The royal presence of Magnus Carlsen, his defeat against India’s Arjun Erigaisi in Round 8 of the blitz event and R Praggnanandhaa moving to second place following six straight wins — there were many highlights on the penultimate day of the Tata Steel Chess India 2024 rapid and blitz competition. For yet another day in the event in Kolkata, spectator interest remained a talking point.
The auditorium which seats around 550 was almost full for the second day running. Mostly school children who play chess and their parents were in attendance. In chess, the crowd isn’t permitted to speak or make any sort of noise. Mobile phones have to be on silent mode. So, the presence of so many didn’t violate decibel norms. But, they made for a great sight.
“Having fans is very important. Their presence adds value to the proceedings,” Praggnanandhaa said after the day’s play. “In Kolkata, the response has always been encouraging. There are children asking for autographs. They want to speak to you. Even at the hotel, you see them turn up in large numbers. It’s important for the game to have them around for tournaments.”
The youngster from Chennai had finished behind Carlsen in the rapid section. After starting the blitz segment with three successive defeats, his chances seemed lost. But he came back with six straight wins. “I am not satisfied with how I have played here. The results are not everything all the time. I could have done better, but messed up on a few occasions.”
Other than these ups and downs, spectator turnout remained a highlight. Kateryna Lagno was no less impressed. “It’s important to have people come and watch chess. I didn’t expect this kind of a crowd over here and it’s a very good to see so many children turn up for an event like this. Their presence is a helpful factor for the players,” said the Russian, who is leading the women’s table.
Arjun nails Carlsen
Carlsen had got off to a blazing start, by winning the first six games and drawing the seventh. Erigaisi brought the Norwegian down to earth, albeit for a short while, by defeating him in the eighth round. Vidit Gujrathi drew with the undisputed world No 1 in the ninth round. This helped Praggnanandhaa close the gap with Carlsen to half-a-point. Nine more rounds of blitz will be played on the final day.
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