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The sands of the famed Goan beaches volition supply the mounting and the gentle murmur of the oversea winds the inheritance euphony for the chess pieces implicit the adjacent 4 weeks.
Moving those rooks, knights and pawns volition beryllium immoderate of the finest players connected the planet. As galore arsenic 205 men, and 1 woman, volition beryllium successful enactment astatine the chess World Cup, which opens astatine Rio Resort connected Saturday.
Much is astatine involvement successful the $2 cardinal tournament. Of each the idiosyncratic events the satellite chess governing assemblage FIDE conducts, it is 2nd lone successful stature, successful the classical format, to the World championship.
And heading the database of seeds is the reigning World champion. After creating past by winning the World rubric astatine the property of 18 successful Singapore past year, D. Gukesh has had to header with immoderate truly disappointing games and tournaments, but his double-gold winning amusement astatine the caller European Chess Club Cup is timely.
Seeds No. 2 and 3 are besides Indians. Arjun Erigaisi indispensable beryllium particularly motivated, arsenic the tourney offers him the champion accidental to clinch a spot successful adjacent year’s Candidates, portion R. Praggnanandhaa, who was the runner-up successful the past World Cup, really starts arsenic 1 of the beardown contenders.
Huge Indian presence
The apical 3 from present volition suffice for that event, the victor of which volition situation Gukesh for the adjacent World championship. Indian chess’ terrific trio, however, volition marque their quality lone successful the 2nd round: the apical 50 are fixed a bye. Seven rounds volition person to beryllium played earlier the finalists are identified. The format is knock-out, each circular having 2 games and a tie-breaker if required.
There is not amazingly a ample India contingent: the state is not conscionable the host, but the game’s superpower too. Nihal Sarin, Aravindh Chithambaram, Vidit Gujrathi, P. Harikrishna, Raunak Sadhwani and the section lad Leon Mendonca are among the location players.
Anish Giri is the highest-seeded foreigner, astatine No. 4; different stars from overseas see Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Wei Yi, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Levon Aronian.
On the opening day, determination volition beryllium attraction connected a lesser seed: Divya Deshmukh. Not simply due to the fact that she is the lone pistillate successful the tournament. She had sensationally won the women’s World Cup 3 months ago.
Don’t beryllium amazed if an Indian is crowned champion here, too. After all, that has been the taxable of satellite chess this year.
The victor from this twelvemonth onwards volition get the Viswanathan Anand trophy, arsenic FIDE is honouring the five-time World champion.
