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Chess is one of the 'unsung' stories of India. It is probably the only sport/game outside of cricket, where Indians rank consistently in top 10 worldwide. In fact, like cricket, we are slowing seeing momentum towards domination in more ways than just 'on-field'. With tens of millions of chess fans, 100s of thousands of serious players, 10s of Grandmasters...now Gold in both Open and Women section in 45th Chess Olympiad, it is only a matter of time when India will dominate. While there has been success in chess in the past, this double GOLD win is truly special. It has to be ranked in one of the biggest sporting achievements of India and marks chess's own "1983" moment. With @TechMahindraGlobalChessLeague coming up next followed by Gukesh challenging Ding Liren for World Championship, moment of sun for chess is here. Indian Express carried my thoughts in their article celebrating the win. Please have a read. https://lnkd.in/g6j6NQmf

“I don't really think about predictions” – D Gukesh ahead of chess world title clash. D Gukesh is determined to ‘enjoy the process’ when the chess World Championship match against Ding Liren gets underway on November 25. He pays little heed to predictions, and wants to savour the journey. A RevSportz exclusive. There are five days to go for the all-important World Championship clash between Gukesh D and Ding Liren of China, which starts on November 25 in Singapore. While both are busy preparing for the clash, Gukesh took a little time off to answer some questions a few days ago. It gives us an understanding of his preparation and mindset going into the title clash. Excerpts: Boria: How is the preparation coming along? Clearly, there is a lot of hype and a lot of anticipation in India. Coming after the Olympiad, it could be the best thing for Indian chess. Gukesh: The preparation for these matches is different from that for other events, but I mainly want to enjoy the process and will be trying to be at my best for the contest. It is essential to enjoy the process and that’s what I will try to do. Boria: A lot of people have predicted your win. Almost everyone I have spoken to says you are the favourite going into the contest. Do these things have any relevance, you reckon? Gukesh: I don't really think about predictions and stuff. I think my job is to go there and play good chess, and if I do that, I believe good things will happen. My focus is entirely on the job at hand and I know I will have to go there and play at my best. Boria: So far, it has been an incredible journey. To win the candidates, make it to the final…you could be the youngest world champion. Yours is a story for the ages. Gukesh: It has been a very nice journey so far and I'm glad to be a part of the rich World Championship match history. It feels good to be able to make it here, but the journey isn’t done yet and the focus is entirely on the match at hand. That’s where I need to do my best. Boria: In pressure situations like this, how do you unwind? Clearly, you can’t think of chess all the time and need some downtime as well. How do you do that and make sure you are in the best zone? Gukesh: I try to prepare myself as well-rounded as possible in all parts of chess and non-chess things, and just try to do my best. It is about being in the best mental frame possible in everything you do. That’s what I try and do.

8 Lessons from Vaishali R Vaishali R, an Indian chess grandmaster, was born in Chennai in 2001. She began her chess journey at the tender age of 7. Her skills developed rapidly, earning her the title of grandmaster at a young age. Vaishali is renowned for her strategic approach to the game and her ability to find creative solutions in complex situations. Lessons from Vaishali R 1. Finding the Strongest Move in Critical Moments - Application: In a match against Harika Dronavalli at the Indian Championships 2018, Vaishali demonstrated her ability to identify pivotal moves, which allowed her to dominate the game at critical moments. 2. Defending in Uncomfortable Positions - Application: During the Gibraltar Tournament in 2020, Vaishali successfully defended a difficult position against Elisabeth Paehtz, showcasing her resilience and defensive skills under pressure. 3. Utilizing Time Advantage - Application: In her game against Dinara Saduakassova at the World Rapid 2019, Vaishali leveraged her superior time management to exert pressure and ultimately win the game. 4. Transitioning from Defense to Counterattack - Application: Against Nino Batsiashvili at the Chess Olympiad 2018, Vaishali demonstrated how to effectively switch from defending to launching an aggressive counterattack, changing the course of the game. 5. Employing Unorthodox Openings - Application: At the Asian Continental 2017, Vaishali surprised her opponent by using a rare opening, which helped her gain an early advantage and secure a victory. 6. Focusing on Positional Play - Application: During the Biel Tournament in 2019, Vaishali utilized her deep understanding of positional play to outmaneuver stronger opponents by controlling the center of the board and space. 7. Respecting Opponents but Exploiting Their Weaknesses - Application: In a match against Ju Wenjun at the Women's World Championships 2020, Vaishali showed how respect for an opponent's skills can coincide with exploiting their mistakes. 8. Using Endgames to Win Even Positions - Application: In her encounter with Alina Kashlinskaya at the European Club Cup 2019, Vaishali displayed mastery in endgame play, gaining an advantage and converting it into a win. An Unusual but True Anecdote about Vaishali An interesting story about Vaishali occurred during a local tournament in India, where her opponent unexpectedly offered a draw in a clearly losing position. Despite her young age and less experience, Vaishali declined with a smile, saying, "Show me how you plan to escape this checkmate." Her opponent, taken aback by her confidence and determination, quickly made a mistake that allowed Vaishali to swiftly conclude the game. This incident not only speaks to her unwavering determination but also her ability to use the psychological aspect of the game against more experienced opponents.

Did India just redefine chess greatness with a double gold at the Chess Olympiad 2024? [ Chess, India, Chess Olympiad 2024, Sports, News, Sports News ] #Chess #IndianChess #IndiaChess #ChessOlympiad #ChessOlympiad2024 #Sports #SportsNews

Whoever thought chess was a team sport! The FIDE Chess Olympiad 2024 that India has dominated has been absolutely riveting and the teams - Open and Women have smashed it out of the park! My new found interest in the game, thanks to my son's interest, kept me glued to the goings on. What struck me most was how similar the working of this chess team has been to high performing teams which we see in workplaces - all highly capable individuals, chasing individual excellence but equally committed to team goals. And more interesting was the mix of seniors like Vidit & Harikrishna and the pulsating energy of young players like Gukesh and Arjun. Here are some standout quotes from Vidit Gujarathi's post win interview with ChessBase which capture the way this team has come together and delivered "𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦. 𝑊𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦, 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙... 𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑢𝑛, 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟, 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚. 𝑆𝑜, 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑠... 𝑖𝑡 𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑." "𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦'𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟... 𝐼'𝑚 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐼'𝑚 𝑑𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙." "𝐴𝑡 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑦𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑠, 𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑎 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑘𝑖𝑑𝑠 𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠... 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑'𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟𝑠. 𝑁𝑜𝑤 𝑤𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑡." "𝑇𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒... 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑛 𝑢𝑝 𝑎 𝑏𝑖𝑡. 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐼 𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑦, 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑥, 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑒." Now waiting eagerly for the World Chess Championship between Gukesh and Ding Liren. Fingers crossed for that! https://lnkd.in/g8ZC3dGK #chess #FIDEChessOlympiad #teams

Indian teenager becomes youngest challenger for world chess title, will face reigning champion from #ecwinnewsonline #ecwin #cnn #cnnnews #cna #newstoday #breakingnews #bbcnews #balita #worldnews #livenews #livenews #dailynews #newsoftoday #fyp #trending

🇮🇳🇮🇳 India's Chess Titans Dominate the #45thFIDEOlympiad: A New Era of Excellence Unfolds! 🌟♟️ The chessboard has never looked this thrilling! The 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in #Budapest is well underway, and India's teams have captured the world's attention with their incredible performance. 🇮🇳 India’s Open Team: An #Unstoppable Force! India's men’s team, led by rising stars Gukesh Dommaraju and Arjun Erigaisi, has been nothing short of spectacular. With a perfect 16/16 score after 8 rounds, they've demonstrated that they are here to claim the throne. ✨ Gukesh Dommaraju on board 1 is making waves! His stunning performance has him in the lead for individual gold, surpassing even world champion Magnus Carlsen. ✨ Arjun Erigaisi playing on board 3, is a powerhouse. With 7 wins from 8 games and a live rating of 2792, he's showing the world the depth of Indian talent. Their latest triumph? A dominant 3.5-0.5 victory over Iran! 🔍 Meanwhile, China’s lineup decisions have raised eyebrows. The absence of World Champion Ding Liren in crucial rounds, especially against India, has led to much speculation. Is China saving their champion's strategies for an upcoming face-off with Gukesh in the World Championship? Only time will tell. 👑 In the Women’s Section India's women’s team faced their first challenge at the hands of Poland in a nail-biting match, but this is only a small hiccup. With 3 rounds to go and a 3-way tie for first place, expect nothing less than an electrifying comeback from our women warriors. 💪 What Lies Ahead? With strong opponents like Uzbekistan and Hungary hot on their heels, the final rounds will test the mettle of India’s open team. In the women’s section, all eyes are on India's upcoming clash with the USA, as they aim to regain momentum. The Indian chess renaissance is here, and it's a thrilling journey of talent, strategy, and grit. We’re witnessing history in the making as our players not only compete but dominate the global stage. 💬 What do you think? Is India on track to take home gold in both sections? Let me know your thoughts! #ChessOlympiad #TeamIndia #ChessLegends #FIDEOlympiad #GukeshDommaraju #ArjunErigaisi #IndianChess #ChessTitans #45thFIDEOlympiad

Sports are not Important? 😞 I used to play a lot! Different types of sports activities like outdoor or indoor games boost our personality and we get to learn a lot. If we are able to play both outdoor and indoor games then it is the perfect fitness combination. I used to play chess professionally by participating in different tournaments with my club and got a FIDE rating as well in my school days. But, I played outdoor games as well like badminton, cricket, kabaddi and other unlisted games which were creative. Why am I sharing? Playing sports is a complete package to grow as a person. Chess changed my life! What role does sports play in your life? #sports #students #learning #growth

14 Things We Learned — 2024 Chess Olympiad Chess Event Coverage India is the future of chess and the future is now. That's one summary of the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad, which saw GM Gukesh Dommaraju, GM Arjun Erigaisi, IM Divya Deshmukh, and IM Vantika Agrawal claim team and individual gold as India dominated the event. Let's take a look at some of the things we've learned. 1.India Win It All—The Disciples Of Vishy Have Taken Over. 2.he Age Of European Dominance Has Passed 3.Gukesh vs. Ding Threatens To Be A Walkover. 4.Arjun, Now World Number-3, Can’t Stop Climbing. 5.U.S. And Uzbekistan Struggled But Still Took Medals 6.The Dark Horses Couldn’t Break Onto The Podium. 7.The Turkish Kids Are The Real Deal 8.ndia’s Women’s Team Avoided A Repeat Of Chennai 9.Kazakhstan Are Here To Stay 10.The U.S. Women’s Team Future Is Bright With Yip And Lee. 11.Spain Show It’s Not All About Youth 12.The Anti-Cheating Delay Is A Spoiler. 13.Off-The-Board Drama Didn’t Overshadow The Chess 14.We’ve Got Two Years To Wait Until Tashkent 2026 #chess2024 #chessolympiad #india

Team India (Women) secures victory in Round 3 of the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad Budapest 2024! Team India (Women) defeated Team Switzerland with a score of 3 - 1. Check out the board results below to see how our top players performed! 🇮🇳♟️ #ChessOlympiad #WarriorChessAcademy #Chess #BoardResults