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Viswanathan Anand

Didn't want to disqualify him, but Carlsen left us with no choice: Anand

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand said FIDE didn't want to disqualify Magnus Carlsen from the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship, but the Norwegian left them with no choice after refusing to follow the rules. Defending champion Carlsen was fined USD 200 for wearing jeans, which are "explicitly prohibited" under tournament regulations and when he refused the request by chief arbiter Alex Holowczak to change his attire right after the eighth round, he was disqualified. He was not paired for Round 9 of the Rapid championship, taking place at Wall Street. "He simply refused to follow the rules, left us with little choice. Today this decision seemed emotional. Magnus was not willing to compromise," Anand, the deputy president of chess' global governing body, told Chessbase India. "Obviously, it was not a step we wanted to take. We offered several options (to Magnus). The arbiter said that as long as Magnus changed his jeans before the ninth round, it would be fine. "But

Didn't want to disqualify him, but Carlsen left us with no choice: Anand
Updated On : 28 Dec 2024 | 10:01 PM IST

Viswanathan Anand advises Gukesh to embrace criticism as a part of success

Legendary chess player Viswanathan Anand on Friday asked D. Gukesh to ignore those questioning the standard of the World Championship title showdown with China's Ding Liren, saying criticism always comes with success. Indian Grandmaster Gukesh made history on Thursday, becoming the youngest-ever to win the world title defeating Liren in the 14th and final game of the championship in Singapore. Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik was not impressed with the quality of chess on display during the match, calling it the "end of chess as we know it." Kramnik expressed his frustration over the game's quality, calling a critical blunder by Ding Liren "childish". In his reaction, Kramnik wrote on 'X', "No comment. Sad. End of chess as we know it." In another tweet, he said, "Never yet has a WC title been decided by such a childish one-move blunder." Five-time world champion, Norway's Magnus Carlsen too has been critical of the quality on display in earlier rounds, saying, "This does no

Viswanathan Anand advises Gukesh to embrace criticism as a part of success
Updated On : 13 Dec 2024 | 11:22 PM IST

Anand, Carlsen play out a draw in opening day of Global Chess League

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen played out a draw in the top duel of the opening day as the second edition of the Global Chess League began with players from around the world squaring off here on Thursday. The game between the two heavyweights from India and Norway ended in a draw, with Carlsen managing to steady the ship after a tough middle game. In the first two matches of the day, American Gambits and Alpine SG Pipers emerged as victors, setting the pace for the competition. The packed venue at Friends House erupted in applause as players entered the playing hall, dressed in team jerseys in an atmosphere more akin to a football match than a chess tournament. The opening match of the season was played between the American Gambits and season one runners up Mumba Masters. According to league regulations, each match starts with a coin toss to decide the colours. For this round, the American Gambits played with the white pieces. As this is a round-ro

Anand, Carlsen play out a draw in opening day of  Global Chess League
Updated On : 04 Oct 2024 | 11:41 PM IST

Viswanathan Anand believes Olympiad win will elevate women's chess in India

Overjoyed by India's remarkable dual triumph at the Chess Olympiad, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand said that while this marks a promising beginning, there is still much work to be done for women's chess in the country. India scripted history on Sunday as both its men's and women's teams secured their first-ever titles, achieving a remarkable clean sweep of gold medals at the Chess Olympiad. But while in recent times, the men's game has surged in popularity with young Indian talents like R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh making waves on the world stage, in contrast, the women's game has struggled to match this trajectory. "It's a very good beginning. I think still a long way to go because we must continuously keep progressing," Anand told PTI, at the sidelines of Tech Mahindra Global Chess League. "And more important, get more and more girls to play and I think exactly this result will inspire more girls to play, and that is the hope," he added. The 54-year-old chess icon

Viswanathan Anand believes Olympiad win will elevate women's chess in India
Updated On : 26 Sep 2024 | 8:15 PM IST

Indian chess players great at grabbing opportunities: Viswanathan Anand

"Slowly transitioning" from a world champion competitor to a mentor-cum-sports administrator, chess icon Viswanathan Anand feels the current crop of Indian players, that he has had a role in shaping, has turned out to be "great" in grabbing crucial opportunities. The 54-year-old, among the all-time greats of Indian sports with five world titles to his credit, is set to have a rare competitive outing at the Tech-Mahnindra Global Chess League come next month in London where he will be part of the Ganges Grandmasters team. In an interview to PTI, Anand shared his thoughts on India's chances at the Chess Olympiad starting on Wednesday, his impressions of the country's Olympic and Paralympic performance, the golden generation of young players that he has helped groom and also his own plans going forward. Widely credited for shaping the likes of youngest ever world championship challenger D Gukesh, and R Praggnanandhaa among others, Anand said he played a small part and shared the credit

Indian chess players great at grabbing opportunities: Viswanathan Anand
Updated On : 10 Sep 2024 | 6:24 PM IST

King at 17, Chennai lad Gukesh sets his sights on chess World Championship

The Toronto win makes D Gukesh the youngest World Championship contender in chess history

King at 17, Chennai lad Gukesh sets his sights on chess World Championship
Updated On : 23 Apr 2024 | 7:38 PM IST

Praggnanandhaa pips chess legend Viswanathan Anand to become India's No 1

Teenaged Indian chess superstar R Praggnanandhaa defeated world champion Ding Liren of China in the fourth round of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament here, a win which also helped him surpass the legendary Viswanathan Anand as the top-rated Indian player. After the victory late on Tuesday night, the 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa has 2748.3 points as against 2748 of five-time world champion Anand in the FIDE live ratings. The world chess body publishes the ratings at the start of each month. With the 62-move win with black pieces, Praggnanandhaa became the second Indian after Anand to defeat a reigning world champion in classical chess. Praggnanandhaa had also beaten Liren at the 2023 Tata Steel tournament. "That feels good!" Praggnanandhaa said after the win. He is now third in the standings with 2.5 points in the Masters event. The teenaged Indian GM has been in good form in recent times, having finished runner-up in the World Cup to Magnus Carlsen last year to qualify for the Candid

Praggnanandhaa pips chess legend Viswanathan Anand to become India's No 1
Updated On : 17 Jan 2024 | 1:14 PM IST

Couldn't have asked for a better Indian chess team for Asian Games: Anand

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand on Tuesday said he could not have asked for a stronger Indian chess lineup in the upcoming Asian Games. Indian chess has been on a stunning upswing, and in the recently-concluded Baku World Cup, an unprecedented four Indian players advanced to the quarterfinals, with R Praggnanandhaa making history by becoming the youngest to win a silver medal. Adding to this wave of success, last week saw Anand's 17-year-old protege, D Gukesh, ending his mentor's 37-year-long reign as India's No. 1 player. Gukesh achieved an impressive Elo rating of 2758, surpassing the Indian legend by four points and marking a significant milestone in the country's chess history. "I'm always nervous to just look at the rankings and think, oh, we're going to win this, we're going to win that," Anand said during a media interaction on the sidelines of Tata Steel Chess India here. "There are other very good teams. Uzbekistan is good. Vietnam is good. China will field a g

Couldn't have asked for a better Indian chess team for Asian Games: Anand
Updated On : 06 Sep 2023 | 12:04 AM IST

Gukesh replaces Viswanathan Anand as India's top chess player after 37 yrs

Teenaged Grandmaster D Gukesh has replaced the legendary Viswanathan Anand as India's top chess player after more than three decades. Anand has been India's No.1 since July 1986. The 17-year old Chennai GM, who recently lost in the quarterfinals of the FIDE World Cup in Baku to Magnus Carlsen, moved ahead of Anand to be ranked No.8 in the world. Gukesh broke into the top 10 of the FIDE rating list for the first time. Anand, a five-time world champion is currently ranked No.9. As per the FIDE ratings effective September 1, Gukesh's rating is 2758 while Anand's is 2754. Gukesh has gained three places in the rating list since August 1. Another teen prodigy R Praggnanandhaa, who made the world take notice of him by reaching the World Cup final where he lost to Carlsen, has risen to No. 19 in the list with a rating of 2727. He is India's No.3 player behind Gukesh and Anand. There are five Indians currently in the top 30 and that includes Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (no.27) and Arjun Erig

Gukesh replaces Viswanathan Anand as India's top chess player after 37 yrs
Updated On : 01 Sep 2023 | 2:17 PM IST

Anurag Thakur felicitates FIDE World Cup runner-up Praggnanandhaa

During the felicitation, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur congratulated Praggnanandhaa for making India proud

Anurag Thakur felicitates FIDE World Cup runner-up Praggnanandhaa
Updated On : 01 Sep 2023 | 10:00 AM IST

Indian chess is having a moment. Pragganandhaa in World Cup final is proof

India now has 83 Chess Grandmasters, and going by the peerless Viswanathan Anand's reckoning, this generation will dominate for a decade or two

Indian chess is having a moment. Pragganandhaa in World Cup final is proof
Updated On : 25 Aug 2023 | 10:00 AM IST

Chess World Cup: Anand calls current lot golden generation of Indian chess

With India producing chess Grandmasters aplenty besides setting a name for itself on the world stage, legendary Indian GM Viswanathan Anand firmly believes that the current lot happens to be a golden generation in Indian chess. His comments came at a time when the Indian players have hogged the limelight in the Chess World Cup in Baku (Azerbaijan), where young GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is competing in the final against reigning world no. 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway. Speaking to a weekly news magazine, Anand was quoted as saying that he was amazed by the fact that most of the current lot possesses a 2,700-plus Elo rating, especially below 20 years of age, terming it "special". I'm throwing in the title early, but they are a golden generation. They are all in the 2,700-plus group (Elo rating). And they're all under 20. That just does not happen; it's really something special." "And what this means, and the reason I call them the golden generation, is they're going to spend the next

Chess World Cup: Anand calls current lot golden generation of Indian chess
Updated On : 23 Aug 2023 | 4:23 PM IST

Chess World Cup 2023: How have Indian players created a buzz without Anand?

Five Indians, four men and a woman reached the quarterfinals of the Chess World Cup 2023 being held in Baku, Azerbaijan. This is the first instance where more than one Indian has featured in last 8

Chess World Cup 2023: How have Indian players created a buzz without Anand?
Updated On : 17 Aug 2023 | 6:53 PM IST

GM Gukesh D overtakes Anand to become highest ranked Indian chess player

Teenaged Grandmaster D Gukesh posted a win over home favourite Misratdin Iskandarov in a second round match of the World Cup here on Tuesday and overtook his idol Viswanathan Anand in live world (FIDE) rankings. The 17-year old Gukesh outclassed Iskandarov of Azerbaijan in 44 moves in the second game of their second-round match. "Gukesh D won again today and has overcome Viswanathan Anand in live rating! There is still almost a month till next official FIDE rating list on September 1, but it's highly likely that 17-year-old will be making it to top 10 in the world as the highest-rated Indian player," the international chess federation (FIDE) said in a tweet. The latest gain of 2.5 rating points took Gukesh's live rating to 2755.9, while Anand's is 2754.0. As a result, Gukesh replaced Anand as the World No. 9 in live rankings while the five-time World champion slipped to 10th. Anand, who first made it to the World's top-10 in July 1991, has remained India's top-ranked player in all

GM Gukesh D overtakes Anand to become highest ranked Indian chess player
Updated On : 04 Aug 2023 | 5:23 PM IST

Global Chess League: Anand joins Ganges Grandmasters, Kings pick up Carlsen

Five-time world champions Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen were picked up by Ganges Grandmasters and SG Alpine Warriors respectively in the Players' Draft for the inaugural Global Chess League on Wednesday. The Global Chess League will be held from June 21 to July 2 at the Dubai Chess & Culture Club in association with the Dubai Sports Council. Six teams Ganges Grandmasters, SP Alpine Warriors, Triveni Continental Kings, Chingari Gulf Titans, upGrad Mumba Masters and Balan Alaskan Knights took part in the player draft held in Mumbai, roping in 36 front-line men and women chess players from across the globe. The players were divided into six categories: Icon, Superstar Men 1, Superstar Men 2, Superstar Women 1, Superstar Women 2 and Prodigy. Anand, Carlsen and reigning world champion Ding Liren, who was drafted in by Triveni Continental Kings, were the pick of Icon Players. The most notable draft in the Prodigy segment was India's chess whiz kid R Praggnanandhaa, the ...

Global Chess League: Anand joins Ganges Grandmasters, Kings pick up Carlsen
Updated On : 07 Jun 2023 | 10:37 PM IST

Carlsen's last gambit: Why World Chess Champion checked his title defence

As Norwegian Grandmaster ends his last game as reigning No. 1, a look at the chessboard of ratings and stages to the top

Carlsen's last gambit: Why World Chess Champion checked his title defence
Updated On : 10 Mar 2023 | 8:53 PM IST

Indian chess legend Vishwanathan Anand elected FIDE deputy president

Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand was on Sunday elected deputy president of FIDE, the sport's world governing body, while incumbent president Arkady Dvorkovich was re-elected for a second term

Indian chess legend Vishwanathan Anand elected FIDE deputy president
Updated On : 07 Aug 2022 | 3:13 PM IST

Will Magnus Carlsen's refusal to defend world chess title devalue it?

There's only one instance where a reigning world champion relinquished his title without playing: Bobby Fischer in 1975

Will Magnus Carlsen's refusal to defend world chess title devalue it?
Updated On : 21 Jul 2022 | 10:02 PM IST

India fields third team in Chess Olympiad scheduled July 28 to August 10

Grandmasters Surya Shekhar Ganguly, Karthikeyan Murali, SP Sethuraman, Abhijeet Gupta and Abhimanyu Puranik comprise the third Indian team with Gujarat's first GM, Tejas Bakre as the captain

India fields third team in Chess Olympiad scheduled July 28 to August 10
Updated On : 03 Jul 2022 | 3:00 PM IST

PM Modi inaugurates 44th Chess Olympiad; hopes India will create new record

The Prime Minister launched the historic torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad today at Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi

PM Modi inaugurates 44th Chess Olympiad; hopes India will create new record
Updated On : 19 Jun 2022 | 8:52 PM IST