IMAGE: Apart from India’s No. 1 R Praggnanandhaa, the Croatian leg of the Grand Chess Tour rapid and blitz tournament will also see world’s best player Magnus Carlsen in action along side world champion D Gukesh. Photograph: ANI Photo
The difference in rating does not count much but going by form and records, India’s numero uno player R Praggnanandhaa will start as one of the favourites in the third edition of Grand Chess Tour rapid and blitz tournament in Zagreb, Croatia, starting on Wednesday.
Down and out, Pragg won his last two games in the UZ masters tournament and then went on to win the tiebreak games to continue what he is known for: consistency.
The Croatian leg will also see world’s best player Magnus Carlsen in action along side D Gukesh, the reigning world champion, who is still trying hard to make a foray in to the faster version of classical chess.
The presence of Carlsen and Gukesh apart, Pragg also have to figure things out among the other usual suspects Fabiano Caruana of United States, Alireza Firouzja, the immigrant from Iran to France, and Nodirbek Abdusattarov of Uzbekistan.
The brain behind the Grand chess tour was Garry Kasparov who, after Bobby Fischer, was the first person to initiate the concept of professional chess and today the young generation has been reaping benefits of the same.
Praggnanandhaa has crossed a lot of boundaries winning as many as three classical super events this year.
The Indian was particularly phenomenal in his last outing at the Uzbekistan when he won two games on the trot in Classical chess and tied for first before eclipsing everyone in the tiebreaker that he won handsomely.
Gukesh may not be someone who is known for his passion for the faster version of the game like rapid or blitz but it certainly hurts his credibility as the world champion. The youngest ever world champion needs to redesign himself in order to better in all variants that the pools have to offer.
Magnus Carlsen has officially announced he will not be a part of the FIDE events anymore. Chess-wise, nothing could be more hurting for the apex chess body.
Carlsen’s comeback to the format where he excels like no one else might trigger something for his global fans. Carlsen obviously starts as the hot favourite but if anyone can stop him its Pragg.
