Tag: Chess

Sports

🏆 Praggnanandhaa’s Triumph in Tashkent

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Tashkent | June 27, 2025 — In a dramatic display of skill and nerve, 19‑year‑old Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa secured his place at the top of Indian chess by defeating Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov with Black in the final round of the UzChess Cup Masters. The win pushed him to 2778.3 on live ratings, elevating him to World No. 4 and placing him ahead of compatriots like Gukesh and Arjun

Praggnanandhaa emerged victorious from a field of ten elite masters, including Ian Nepomniachtchi, Richard Rapport, and Abdusattorov After nine rounds, three players were tied at 5.5 points. Pragg’s win with Black was crucial to force a three-way tiebreak.

In the rapid playoffs, Praggnanandhaa showcased extraordinary resilience, winning the final tiebreak to claim the title. As Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand noted, “In an impressive demonstration of character he won his third tiebreak of the year… He is deservedly the new number four in the chess world and the highest rated player in India.”

By clinching India’s No. 1 spot and rising to World No. 4, Praggnanandhaa has not only etched his name into history, but also inspired the next generation of Indian chess talent. With his dynamic style and recent string of victories, he is poised to remain a central figure in global chess for years to come.

Sports

Ethan Wins 5 Medals for India at Western Asia Youth Chess Championships

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Goa’s Ethan Vaz has once again made India proud, clinching five medals at the Western Asia Youth Chess Championships 2025, held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from April 20 to 29. With this feat, Ethan’s all-time medal tally for India has climbed to 21.

The championships comprised three formats—Rapid, Standard (Classical), and Blitz—and was organized by the Tajikistan Chess Federation under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE.

Competing in the Under-16 (Sub-Junior) Open category, Ethan secured individual medals in all three formats: Silver in Standard, Silver in Rapid and Bronze in Blitz. He also led from the front to bag Team Bronze medals for India in Standard and Rapid formats. Notably, Team India had only two players in this category—competing against full three-member teams from countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan—making the team medals a particularly commendable achievement.

At just 13 years old, Ethan was eligible for the Under-14 category but opted to challenge himself by playing in the higher Under-16 category, consistent with his long-term development strategy. His selection to represent India in the higher age group followed from his medal-winning performance at the Sub-Junior (Under-15) National Chess Championship 2024. It may be noted that earlier Ethan had won the Gold Medal at the Commonwealth Chess Championships, 2024, while similarly challenging himself in the Under-16 category.

This year’s edition of the Western Asia Youth Chess Championships saw participation from 391 players across 13 countries, including 37 titled players.

“I was hoping for gold, but a consistent performance with podium finishes in all formats is an accomplishment to be very proud of,” said Ethan.

Goa Chess Association President Mahesh Candolkar, Secretary Ashesh Keni, Treasurer Vishwas Pilarnkar, and other officials congratulated Ethan on his stellar performance and wished him continued success.

“We are very grateful to Ethan’s coaches, sponsors, The King’s School, and all our well-wishers for their unwavering support,” said Ethan’s mother, Linda Fernandes. “We also thank AICF, GCA, SAI, and SAG for their constant encouragement and assistance.”

Ethan and his father are currently en route to India, with their travel plans disrupted due to a last-minute cancellation of their connecting flight following the closure of Pakistan’s airspace—a consequence of the recent Pahalgam terror attack