when he donned the Kolkata Knight Riders colours and played under Gambhir’s captaincy in the Indian Premier League, Suryakumar said, “I have played under Gauti bhai for four years. I have spent a lot of time with him, I know how he works. Even he knows how to talk to each other. It started from the Sri Lanka series... We are moving in the right direction. “He keeps it simple and gives a lot of freedom. He lets the pla...

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21Jan By source belowNo Comments

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England tour of India: India vs England first Twenty20 international in Kolkata on January 22, 2025: Jos Buttler press conference

England captain Jos Buttler addresses the media on the eve of the first T20 cricket match of the series against India, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, on January 21, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI England captain Jos Buttler looked forward to working with new white ball coach Brendon McCullum.On the eve of the five-match T20I series opener against India, Buttler said building the captain-coach alliance would be his priority. “It’s not a new set-up because Baz (McCullum) has been around for a while and obviously there are a lot of players in this squad who have been with him in the Test set-up for a number of years already. Just looking forward to building that relationship in the white ball set-up,” said Buttler.
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21Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Ranji Trophy: Virat Kohli to play for Delhi after 13 years

Star batter Virat Kohli will play for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy fixture against Railways from January 30 to February 2 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Star batter Virat Kohli will play for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy fixture against Railways from January 30 to February 2 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The last time Kohli played in the First Class competition was in November 2012, against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad.“Kohli spoke to me and confirmed his availability for the Railways game,” Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley told The Hindu on Monday (January 20, 2025). With the BCCI making participation in domestic cricket mandatory for players to be eligi...

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21Jan By source belowNo Comments

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India vs England T20 Series: 1st T20I game to be played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on January 22, 2025.

Fit-again pacer Mohammed Shami's comeback would be keenly watched when the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian T20 team takes on an evenly-matched England in a five-match series starting in Kolkata on Wednesday (January 22, 2025), aiming to make up for the recent Test disasters that have caused considerable turmoil and heartbreak. The white-ball rubber, comprising five T20Is and three ODIs after that, presents an ideal platform for both the teams to experiment with combinations and assess form before next month's Champions Trophy. Shami, despite missing four matches, emerged as India's leading wicket-taker in the ODI World Cup 2023 with 24 scalps, including a sensational 7/57 in the semifinal against New Zealand at the Wankhede. Interestingly, the pacer has claimed the same number of wickets — 24 ...

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21Jan By source belowNo Comments

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‘Families on tour is great, no effect on cricket’– Jos Buttler, England’s captain

With the Board of Control for Cricket in India recently issuing curbs on the time the players’ family can stay on tours, England captain Jos Buttler on Tuesday said that having family around does not have an effect on cricket, adding ‘it’s very manageable.’ “I think it’s important. We live in a day and age now which is a very modern world and it’s great to be able to have families on the tour with you, try to enjoy that. I don’t think it affects the cricket too much and it’s something that is very manageable,” Buttler said in a press conference at Eden Gardens ahead of the 1st T20I scheduled in Kolkata on Wednesday. After India’s disastrous tour Down Under where the visitors lost the Border Gavaskar Trophy to Australia for the first time in 10 years, the Indian board on January 16 put out ...

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21Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Ganguly hails Kohli as the ‘greatest white-ball player’

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Monday (January 20, 2025) refused to read much into Virat Kohli's prolonged lean run and hailed the batting maestro as the "greatest white-ball player" and "once-in-a-lifetime cricketer". Kohli struck a second innings century in the opening Perth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but then managed only 85 runs in the next seven innings. With seniors such as Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma failing to deliver, India lost the series Down Under 1-3. "Virat Kohli is a once-in-a-lifetime cricketer. To score 81 international centuries in a career is something unbelievable. For me, he's probably the greatest white-ball player the world has seen," Ganguly said during a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB felicitation programme for the state's players. Reflecting...

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21Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Arjun Erigaisi loses to Praggnanandhaa to stay winless at Wijk aan Zee since 2022

Arjun Erigaisi was handed defeat in the third round of the Tata Steel chess tournament by good friend Praggnanandhaa in 60 moves. While Pragg held the upper hand in most of the game, the end came with checkmate being inevitable with Arjun Erigaisi’s king standing in the middle of the board without any protection while Praggnanandhaa’s pieces surrounded it. The defeat means that Arjun Erigaisi has not won a single game at the Tata Steel event since winning the Challengers section in 2022 with a jaw-dropping score of 10.5 out of 13. He had in fact won the event that year with a round to spare. That win had secured Arjun Erigaisi a spot in the Tata Steel Masters section the next year. But he went through the 2023 edition without a single victory and has continued that streak in 2025. He di...

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20Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Virat Kohli to play Ranji Trophy game for Delhi against Railways

Just days after the BCCI issued new guidelines for its contracted players, which made participation in domestic tournaments a must, Virat Kohli has made himself available for Delhi’s last Ranji Trophy league match against Railways. Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Rohan Jaitley said that Kohli has confirmed his availability for the match to be played in the Capital from January 30. If the former India skipper plays the match, it will be his first Ranji Trophy appearance since November 2012. After back-to-back Test series defeats at the hands of New Zealand at home and away in Australia, there have been questions from several quarters over the continued reluctance of India regulars to feature in domestic first-class matches. Ahead of the Test season, the likes of Ko...

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20Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Arun Vishnu latest Indian badminton coach to quit set-up for financial reasons

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand were on the brink of entering the Top 10, and coach Arun Vishnu had poured his entire effort and mindspace into getting the duo to click, bringing them till there, when he decided to bow out.“I wish they were World No.9 a few weeks ago,” he said in mock-rueing, but laughing as the women’s doubles pair cracked the Top 10 this week. “But it’s a good feeling to have helped them, starting from scratch,” the silent worker who supervised every training session till the 2023-end World Tour Finals, said. But financial and family commitments dictated that he move away from the final stage of their ascent to the Top 10. “I will miss coaching at the top level but then again, we have to take care of our families,” he would say, speaking from Nagpur, where he has relo...

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20Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open 2025 QF Live Streaming: When and where to watch match live?

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open 2025, Badminton Men’s Singles Quarter Final Live Streaming Online Details: The intergenerational rivalry between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will add another chapter to the saga as they both meet for the 8th time in history– this time at the Australian Open quarterfinal on Tuesday. History is at stake as Alcaraz aims to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam with at least one trophy from all four of the most prestigious events in tennis. He has 2 Wimbledon crowns, won in 2023 and 2024 and a US Open which was won in 2022 as well as a French Open title, won in 2024. Djokovic on the other hand is trying to win his 11th Australian Open crown and become the first player in tennis history with 25 major singles championships...

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20Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Rishabh Pant named captain of Lucknow Super Giants

Rishabh Pant who was picked at the mega IPL auction for a staggering price of ₹27 crore was named the captain for the Lucknow Super Giants for the upcoming Indian Premier League 2025. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Dynamic keeper-batter Rishabh Pant was on Monday (January 20, 2025) named the captain of Lucknow Super Giants for the upcoming IPL and he vowed to give his "200%" to win the team's maiden title.Pant was picked at the mega auction for an IPL record ₹27 crore by the franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka. "I will give my 200%. That's my commitment to you. I will try whatever is there in my power to repay the faith. I am really excited and looking forward to new beginning and new energy. And have a blast out there wi...

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20Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Shreyas Iyer reveals he was disappointed after KKR snub, says ‘was perplexed about the situation’

Shreyas Iyer admitted that he was very “disappointed” after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who he led to the Indian Premier League (IPL) title and the franchise didn’t retained him ahead of the mega auction. “Yes, obviously disappointed, because when you don’t have a certain line of communication and if you get to know things one week prior to the retention date, then obviously something is lacking over there,” Iyer said at Indian Express Idea Exchange. “So I had to take a call. Whatever is written is supposed to happen. “But other than that, I would just like to say that the time I spent over there with Shah Rukh Sir, the family, all of them, was phenomenal. Shreyas Iyer became the second batsman to hit 10 sixes in an innings twice (Reuters) “And obviously, winning the championship was...

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20Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Openers have fixed positions but everyone else needs to be flexible about batting slots: Axar

File photo of Axar Patel. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar Openers are the only ones with a fixed slot in the Indian T20 line-up and the batting order that follows will be made up of "multiple floaters", new vice-captain Axar Patel said on Monday (January 20, 2025) while spelling out the team's strategy ahead the five-match series against England. India will start their campaign against England in a five-match T20I series at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday (January 22, 2025). Asked about being a floater in batting order, the all-rounder replied: "...it's not just about me; it applies to everyone in the team. "Right from the start of 2024, we had decided to have a fixed opening slot, and from No. 3 to No. 7, e...

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20Jan By source belowNo Comments

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ICC Women Under-19 Twenty20 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur on January 20, 2025: Nigeria women stun New Zealand women

Nigeria’s Lucky Piety shines in the clash against New Zealand in the Women Under-19 T20 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur on January 20, 2025. Photo: X/@cricket_nigeria Debutants Nigeria scripted the unimaginable as they stunned a formidable New Zealand by two runs for a historic win in a rain-interrupted low-scoring thriller of the ICC Women's U-19 T20 World Cup in which both sides were restricted for under-70 totals in Kuala Lumpur on Monday (January 20, 2025). Nigeria scored 65-6 batting first, before producing an energetic display on the field derailed New Zealand's run chase. The Kiwis were 57-5, needing nine runs with one over to go in the 13-over contest. However, tight bowling from pacer Lilian Udeh got them over the line with the Kiwis falling short b...

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20Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Tata Steel Chess standings: Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa joint leaders

World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Vincent Keymer, Fabiano Caruana, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu are joint leaders of the Tata Steel Chess standings after the second round in Wijk aan Zee. Gukesh is still unbeaten after becoming the youngest world champion in history last month in Singapore. After defeating Anish Giri in the opening round, the 18-year-old held Vladimir Fedoseev to a draw on Sunday in round 2 to stay unbeaten into his reign as the 18th world champion of the sport. Gukesh was not at his best in the whole game. But he did defend resolutely to grind out a draw with black pieces against Vladimir Fedoseev, who had defeated Magnus Carlsen in the Chess Olympiad. World no. 2 Fabiano Caruana picked up his first win of 2024, after he defeated Jorden van Foreest....

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20Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Magnus Carlsen lost to 9-year-old from Bangladesh? FIDE Master makes shocking claim, but there is a catch

A FIDE Master from Bangladesh has claimed that his nine-year-old student defeated five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen in an online chess tournament. The incident happened in a Bullet Brawl game on Chess.com on Saturday. Magnus Carlsen, playing with black pieces against an account that goes by Nayemhaque22, resigned after 50 moves in a Bullet Brawl game (an event for titled players where there is a time control of one minute with no increments.) The result meant that Magnus Carlsen’s rating dropped by -16. Now, the man behind the account — FIDE Master Naim Haque — has told a Bangladeshi media outlet called The Business Standard that he had handed his account to his nine-year-old student Ryan Rashid Mugdha. He also posted the result on social media, with a capitaion in Bangla that loo...

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19Jan By source belowNo Comments

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India Open: How Viktor Axelsen went through an emotional rollercoaster ride to a ‘very, very special’ title

Late night on Saturday, Viktor Axelsen emerged from a tough old battle against Jonatan Christie in the semifinal at the India Open, and told the media: “I am a human being, not a machine.” At the peak of his career, especially in the cycle between his two Olympic gold medals, he was destroying opponents for fun as he piled up the titles on tour. So much so you wondered if he really was a machine. But the Axelsen we saw in Delhi was, as he put it, human. The struggles, physical and emotional, were evident. That is why, after winning the title on Sunday, Axelsen looked at the gold medal around his neck, paused, took a couple of seconds to compose himself, and said this would be a ‘very, very special’ win in his decorated career. He came into the tournament with “zero preparations” and on the...

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19Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Madras, Pongal and Test cricket — a savoured link of the past

Rich harvest: The Test held at Chepauk from January 11 to 15 in 1988 was significant as leg spinner Narendra Hirwani bagged 16 wickets and derailed the West Indians. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives Chewing on sugar cane, digging into delicious sweet pongal, and catching a Test at Chepauk were all part of January festivities in the Madras of yore. The Pongal Test was very much part of the sporting calendar, just as the Boxing Day Test (played from December 26) is Melbourne’s preserve. This is a perfect amalgamation of heritage and cricket, and the fans were eager to be part of this yearly ritual, be it Madras or Melbourne. However, Chennai’s tryst with Tests during the long Pongal break is increasingly be...

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19Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Bangladesh court issues arrest warrant against former skipper Shakib Al Hasan

A Dhaka court, on Sunday, issued an arrest warrant against Bangladesh all-rounder and former Awami League MP Shakib Al Hasan over two bounced bank cheques. Shakib hasn’t returned to Bangladesh fearing threat to his life after deposed PM Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country due to civil unrest last year. “Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ziadur Rahman issued the arrest warrant asking police submit a report on the execution of the order on March 24,” a court official told reporters. He said the warrant was issued as Hasan, also the chairman of an agriculture farm, failed to appear in the court as ordered earlier over a case related to bounced cheques. Another identical warrant was issued against managing director of the farm Gazi Shahagir Hossain as well as since he too did n...

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19Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Bangladesh court issues arrest warrant against former skipper Shakib Al Hasan

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. | Photo Credit: PTI A Dhaka court, on Sunday (January 19, 2025), issued an arrest warrant against Bangladesh all-rounder and former Awami League MP Shakib Al Hasan over two bounced bank cheques.Mr. Hasan hasn't returned to Bangladesh fearing a threat to his life after deposed PM Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country due to civil unrest last year.“Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ziadur Rahman issued the arrest warrant asking police to submit a report on the execution of the order on March 24,” a court official told reporters.He said the warrant was issued as Mr. Hasan, also the chairman of an agriculture farm, failed to appear in the court as ordered earlie...

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19Jan By source belowNo Comments

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PAK vs WI first Test: Sajid Khan masterminds Pakistan’s emphatic 127-run win against West Indies

Pakistan’s Sajid Khan celebrates after taking a wicket during the first Test against West Indies in Multan on January 19, 2025. | Photo Credit: AP Off-spinner Sajid Khan masterminded Pakistan’s emphatic 127-run win against the West Indies with a match haul of nine wickets in the first test on Sunday (January 19, 2025).Khan followed his four-wicket haul in the first innings with 5-50 as the West Indies were bowled out for 123 runs in the second after being set a target of 251 runs on a spinning pitch.Alick Athanaze, playing in only his 12th test match, made a fighting 55 off 68 balls before he became Khan’s fifth victim with inexperienced West Indies resistance folding in the second session on Day 3.“As long as ...

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19Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Ravindra Jadeja to play Saurashtra’s Ranji Trophy tie against Delhi

File photo of Ravindra Jadeja. | Photo Credit: AP India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is set to play in Saurashtra's Ranji Trophy tie against Delhi from January 23 after turning up for the team's practice session in Rajkot on Sunday (January 19, 2025).Jadeja last played for Saurastra in January 2023.Following the tour of Australia, the BCCI had made participation in domestic cricket mandatory unless the player is unavailable due to an injury."Jadeja has turned up for training today. He will play the next match," Saurashtra Cricket Association president Jaydev Shah told PTI on Sunday. India captain Rohit Sharma, who battles poor form in Australia, confirmed his availability for Mumbai's next Ranji Trophy against J...

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19Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Ravindra Jadeja to play Saurashtra vs Delhi Ranji Trophy game

India’s recent performances in red-ball cricket have raised questions on whether is it wise for some of the star players to go and play domestic cricket. The BCCI had made participation in domestic cricket mandatory unless the player is unavailable due to an injury. While it was confirmed on Saturday that Rohit Sharma will play Mumbai’s Ranji trophy game against Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja added the list as he too will play Saurashtra’s Ranji game against Delhi. “Jadeja has turned up for training today. He will play the next match,” Saurashtra Cricket Association president Jaydev Shah told PTI on Sunday. While Rishabh Pant will be part of Delhi’s playing eleven against Saurashtra, India talisman Virat Kohli will not take part in the game due to an injury. Post t...

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19Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Coach Vimal Kumar deserves more credit, he’s been a rock solid guide for star players

‘Who is Vimal Kumar…?’ a throwaway casual, callous remark had made its way into the perpetual cesspit that is Twitter. It originated from the predictably ignorant spew-springs far away from either Bangalore, Hyderabad or Kerala, where the seasoned badminton coach hails from, and where the game has many that understand excellence.The scribbled ignorance wasn’t remarkable. But you had to wonder if a mere 10 years – 9 in August of 2024 actually – had been all that long, that the country had forgotten who guided Saina Nehwal to India’s first-ever World Championship final in 2015. Or its first All England final, after 14 years. But even shorter memories failed the deliberately disrespecting ones. For Vimal Kumar had been sitting right there in the coach’s chair, when Lakshya Sen too made All En...

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19Jan By source belowNo Comments

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Rohit and Agarkar differ in views on BCCI’s SOPs for national players

Rohit and Agarkar during the press conference in Mumbai. | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini Captain Rohit Sharma and selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar had contradictory reactions to the recent circulation of modified standard operating procedures (SOPs) for India cricketers that have surfaced in the aftermath of India’s disappointing season of Test cricket.In a two-page document shared with cricketers last week, accessed by The Hindu, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had put out various curbs, including restricted stay of players’ families on long tours and disallowing personal staff of players along with the squad.While Rohit snapped at a journalist when asked about the new policy, Agarkar...

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19Jan By source belowNo Comments

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How Gukesh won 1st game as chess world champion after finding lucky escape route vs Anish Giri

Anish Giri slumped on the backrest of his chair and stayed there for a while. Then, he hunched over and planted a palm on his forehead in a universally accepted sign of anguish. He’d just spent most of the first round game at the Tata Steel chess tournament forcing his opponent, the newly-minted world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, into a corner. Just when checkmate seemed inevitable, with Gukesh running out of options — and out of time on the clock to think — Anish Giri made a blunder that will haunt the attic of his mind for years to come. In one hasty move of the wrist, Anish Giri had handed his 18-year-old opponent a get-out-of-jail-free card. Gukesh, who won the world championship last month on a similar blunder from his opponent Ding Liren, is not one to refuse gifts across the board. ...

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