PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Aug 31: Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz is back with its fifth edition in 2023.
As in 2022, this year also there is going to be a separate Women’s tournament apart from the Open category. The tournament has been a game-changer since its inaugural edition in 2018.
Last year, in the women’s category Vaishali R won the Tata Steel Blitz while Anna Ushenina won the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid. In the open category, Arjun Erigaisi won the Tata Steel Chess India Blitz while Nihal Sarin won the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid. This year the tournament will be held over 10 days at the National Library, Kolkata.
The elite Grandmasters who will be seen in action at Kolkata this year are reigning Women World Champion Ju Wenjun; Anna Ushenina, Humpy Koneru, Harika Dronavalli, among others in the women category.
Ju Wenjun became World Champion in May 2018 and has since defended her title twice, in 2020 and 2023. Anna Ushenina will be looking to defend her Rapid title from 2022.
In the open category, we will witness Alexander Grischuk, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, R Praggnanandhaa; Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Gukesh Dommaraju. India’s young brigades who are making their impact on the international chess scene will also be seen in action.
The Indians in particular are entering the tournament following a great collective performance in the Chess World Cup 2023 earlier this month. Four of the Indians participating (R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, and Gukesh Dommaraju) made it to the quarter-finals of the Chess World Cup with R. Praggnanandhaa making the finals.
The Indian teams for both the Women’s and Open section at the forthcoming Asian Games will be playing at the Tata Steel Chess India this year.
Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand will also be present during the tournament as the Ambassador of the Tournament as well as the mentor to the younger players. His presence at the tournament is a source of inspiration for all players.
Viswanathan Anand, Deputy FIDE President and Tournament Ambassador said, “We have a wonderful generation of youngsters, the golden generation who are making India proud at the international level. Tata Steel and this tournament is giving a great opportunity to them to compete with the best players and we hope this experience gives them the confidence to excel at the Asian Games.
Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, said: “Tata Steel Chess India is now in its 5th Edition, an initiative that we are immensely proud of. This event stands as a celebration of excellence in the realm of chess, and we are also encouraged to learn, how much this tournament has been instrumental in promoting chess within the country. We hope the people of the city of Kolkata and all others watching Live around the world, enjoy what promises to be a closely-contested tournament. May the chessboard be the stage where brilliance unfolds, friendships form, and the legacy of this great game continues to flourish.”
In keeping with the stature of the event, the venue remains the Bhasha Bhawan Auditorium, National Library, Kolkata. Entry is free and open to all, passes will be available at the entrance of the auditorium, informed the organisers.
