Author: Atreyo Mukhopadhyay

What after Viswanathan Anand? The question bugged Indian chess fans for years. The country that produced a five-time world champion and Grandmasters by the dozen had not made a mark at the top level for years. Some came close, but they did not win the big events. Nobody doubted their potential, but when it came to showing something tangible, there was nothing. The heist of Hungary, where Indian won gold in the open and women’s sections, breaks that hoodoo. They were among the favourites, being the second seeds in open and top seeds in the women’s section. But to be…

Demeanour is an important element in sport. It’s not decisive but indicative. If you happened to catch a glimpse of the Chess Olympiad through reels or videos clippings, you’ll get an idea how the Indian team is feeling. World No 2 Fabiano Caruana cornered, D Gukesh got off his chair and started circling the area behind him. Eyes firmly on the board, he was surveying what he was about to conquer. Gukesh’s victory and India’s 2.5-1.5 win over top-seeds USA makes them firm favourites for the gold medal in the open section. With one round to play against Slovenia, they…

Now comes the most challenging part. India have dominated the open section of the Chess Olympiad. They won eight successive rounds before settling for a draw against defending champions Uzbekistan in the ninth. With two rounds remaining and India having a two-point lead over the second-placed teams, the gold medal is almost within touching distance. That ‘almost’ is a key word here. There is always a gap between the cup and the lip and India’s challenge is to make sure that this gap doesn’t get wider. In 2022 also, they had come close to winning the title before settling for…

“The hunger to succeed is greater than the fear of loss,” said Grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly. He was talking about the amazing run of the Indian team in the open section of the Chess Olympiad. They have won all eight rounds so far. With three more to play, they stand an excellent chance of winning the gold medal. India’s best in this section so far has been bronze in 2014 and 2022. A part of Viswanathan Anand’s team of seconds in three victorious World Championship campaigns, Ganguly said attitude sets this generation of players apart. “They are ready to lose…

It’s something to start a tournament as the favourites, and something else to live up to that billing. In the Chess Olympiad being played in Budapest, the Indian teams have shown the tenacity and spark and played as true heavyweights. They are the sole leaders in the open and women’s sections after seven rounds, with four more rounds to play. As is well known, the pressure rises when the going gets tougher. The Indian teams were pitted against strong opponents in the seventh round — China in the open section and Georgia in the women’s. Both teams have a far…

The Indian teams are the sole leaders in the open and women’s sections after six rounds of the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Five more rounds are to be played. In this exclusive chat with RevSportz, Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua shares his thoughts on India’s chances. A gold medallist on the second board in the Chess Olympiad played in Novi Sad in erstwhile Yugoslavia in 1990, Barua is in Budapest as the head of the Indian delegation. Q: What has been the standout feature of the Indian campaign so far? A: This shows that India has become a super strong chess country…

It won’t be exaggerating to say that Arjun Erigaisi is driving the Indian campaign at the Chess Olympiad. After six rounds, India are the sole leaders in the open and women’s sections. These are the only teams to have won all six rounds in the competition in Budapest. With five more rounds to go, they have an excellent chance of improving upon the bronze they had clinched in 2022. Arjun has been the fulcrum of the Indian assault in the open section. And the team, which has N Srinath as the non-playing captain, has used him brilliantly. With a world…

The Indian campaign at the Chess Olympiad has got off to a robust start. After four rounds, the contingents are topping the charts in the open section and the women’s section as well. Both teams won all four rounds. They are tied on points with other countries, but ahead on tie-break scores. The likes of Arjun Erigaisi, D Gukesh, D Harika, Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali have played some stunning games. However, this is just the beginning. The most crucial rounds lie ahead, where they will face tougher opponents when the challenge will get stronger. They will have to handle…

It’s a cliché in sports that the loudest of statements are not made from the mouth. A player’s performance speaks for him or her and often, he or she may not have to say anything. In cricket, runs made or wickets taken or catches held can be more eloquent. One need not have to be vocal. Ishan Kishan put in that kind of a performance in the ongoing Duleep Trophy match. It was his first first-class outing in a long time and representing India C against India B, the left-handed batter made 111 in the first innings. It was a…

Sports in India is on an upward curve. Not that the Paris Olympics returns were as expected, it was not a drastic fall from previous achievements either. In several disciplines, Indians have maintained a standard close to the world level. If there is one story of minimal progress in a popular sport, it has been in football. The national team has achieved close to nil in important events. It’s not that expectations are sky-high in India when it comes to the most widely followed game on earth, but there were hopes that there would be some development. Considering that hockey…