World Chess Champion GM Ding: Indian chess Grandmasters (GM) have sounded the warning bugle at the ongoing Tata Steel Masters chess tournament at The Netherlands which could be termed as a ‘half-Candidates Tournament’. Defeating the reigning World Chess Champion GM Ding Liren or humbling the once title challenger GM Ian Nepomniachtchi or holding the current Tata Steel Masters title GM Anish Giri are some of the notable achievements of the three young Indian GMs – Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, R.Praggnananddhaa, and D.Gukesh.
World Champion Liren, after drawing his first round against Gujrathi, tasted Indian blood in the third round against Gukesh but was defeated by Praggnanandhaa in the fourth round.
On his part, Gukesh, who had lost to host country GM and the defending champion Giri in the fourth round, humbled the much higher rated Nepomniachtchi in the fifth round.
At the end of fifth round, Gujrathi scored 2.5 points drawing all his games against players like Liren, Giri, Nepomniachtchi, Jorden Van Foreest, and GM Max Warmerdam.
Gukesh is also with 2.5 points while Praggnanandhaa with three points is trailing the leader Giri who has four points.
With five out of the eight GMs who have qualified to play in the Candidates Tournament in the fray, Tata Steel Masters could be termed as half-a-Candidates Tournament.
While the Candidates Tournament is a double round robin event, the Tata Steel Masters is a single round event.
Apart from the three Indian GMs, the other two Candidates qualifiers are Nepomniachtchi and GM Alireza Firouzja.
Firouzja will be playing against Gujrathi in round seven, Gukesh in round 11, and Praggnanandhaa in round 13.
Meanwhile, the 13 round Tata Steel Masters tournament is nearing the half way mark and much more interesting duals that are of interests to Indian chess lovers are on the anvil.
“So far, Indians are doing well but it is a long tournament, so too early to say anything,” Shahid Ahmed, Senior Editor and Coordinator, ChessBase India told IANS.
(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in)