Friday, March 29TRUSTED FEARLESS INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS PORTAL

Tag: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Sports

‘Match-fixing… disrespectful to chess’: Nepomniachtchi, Dubov slammed after Russians indulge in cheeky ‘dance of knights’

Odd things happened on Day 1 of the blitz portion of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship in Samarkand. There was an illegal move made in the game between Vladislav Artemiev nor Sanan Sjugirov, which neither player noticed and continued playing on. In another game, things on the board got so intense between Parham Maghsoodloo and Volodar Murzin, that neither noticed that the Iranian had lost on time and continued forging ahead. In a third game, Andrew Hong claimed his clock was malfunctioning during his game with Yu Yangyi, which led to an appeal and a consequent delay in further rounds. But what made headlines on Friday was the game between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Daniil Dubov. The two Russian grandmasters faced off in round 11 with Dubov playing as white. The game lasted all of...
Sports

Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana cry foul over Magnus Carlsen being given additional privileges at FIDE World Rapid and Blitz event

The ongoing FIDE Rapid and Blitz Championship at Samarkand has run into controversy with multiple participating grandmasters taking to social media to complain about FIDE giving preferential treatment to former world champion Magnus Carlsen. Players like Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier Lagrave and Pentala Harikrishna tweeted about Carsen being provided additional facilities like a private lounge between games. Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik also chimed in, calling out FIDE. It is learnt that Carlsen has been provided a private lounge since 2016 at every edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz championship. Compared to the World Chess Championship, the World Rapid and Blitz event happens yearly. Players compete in multiple games in a day: in the open sectio...
Sports

‘He doesn’t have a brain, he’s lost it’: Hikaru Nakamura’s dig at Vladimir Kramnik over ‘garbage’ accusations of cheating

The world of chess seemed to be heading towards another feud off the chess board after former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik presented new statistics on his Chess dot com profile that he purportedly believes reveals cheating by a player in blitz games. Kramnik, who has off late taken it upon himself to “expose cheating” in online chess games, frequently posts what he calls evidence for deceit in online games.While Kramnik didn’t name anyone in his allegations (which were then shared by GM Ian Nepomniachtchi on social media platform X), it led to American GM Hikaru Nakamura to hit back at the former world champion and Nepo in a lengthy Twitch stream on Tuesday where he took potshots at the former world champion Russian for “not having a brain.” The latest feud over alleged online cheati...
Sports

What lies ahead for Praggnanandhaa and pack?

India’s 18-year-old Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa created history by becoming the youngest player to reach the final of a FIDE World Cup earlier this week. He may have lost the final to World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in tiebreakers, but it was undoubtedly his best-ever performance at a major tournament.It was also a breakthrough tournament for India’s ‘Golden Era’ of chess prodigies, with four of them making it to the quarterfinals.Winning the World Cup would’ve been a sensational result for Praggnanandhaa but by just making it to the final, he’s done what no other Indian since five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand has managed to do — secure a spot in the 2024 Candidates Tournament. What level is the World Cup? The World Cup term may seem like it’s the highest tournament for chess playe...
Sports

Indian GM Vidit Gujrathi shocks Nepomniachtchi, reaches World Cup quarterfinals

Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi on Monday stunned Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi via the tie-breaker to reach the quarterfinals of the FIDE Chess World Cup here. He defeated Nepomniachtchi 2-0 in the 10-minute rapid segment of the tie-break to qualify for the quarterfinals for a second time. Gujrathi joins a trio of fellow Indians — D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi — in the last eight, a first for the country. Gujrathi and Nepomniachtchi had drawn the two-game classical match and the two tie-break games. He will meet Nijat Abasov of Azerbaijan in the quarterfinals. Asked about four Indians featuring in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, Gujrathi said, “We are doing very well, what can I say! Everybody is showing very high level of play. “Pragg defeated Hikaru which is...
Sports

FIDE World Cup, Round 4: Carlsen loses to 18-year-old Keymer in Game 1, Pragg holds Nakamura to a draw

Magnus Carlsen endured a defeat to young Vincent Keymer to leave his FIDE World Cup campaign tethering on the brink. the world no 1 and five-time world champion has famously never won the FIDE World Cup. The 18-year-old German had never beaten Carlsen in a classical game before today. Carlsen now will need to win the reverse game on Thursday, which will then force the encounter into a tiebreak. Carlsen will be hoping to avoid the fate of other favoured players like Anish Giri (who was knocked out by Nijat Abasov) and Teimour Radjabov (who lost to Jaime Santos). Meanwhile, India’s quartet of teenage grandmasters did not manage a win on Wednesday, but they had admirable results. Particularly impressive were R Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin. While Praggnanandhaa (playing with black pieces)...
Sports

Magnus Carlsen takes down Viswanathan Anand, draws with Ian Nepomniachtchi on frantic day in GCL

Magnus Carlsen pulled off a win over his two-time World Chess Championship nemesis Viswanathan Anand and held Ian Nepomniachtchi, the man he beat to the world title in 2021 in the same city, to a draw on a packed Friday in the Global Chess League, which saw four games taking place. After the frantic day of move-making had ended, Anand’s Ganges Grandmasters were on top of the standings with 21 game points and six match points. Balan Alaskan Knights, headlined by Nepo, are second in the league. The signature game of the evening arrived early, when Carlsen prevailed over Anand. 🐐G.O.A.T.S 🐐@MagnusCarlsen @vishy64theking #GGvSG #GCL #GlobalChessLeague #TheBigMove #GCLonJioCinema #VISHYvMAGNUS pic.twitter.com/FkrdfsyPV3 — Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (@GCLlive) June 23, 2023 “I was ve...
Sports

Chess’ IPL moment arrives with Global Chess League

For a sport that has been making rapid strides since the coronavirus pandemic, chess’ ‘IPL moment’ arrives today: in the form of the Global Chess League where 36 Grandmasters — with a notable number of world champions among them — will compete in a mixed-gender team environment which they’re not accustomed to playing over the course of the regular chess tour.Six teams will feature in the first season of the GCL, which could be a game-changer for a sport that traces its roots to India. For the Indian market, the IPL-isation of the sport comes at an opportune time. The country is fast gaining heft in the world of chess with as many as nine players in the top 100 in classical rankings and 82 GMs. India is also experiencing a boom in the number of casual players and chess fans. “I think I...
Sports

Global Chess League: Magnus Carlsen joins forces with Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Arjun for Season 1

Magnus Carlsen will team up with a trio of young Indian grandmasters — Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R and Arjun Erigaisi — in the inaugural season of the Global Chess League after the World No 1 was drafted as the icon player for the SG Alpine Warriors late on Tuesday. Irina Krush and Elisabeth Pahtz will also be part of the SG Alpine Warriors team owned by SG Sports. Meanwhile, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand will lead the Ganges Grandmasters side as the icon player. The team, owned by Insurekot Sports, will also have Richard Rapport, China’s Hou Yifan, Leinier Dominguez Perez, Bella Khotenashvili and Andrey Esipenko. The draft also saw Triveni Continental Kings (owned by Triveni Engineering & Industries Limited) pick newly-crowned world champion Ding Liren while Balan Alas...
Sports

Pravin Thipsay writes: Ding has given a new dimension to competitive chess

Ding Liren, a Chinese Grandmaster, is the new chess World Champion. Soak that in. It’s a great victory not just for Ding, but also for China and Asia.We have to look at the World Championship in a very different way. In some ways, it’s a trendsetter. If you look at World Championships of the past, they played in a particular way or style. There had a particular strategy or way of playing. It was a very strategic battle. What happened here, however, was more or less a battle of nerves and other sporting qualities rather than the ‘supposed’ quality of playing chess. (Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay has been analysing games of the World Chess Championship for The Indian Express. You can read his analysis of Game 14, Game 13, Game 12, Game 11, Game 10,  Game 9, Game 8, Game 7, Game 6, Game 5, Ga...
Sports

Pravin Thipsay writes: After an exciting draw in the final game, Nepo will have the edge in tie-breaker

A tie after 14 exciting, high-octane games of the World Chess Championship is perhaps the right result. Would it have been a sour victory had Ding Liren won the final game and the match? Playing with white pieces, he had the advantage but Nepo was prepared. With a draw in 90 moves, it was easily the most exciting match of this Championship. The icing on the cake now is that we’re in for a Super Sunday! Tie-breakers are going to be fun if Game 14 was any indication of what’s going to come. It was remarkable the way Ding played for a win on Saturday. He’s very clear about the way he wants to play, and that’s to attack. It’s really in the true spirit of the sport. We’re seeing such vigorous play after several decades. (Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay has been analysing games of the World Chess ...
Sports

Pravin Thipsay writes: Ding Liren holds the advantage as Game 13 ends in draw

With just the final game to go in the World Chess Championship, it’s advantage Ding Liren as his opponent Ian Nepomniachtchi failed to win with White pieces in Game 13 at the St Regis in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Thursday.Frankly, I’m a bit surprised with the way Nepo played on Thursday. Agreed he had a devastating loss on Wednesday and had no time to recover, but this is the World Championships! Aside from Magnus Carlsen, Ding and Nepo are supposed to be the best chess players in the world. They should be ready for any sort of challenge. Nepo’s best shot at getting an outright win was Game 13. He had to play to his strengths and use variations which he’s familiar with. But on the 10th move, he chose a variation that hasn’t been popular. Actually, from the past 115 years at least, it is kn...
Sports

World Chess Championship 2023 Game 12 Live: Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren all set to face off in third last round

While there are only three games left to determine the 17th World Champion, Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi will play two games with black against Ding Liren. (Photo: FIDE/David Llada) Not pushing hard for win is perhaps Vladimir Kramnik’s influence on Nepo There were reports that former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik is helping Ian Nepomniachtchi in his fight against Ding Liren at the 2023 World Chess Championship. While we don’t know if it’s actually true, we can see that Nepo has been playing a lot like Kramnik in the last two Games. Game 11 on Monday was the second consecutive game in which Nepo didn’t really seem to be interested in going for a win. Mind you, this time he was playing with White. That begs the question: why should he push for a win? He has a comfortable lead of one po...
Sports

Pravin Thipsay writes: Not pushing hard for win is perhaps Vladimir Kramnik’s influence on Nepo

There were reports that former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik is helping Ian Nepomniachtchi in his fight against Ding Liren at the 2023 World Chess Championship. While we don’t know if it’s actually true, we can see that Nepo has been playing a lot like Kramnik in the last two Games.Game 11 on Monday was the second consecutive game in which Nepo didn’t really seem to be interested in going for a win. Mind you, this time he was playing with White. (Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay has been analysing games of the World Chess Championship for The Indian Express since the start of the event. You can also read his analysis of Game 10,  Game 9, Game 8, Game 7, Game 6, Game 5, Game 4, Game 3, Game 2, and Game 1.)That begs the question: why should he push for a win? He has a comfortable lead of one ...
Sports

World Chess Championship: Ian Nepomniachtchi remains a point ahead of Ding Liren after Game 11 draw

Game 11 of the World Chess Championship 2023 between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren to determine the 17th World Champion ended in a draw after 39 moves and just after an hour and 40 minutes of play. The score is now 6:5 for Nepomniachtchi, with just three more games left for Ding to mount another comeback in the contest. With just three more games left, the pressure is increasing for both players: Nepomniachtchi needs to maintain course and keep his guard up, while Ding is under increasing pressure to secure a win. Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay has been analysing games of the World Chess Championship for The Indian Express. You can read his analysis of Game 10,  Game 9, Game 8, Game 7, Game 6, Game 5, Game 4, Game 3, Game 2, and Game 1. In the Berlin line of the Ruy Lopez, Nepomniachtch...
Sports

Pravin Thipsay writes: Ian Nepomniachtchi shows good presence of mind to draw with Black

Such an entertaining World Chess Championships, which has seen both players attack, win and defend whenever they have to, could be decided by a single point. Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi, who leads Ding Liren 5.5-4.5 after 10 games, is probably banking on it. He has his task cut out: he just can’t afford to lose a game. Game 10 on Sunday at the St Regis in Astana, Kazakhstan, was a clear indication that Nepo is not going to go on the offensive when playing with Black pieces. More importantly, he’s prepared to not give Ding any chance of getting that equalising win. This means that Ding will have to come up with something truly extraordinary in order to win. With only four games to go, it seems a Herculean task. (Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay has been analysing games of the World Chess Champi...
Sports

World Chess Championship 2023 Game 10 Live: Ding Liren to play white with Ian Nepomniachtchi in one-point lead

After almost six hours and 82 moves, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren agreed to a draw in Game 9. (Photo: FIDE/Stev Bonhage) NO FIREWORKS IN GAME 9 Though Ian Nepomniachtchi has a 5-4 lead in the 14-game match, Ding Liren has three games with White pieces left while Nepo has only two. Ding Liren is quite aware of this. With a point down, he knew he had to defend with Black pieces. He couldn’t afford to lose. And that’s exactly what he did in Game 9 of the World Chess Championships against Ian Nepomniachtchi. Never mind, it took close to six hours. It didn’t matter that it went up to 82 moves. Ding didn’t relent and managed to hold Nepo. Though he’s still trailing by a point with the score at 4-5, the Chinese GM will be relieved that in the remaining five games, he has to play with Whi...
Sports

World Chess Championship heats up with battle on the board, and Vladimir Kramnik rumours off it

As the World Chess Championship heats up, with Game 7 becoming the fourth game in a row to yield a result, Vladimir Kramnik, the last man from Russia to become the World Chess Champion, emerged from the shadows. Allegedly! In the world of chess, rumour has it that Kramnik is part of Ian Nepomniachtchi’s team as the Russian attempts to wrest away the most coveted crown in the sport from China’s Ding Liren. Of course, the omerta that surrounds contenders’ teams at the World Championship means we are unlikely to find out immediately if this is true. But the rumour is strong — and intriguing — enough for it to find mention in FIDE’s official commentary, British chess master Leonard Barden’s column, the C-Squared Podcast (which is co-hosted by Fabiano Caruana), GM Gata Kamsky’s podcast and t...
Sports

World Chess Championship 2023 Game 7 live: It’s even-steven between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren

World Chess Championship 2023: The sixth game of the World Chess Championship match ended with a convincing victory of Ding Liren over Ian Nepomniachtchi, to even the score to 3:3. The game ended after 44 moves and four hours of play. The World Chess Championship match between Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniachtchi has already produced four decisive results in just the first six games, something which was last seen in the Korchnoi-Karpov match of 1981 and the legendary 1972 match between Spassky and Fischer. Both players are setting the stage for an unpredictable and exciting fight not seen for a long time in a chess match. My role to bridge gap between computer screen and what a player experiences at the table: Viswanathan Anand Viswanathan Anand is one of the commentators for the World Ch...
Sports

GM Pravin Thipsay writes: In Game 6, Ding Liren won battle of errors against Ian Nepomniachtchi

The best sports coaches often tell their teams to keep it simple, especially under pressure. It’s seldom heard in chess, though. Yet, at the highest level – the World Chess Championship — sometimes, that’s all you need.In Game 6 of the Championships, Ding Liren kept it simple and was able to beat Ian Nepomniachtchi (Nepo) to level the score at 3-3. Had Ding lost this game, it would’ve been a huge blow to his chances of being the first Chinese Grandmaster to win the Championship. (You can also read GM Pravin Thipsay’s analysis for The Indian Express of  Game 1, Game 2, Game 3, Game 4 and Game 5)In the games in which we’d seen a result so far, it has been one player who has dominated. Game 6 was totally different in that respect. It was more a battle of strategic errors and the one who ma...