Author: Atreyo Mukhopadhyay

It’s a clinic with dialysis facilities in southern Kolkata. The place is busy. This treatment is provided to the patients in multiple shifts. There are about 10 beds in the main dialysis unit. The walls have TV sets hanging from them. Mostly, it’s Bangla soaps and news or Animal Planet. For about two months every year, all the TV sets are tuned to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Even though present at the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Bengaluru on April 18, 2008, things happened at too frenetic a pace for me to comprehend. People were left in…

It’s a question D Gukesh has faced a few times in the last year or so. It was asked of him after the 10th round game of the Candidates chess competition, too. He said once again that being the joint-leader in an elite event doesn’t make things any different for him. Last year at a media interaction in Kolkata as well, Gukesh had stated that he doesn’t feel pressure. Other than an anti-climactic seventh-round defeat against Alireza Firouzja, Gukesh has shown a deep reserve of calm and resolve in Toronto, other than his skills and knowledge of positions. Looking higher-rated…

For only the second time in 10 rounds, games involving Indians in the open section of the Candidates chess competition ended in draws on Monday. The previous occasion was the first round. This didn’t change the positions occupied by them on the points table. With four rounds to go, all three have a chance, along with three others. In the game between the joint-leaders, D Gukesh defended with black against Ian Nepomniachtchi. The draw left them with six points apiece. R Praggnanandhaa drew with white against Vidit Gujrathi to retain his place, half-a-point behind the top two. Fabiano Caruana and…

The Indians continued to create ripples in the Candidates chess competition. Veering between sensational wins and unexpected defeats, Vidit Gujrathi found the former as companion in the ninth round. Hikaru Nakamura became his victim for the second time in the ongoing event. Subjecting the World No. 3 to this treatment at such a high-profile meet will remain a feather in Vidit’s cap. Other than getting back to 50% score and moving within a point of the leaders, Vidit also showed that the defeat with white against D Gukesh in the previous round had not dented his confidence. Making the most…

This edition of the Candidates chess competition is turning out to be a rollercoaster ride. There were significant movements in the eighth round, as the leaders were joined by others in the open and women’s sections. With six rounds to go, there are multiple contenders in both categories. D Gukesh was one of the biggest movers of the day. The youngest player in the event came back from a heartbreaking defeat in the previous game with a brilliant win with black against Vidit Gujrathi. It put the 18-year-old back in the joint-lead with Ian Nepomniachtchi and landed a crushing blow…

This was around 15-16 years ago, at the annual open chess meet in Kolkata, when the presence of a boy caused curiosity. From Nashik, in half pants, with mother and younger sister for company, this child was billed promising at the gathering of GMs and to-be GMs in the event, which acted as a window for youngsters to collect norms and rating points against higher-rated overseas players. Vidit Gujrathi’s appearance, childlike expressions, along with his unmistakable spark on the board drew attention. Roktim Bandyopadhyay knows him since then. The Kolkata-based International Master was his coach for three-plus years from that…

“All three are in with a chance. That’s a good start,” GM Krishnan Sasikiran said of India’s performance in the open section of the Candidates chess competition. Koneru Humpy and R Vaishali are not in contention in the women’s section. But D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi are at the halfway stage of the event which selects the challenger to take on the world champion. After seven rounds, all three are part of the group of contenders. The gap between leader Ian Nepomniachtchi (4.5 points) and Vidit (3.5) at joint-third is one point. Gukesh and Pragg (4 each) can…

Viswanathan Anand on official live commentary described it as a ‘tragedy’. It was a blunder from the most unlikely character at the end of a long game, which prevented India from making it their day and their first half in the open section, at the halfway stage of the Candidates chess competition. D Gukesh suffered an anti-climactic loss under time pressure on Thursday, minutes before he was expected to head into the rest day with a share of the lead after seven rounds. The defeat against Alireza Firouzja of France doesn’t derail his campaign and keeps him just half a…

“What’s Vidit Gujrathi’s favourite holiday destination? Waiting room,” someone quipped in the comments section, during live commentary of the Candidates chess tournament, on ChessBase India. It was in reference to the long periods of time spent by the player thinking, which has seen him come under pressure from the clock on a few occasions in the competition. Vidit once again took a considerable amount of time to contemplate, during his sixth-round match against Alireza Firouzja, and came under time pressure. But he made the wait worthwhile by scoring a handsome win on a great day for India in the open…

On a day of late drama, three Indians in the open section of the Candidates chess tournament raised visions of victory. R Praggnanandhaa was the first, Vidit Gujrathi next and D Gukesh after the two of them. All three had white pieces. While the first two had to settle for draws against higher-ranked opponents, Gukesh hung in till the end of a marathon game to squeeze out a tenacious win. The youngest player in the competition at 18, Gukesh shares the lead after Round 5, with two-time winner Ian Nepomniachtchi on 3.5 points. His toil against Nijat Abasov lasted over…