Author: Atreyo Mukhopadhyay

By Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Goa As the FIDE World Cup approaches the business end, the report card from an Indian perspective doesn’t make for happy reading. There were seven from the country in the top 25 in the field of 206 players. Six of them were rated 2700 or above. The top three seeds were Indians. Heading into the quarterfinals, Arjun Erigaisi is the lone one standing. In the last 16, Pentala Harikrishna was the only other player carrying the Tricolour. That is not a great story. World champion D Gukesh and last edition’s runner-up R Praggnanandhaa were eliminated early.…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Goa It was close to 7 pm. Pentala Harikrishna had his left arm clasping the forehead. There were creases on that. Chess players often do that, a lot of time with both hands, which makes for some intense photographs. The difference between those postures and this was it was a sign of resignation. He knew he had lost all ways of forcing his way through in a must-win situation. It signalled his exit from the FIDE World Cup. Playing against José Martínez Alcántara of Mexico in the tie-breakers of the fifth round, the Indian veteran drew the…

By Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Goa There is a place at the FIDE World Cup venue in Goa worth dropping by. It’s called the Fan Zone, not because of the snacks and beverages one can buy, but for the live commentary by experts that makes complex matters appear simpler. One doesn’t become a pundit by being there, but can comprehend in straightforward terms what’s going on between the players. This is done by Chess.com and ChessBase India, platforms well known the world over. Ticket-holders have access to this area, where Grandmasters like Sahaj Grover and Harshit Raja are among the panellists…

By Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Goa At around 6.30 pm, Levon Aronian came out of the playing hall. He was pitted against Arjun Erigaisi in the second game of Round 5 of the FIDE World Cup. The game had been headed towards a draw a few minutes earlier and everyone thought the players were off to the tie-breakers, as the player from the United States started signing autographs with a smile on his face. They were wrong. News broke soon that Erigaisi had found a major breakthrough to defeat his opponent with the black pieces. When he stepped out, it was…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Goa He strides around the playing arena and the adjoining places like a colossus. Not huge in physical stature, but he is massive by his standing in the chess world at the age of 21. Only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand and 14th in history to have crossed the 2800 ELO rating mark, Arjun Erigaisi is a star and the country’s biggest hope in the FIDE World Cup. In the second game in the fifth round of the competition today, he takes on Levon Aronian of the USA after a draw yesterday. Experts thought he had…

By Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Goa Friday turned out to be a dry day in Goa. Not literally, but in terms of action in the first games of Round 5 of the FIDE World Cup. Seven of the eight games in the round of 16 were drawn. India’s Arjun Erigaisi and Pentala Harikrishna were among that lot. This means the issue will be settled in the second set of classical games on Saturday. If not, it will spill over to the tie-breakers to be played in the shorter formats a day later. Harikrishna was up against the in-form Jose Martínez Alcantara…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Goa In the melee of the Indian youngsters creating ripples in international chess, he is a lone man out. Not mentioned when the future is discussed or the present, he cuts a quiet figure. The media doesn’t hound him. He remains the least sought-after. Make no mistake, but Pentala Harikrishna is alive and kicking. The link between the generation of Viswanathan Anand and the current crop headed by D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin, the 39-year-old remains relevant. Not because he became the first Indian after Anand to annex the world junior title. Not…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Goa When others are busy before their games and in their own confines, he is spotted loitering around the lobby area with the most relaxed face one could imagine. Most players wear formals during games and he is seen in casuals. Others walk briskly towards the playing hall, avoiding eye contact with autograph-seekers and well-wishers, while he obliges everyone. Levon Aronian is an antithesis of a modern-day chess player. Born in Armenia and representing the USA, he is a two-time winner of the FIDE World Cup. He is the quintessential aberration, who can be seen lying down…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Goa Daniil Dubov is a chess player from Russia. He is unconventional in the sense that he doesn’t like going into hiding before his games. While most players spend time in their rooms doing last-minute preparations, he is seen in the lobby or cafe areas of the hotel where the FIDE World Cup is taking place. He is usually in torn jeans and having black coffee before changing into formals and entering the playing zone. Dubov caused the upset of the fourth round of the championship by knocking out R Praggnanandhaa in the tie-breaker. The two had…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Goa It was by and large a flat day for Indians at the FIDE World Cup on Wednesday as R Pranav and Karthik Venkataraman bowed out. The top guns — R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and P Harikrishna — hung on, securing draws to head in to the tie-breakers taking place on Thursday. It was a tricky and tough outing for Pragg and Harikrishna. Both were inferior in their games yet showed steel and skill to stay afloat. There were moments when they looked down and out. The live commentators from the venue were predicting that they were…