India’s rising popularity in worldwide chess was underlined in splendid trend on the serene campus of the Nationwide Library on a cool Sunday night.
In a match that includes a few of the largest names within the thoughts sport, the nation’s younger expertise received each the titles within the blitz part of the Tata Metal Chess India. If Arjun Erigaisi’s victory was hardly a shock within the open part, R. Vaishali’s, within the ladies’s, definitely was.
“This is the best tournament victory of my career,’ said the 21-year-old from Chennai. This triumph should be a shot in the arm for the elder sister of R. Praggnanandhaa, who, however, had a disappointing outing, finishing sixth in the opening section. Arjun won that section with a round to spare.
“Last year, I wasn’t among the favourites, and this time I wanted to win the blitz after finishing second in the rapid,” mentioned Arjun, who final yr had received the speedy and ended second within the blitz.
Within the blitz, Nakamura completed second and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan was third. Within the ladies’s part, Ukraine’s Mariya Muzychuk took the runner-up spot, whereas Dronavalli Harika was third.
The outcomes (Indians until specified)
Eighteenth spherical: Open: Hikaru Nakamura (US) 11.5 bt R. Praggnanandhaa 8.5; D. Gukesh 6.5 misplaced to Wesley So (US) 8; Vidit Gujrathi 9 bt Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Aze) 9.5; Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb) 7.5 drew with Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI) 9; Nihal Sarin 8 drew with Arjun Erigaisi 12.5.
Ladies: Koneru Humpy 9.5 bt Oliwia Kiolbasa (Pol) 6; R. Vaishali 13.5 drew with Anna Ushenina (Ukr) 8.5; B. Savitha Shri 6.5 misplaced to Dronavalli Harika 11; Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr) 12 misplaced to Nana Dzagnidze (Geo) 8.5; Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) 10.5 bt Bhakti Kulkarni 4.
The standings
Open: 1. Arjun; 2. Hikaru Nakamura; 3. Mamedyarov; 4-5. Parham and Vidit; 6. Praggnanandhaa; 7-8. Nihal and So; 9. Abdusattorov; 10. Gukesh.
Ladies: 1. Vaishali; 2. Mariya Muzychuk; 3. Harika; 4. Anna Muzychuk; 5. Humpy; 6-7. Ushenina and Dzagnidze; 8. Savitha; 9. Kiolbasa; 10. Bhakti.
