All posts tagged: Nodirbek Abdusattorov

‘Shit happens’: World champion Gukesh on ‘unexplainable’ blunder that left him inconsolable at Wijk aan Zee | Chess News

‘Shit happens’: World champion Gukesh on ‘unexplainable’ blunder that left him inconsolable at Wijk aan Zee | Chess News

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“Shit happens” That was world champion Gukesh’s frank assessment about his stunning blunder two rounds ago in the game against arch-rival Nodirbek Abdusattorov at the Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee. The blunder, in an equalish position, meant that Gukesh would immediately lose a pawn and then a rook, and would be likely checkmated later on in the game. Gukesh had resigned from the game soon afterwards, and had also lost to Anish Giri the next day before finally bouncing back with a victory over Vladimir Fedoseev with black pieces on Sunday in round 8. Gukesh had seemed inconsolable in the aftermath of the result against Abdusattorov, spending five minutes at the table speechless even as the Uzbekistan grandmaster tried to engage him in conversation and analyse the game. Later, Gukesh had walked into the press room at the tournament venue where he had spent another 10 to 15 minutes in silence with his face turned away from the world as he tried to come to terms with the blunder. World Champion Gukesh …

With jaw dropping blunder, Gukesh loses to old foe Nodirbek Abdusattorov at Tata Steel Chess tournament | Chess News

With jaw dropping blunder, Gukesh loses to old foe Nodirbek Abdusattorov at Tata Steel Chess tournament | Chess News

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For almost five minutes, Gukesh Dommaraju could not bear to look at the board or his opponent, Nodirbek Abdusattorov. He changed his posture over 15 times in that duration, each position displaying a different degree of torment with his hand covering his face. In the previous five rounds of the Tata Steel Chess tournament, Gukesh has been unusually chatty, usually being the one to speak to the opponent to try and analyze the game. Today, no words came out of his mouth when Abdusattorov tried twice to try and talk to the Indian. It was that sort of a morale bruising result that leaves a bruise on the psyche. The world champion suffered his first defeat of the year at the Tata Steel tournament at the hands of Abdusattorov, thanks to a one-move blunder in the sixth round clash. Gukesh was shellshocked at himself for making the move and appeared to realise that he had made a fatal error a second after making it. He immediately resigned after Abdusattorov’s response. Gukesh was shellshocked at himself …

Arjun Erigaisi clinches World Blitz bronze

Arjun Erigaisi clinches World Blitz bronze

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Indian grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi capped a memorable campaign on the global stage by winning the bronze medal at the World Blitz Championship, completing a rare double podium finish after his third-place result at the World Rapid Championship earlier this week. Erigaisi produced a standout performance in the Swiss rounds of the blitz event, topping the standings with an impressive 15 points from 19 games. His aggressive yet controlled play ensured qualification for the knockout stage, where he advanced to the semifinals before being halted by Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Erigaisi went down 0.5–2.5 in the semifinal match, settling for a bronze medal. Despite the defeat, the result marked a significant milestone in the 22-year-old’s career. With this finish, Erigaisi became only the second Indian man, after Viswanathan Anand, to win a medal in the Open category at the World Blitz Championship, underlining his growing stature among the world’s elite. The semifinal day also featured a dramatic run from defending champion Magnus Carlsen, who recovered from a difficult position to reach the final. Carlsen defeated American Fabiano …

Praggnanandhaa wins FIDE Circuit 2025, qualifies for 2026 Candidates Tournament

Praggnanandhaa wins FIDE Circuit 2025, qualifies for 2026 Candidates Tournament

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R. Praggnanandhaa has clinched the FIDE Circuit 2025 title, securing his place in next year’s Candidates Tournament as India’s lone male representative. The Chennai Grandmaster maintained a consistent lead in the circuit standings since May, when he overtook Ding Liren, and held firm through the final month despite late challenges from the field. By November, several of his closest competitors, Anish Giri, Fabiano Caruana, Matthias Bluebaum and Javokhir Sindarov, had already qualified for the 2026 Candidates through other pathways. With Vincent Keymer inactive in classical events for the remainder of the year, only Nodirbek Abdusattorov retained a theoretical chance of catching Praggnanandhaa via the points-rich London Chess Classic Elite. Strong London finish seals qualification To secure his qualification independently of the upcoming FIDE Rapid and Blitz Championships, Praggnanandhaa entered the London Chess Classic Open at the last moment. He delivered under pressure, scoring 7/9, tying for first place and earning 8.17 circuit points. Abdusattorov produced a standout performance in the Elite section, achieving one of the highest tournament performance ratings in chess history and collecting …

When Andy Murray revealed son Teddy beats him at chess: ‘Difficult losing to 5-year-old when middle of game he’s asking you to wipe his bum’ | Chess News

When Andy Murray revealed son Teddy beats him at chess: ‘Difficult losing to 5-year-old when middle of game he’s asking you to wipe his bum’ | Chess News

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Andy Murray was invited as a guest for the fifth round of the London Chess Classic to make the ceremonial first move in the game between Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Greek GM Nikolas Theodorou at Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium. Murray, who played 1.e4 in a game where the Uzbekistan grandmaster won, does play some chess at home, courtesy his five-year-old son Teddy, who Murray senior said was “massively into chess”. In fact, the former tennis player said that his son had already started humbling him in games at home. “My 5-year-old boy has gotten massively into chess,” Murray had told the BBC in an interview earlier this year. “I’m not a particularly good chess player but I’ve got quite an analytical mind. I enjoy the game and watching him learn. It’s difficult losing to a five-year-old when in the middle of the game he’s asking you to come and wipe his bum, essentially. It’s humbling for my intelligence.” During the live broadcast of the fifth round on Monday, Murray was also revealed as a fan of …

Praggnanandhaa wins FIDE Circuit 2025, qualifies for 2026 Candidates Tournament

Praggnanandhaa makes surprise entry into London Chess Classic Open as Candidates race heats up

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Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa R has entered the 2025 XTX Markets London Chess Classic, adding major intrigue to Britain’s most prominent chess event. The world number seven confirmed his participation days before the tournament began, joining the Open section in a bid to secure vital FIDE Circuit points needed to qualify for next year’s Candidates Tournament in Cyprus. The Candidates serves as the final qualification stage for the World Championship match, and only one spot remains via the FIDE Circuit. Praggnanandhaa, who narrowly missed qualifying through the World Cup in Goa, must now maximise his points from the limited number of eligible events left in the calendar. The 20-year-old was unable to join the Classic’s eight-player elite event due to a late entry, with the £50,000 round-robin starting next week at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Instead, he will be the clear favourite in the Open category, facing a field comprising lower-rated grandmasters, international masters and amateur players. His campaign is expected to draw considerable attention as he attempts to keep pace with other Candidates contenders. This will …

Praggnanandhaa holds Vachier-Lagrave to stay in joint lead

Praggnanandhaa holds Vachier-Lagrave to stay in joint lead

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Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa continued his solid run at the Superbet Classic, sharing points with French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the fifth round to remain in a three-way tie for the lead. The tournament, part of the Grand Chess Tour, had a quiet day overall. In the round-robin format, featuring 10 players, all five encounters ended in draws. World Champion D Gukesh, after a recent loss, managed to avoid another setback by holding Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Despite creating complex positions and sacrificing material in a bid to gain the upper hand, Gukesh needed a late error from Duda to escape with a draw after 43 moves. Levon Aronian, representing the USA, engaged in a fighting draw with French star Alireza Firouzja. Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Romania’s Bogdan-Daniel Deac also split points after a balanced battle. Meanwhile, American GM Fabiano Caruana remained at the top alongside Praggnanandhaa and Vachier-Lagrave after a marathon game against compatriot Wesley So, which also ended peacefully. Praggnanandhaa, playing with the white pieces, opted for a less common response to Vachier-Lagrave’s trusted …

Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa hold ground with draws

Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa hold ground with draws

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Indian chess stars D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa continued their steady start at the Superbet Classics 2025 in Bucharest, recording draws in their respective second-round encounters. Gukesh, playing with the black pieces against Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov, kept things under control in an Italian Opening. The 18-year-old Indian GM neutralised early pressure and slowly steered the game into an equal position. Despite some sharp play from the Uzbek, Gukesh held firm and comfortably navigated into a heavy-piece endgame where he never looked in danger. Meanwhile, R Praggnanandhaa also played with black and managed a solid result against American GM Fabiano Caruana. The game remained balanced throughout, with neither player taking unnecessary risks. Both sides shook hands for a draw after reaching a stable middle game position. #News♟️ Composed performances in Round 2! D Gukesh held Nodirbek Abdusattorov, while R Praggnanandhaa drew with Fabiano Caruana — both with black pieces at the #SuperbetClassics2025.Both Indian GMs now have 1 point from 2 rounds. 🇮🇳 📷 LennartOotes /GrandChessTour#Chess… pic.twitter.com/R0VgsY4IGB — The Bridge (@the_bridge_in) May 9, 2025 With two rounds …

Praggnanandhaa finishes third at the Superbet Rapid and Blitz chess tournament

Praggnanandhaa finishes third at the Superbet Rapid and Blitz chess tournament

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Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa secured a commendable third-place finish at the Superbet Rapid and Blitz tournament in Warsaw, a key event in the Grand Chess Tour series. Slovenian Grandmaster Vladimir Fedoseev emerged as the champion with an outstanding total of 26.5 points, finishing well ahead of the rest of the field. France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave claimed second place with 21.5 points, while Praggnanandhaa followed closely behind with 20.5 points. Despite suffering several defeats in the blitz rounds, the 18-year-old Indian showed resilience, bouncing back with four wins in his final five games. He earned a prize purse of USD 25,000 for his overall performance. Fedoseev dominated the blitz section, collecting 7.5 points out of 9 games on the final day. His only loss came at the hands of Polish GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda. For his strong showing, he took home the winner’s cheque of USD 40,000. Vachier-Lagrave received USD 30,000 for finishing second. India’s Aravindh Chithambaram, playing in his debut Grand Chess Tour event, tied for seventh place with Duda, both scoring 17 points. Levon Aronian (USA) …

Gukesh salvages draw from lost position against Alireza Firouzja | Chess News

Gukesh salvages draw from lost position against Alireza Firouzja | Chess News

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The playing hall burst into applause. Even Gukesh Dommaraju broke into a rare smile after shaking hands with his opponent Alireza Firouzja on Thursday in the first game of their classification match for 7th spot at the Weissenhaus leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. Gukesh had not managed to beat Alireza, but it was a draw that was as good as a win for a player who is still winless at the luxury resort village in Germany. The applause was for the way Gukesh had managed to salvage a draw from a completely losing position. It was one of those games where the eval bar favoured Alireza from the start: in fact, the bar tipped over in the Frenchman’s favour after the first moves from both players. This was because Gukesh, playing with black pieces, had opted to hop the wrong knight. Story continues below this ad INTERACTIVE: How Gukesh evaded Alireza Firouzja to force a draw At one point in the game, the evaluation bar was down on the floor indicating a …