Author: Atreyo Mukhopadhyay

R Praggnanandhaa will be one relieved man at the Global Chess League which began in Mumbai on Sunday (December 14). In a galaxy of stars missing Magnus Carlsen, the Indian is the last player to have qualified for next year’s Candidates Championship. Mission 2025 accomplished, he can enjoy himself in the third edition of this glamourous event. It’s been a long year for the Chennai player. He played in at least 10 countries and four continents, travelled across time zones, won four titles including two super strong events, entered the top-10 in March and stayed there since, while rising to…

Portugal are the runaway favourites to top Group K at next year’s FIFA World Cup. It’s a title that places Lionel Messi above Cristiano Ronaldo in certain evaluations. The Portuguese will be keen to set this right. Colombia should look to make this their best World Cup. Group K Portugal Fixtures Vs New Caledonia/Jamaica/DR Congo, June 17, Houston, 22.30. Vs Uzbekistan, June 23, Houston, 22.30. Vs Colombia, June 28, Miami, 05.00. Previous best Third place in 1966. How they qualified Portugal topped Group F. They won four games, drew one and lost one. Cristiano Ronaldo became the all-time highest goal-getter…

It’s that time of the year when what Magnus Carlsen wears becomes global headline. The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships will be played in Doha from December 25-30. Why is Carlsen’s choice of attire a talking point? The Norwegian superstar caused a stir at this event last year when he turned up in jeans, which is against the FIDE’s dress code, showed his middle finger to the world governing body after being pulled up and eventually quit the rapid segment. He came back in jeans to win the blitz title. That sort of drama apart, there is not a…

This is Germany’s redemption World Cup. The four-time champions failed to get past the group stage in the last two editions. This group, on paper, looks like a cruise for the giants. But then, they won’t take anything for granted. GROUP E GERMANY Fixtures Vs Curacao, June 14, 22.30 Vs Ivory Coast, June 21, 01.30 Vs Ecuador, June 26, 01.30 Previous best Champions in 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014. How they qualified Lost to Slovakia in their opening qualifier in Group A. They posted five straight victories after that, including a 6-0 hammering of Slovakia in the last match, to top…

All the talk in the Indian chess community is revolving around R Praggnanandhaa and his chances of qualifying for next year’s Candidates Championship. It is a prestigious competition, second only to the World Championship in hierarchy. Three Indians had made it to the eight-player event last year, and with Pragg the only one with a chance this time, the spotlight is naturally on him. If he wins the Candidates, next year’s World Championship will be contested between him and D Gukesh. Getting overshadowed by that excitement and anticipation is the fact that three Indians have made it to the Candidates…

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have been the saving grace for Indian badminton in 2025. The men’s doubles pair just about kept intact the country’s proud record of winning at least one medal at the World Championship since 2011. They are the only Indian entry at the BWF World Tour Finals. The top eight in men’s and women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles make it to the year-ending event. Like last year, Sat-Chi will carry the Tricolour in the competition to be played in Hangzhou in China from December 17-21. The two-time World Championship bronze winners are ranked third…

This is getting close but not quite over. We are talking about R Praggnanandhaa and next year’s Candidates Championship to be played in Cyprus. The winner of that event will challenge D Gukesh in the World Championship match. Pragg missed out on sealing qualification because he didn’t win the open category of the London Chess Classic outright. He was one of three players who finished joint top with seven points each after nine rounds. Had the Indian been the sole winner, he would have made the Candidates cut. As things stand, Nodirbek Abdusattorov is the only one with a slight…

How is R Praggnanandhaa placed as far as qualification for next year’s Candidates Championship is concerned? He is the only Indian with a chance to make it to the eight-player event, the winner of which will earn the right to challenge D Gukesh in the World Championship bout. Pragg is the runaway leader in the FIDE Circuit 2025. The topper of this one gets a Candidates berth. With few tournaments remaining this year, it’s fair to say that he has almost made the cut. The catch is, there is this ‘almost’ attached to it. To put it in perspective, the…

By Atreyo Mukhopadhyay I recently returned from a three-week trip to Goa. Last year around this time, it was Singapore for a fortnight. Bills paid by the employers, these are dream assignments. Right? Nothing could have been further from the truth. I was actually trembling in fear when I landed in Singapore. Although to a lesser extent, trepidation was the companion again before boarding for Goa. I was there to cover top-level chess. The first one was the FIDE World Championship between Ding Liren and D Gukesh. The second was the FIDE World Cup. Most of my relatives, friends and…

Picture credit- Michal Walusza/FIDE When the FIDE World Cup got underway in Goa, all eyes were on the Indian youngsters. After a month of chess by the beach during which the home challenge gradually faded, a teenager from Uzbekistan had the last laugh. Javokhir Sindarov, 19, edged China Wei Yi in the second tie-break game on Wednesday. He is the youngest player to win the most prestigious knockout event in the world. The two classical games and the first tie-breaker played in the rapid format were drawn. The experts doing live commentary from the spot were of the view that…