After clinching the title in the Rapid format at the ongoing sixth Tata Steel Chess India (TSCI) Rapid & Blitz tournament’s Open category in Kolkata, Magnus Carlsen topped the standings with 6.5 points at the end of the first nine rounds of Blitz on Saturday.
The day’s highlight, however, was Carlsen’s surprising loss to young Indian grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi in the eighth round, followed by a dramatic draw against another Indian grandmaster, Vidit Gujrathi.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old Erigaisi faced fellow Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa in the final round of the day, where he suffered a defeat. He finished the day third on the table with 5.5 points. The victory over Erigaisi, on the other hand, brought Praggnanandhaa’s tally to 6 points, placing him second on the Blitz leaderboard after nine rounds.
On Saturday, at the houseful Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium, the 19-year-old delivered a stunning comeback, winning six consecutive games after losing the first three rounds and captivating the packed crowd. He acknowledged the crowd’s unwavering support towards him as a source of inspiration.
“Due to some bad moves I lost the initial rounds. Then I managed to recover and with each win I found my normal game,” Pragganandhaa told the media. “The crowd proved to be a huge support for me. This is the reason why I love to play in Kolkata.”
Among other Indians, Gujrathi finished fifth with 5 points while grandmasters SL Narayanan and Nihal Sarin found themselves at eighth and ninth spots respectively.
In the Women’s category, Russian grandmasters Valentina Gunina and Kateryna Lagno clashed in the final round. Gunina, 35, led the standings after eight rounds with 6 points, while Lagno was in the second place. However, 34-year-old Lagno’s victory in their direct encounter saw her overtake Gunina to claim the lead with 7 points.
Lagno, who beat three among the five Indian grandmasters during the day, also talked about the crowd. She said, “It’s a great experience to see so many people coming to watch us. This is a very positive sign for Indian chess.”
Sunday will be the final day of the sixth edition of the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz tournament. With Carlsen leading by just 0.5 points and Lagno by 1, it will be interesting to see what results the last nine Blitz rounds produce.
