Blitz chess is fast. Blitz chess is fun. And blitz chess is brutal.
R. Praggnanandhaa discovered this the hard way during the opening round of the Tata Steel Chess India 2024 Blitz tournament at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium. In a marathon 112-move game against compatriot Vidit Gujrathi, Praggnanandhaa watched a winning position slip through his fingers, setting the tone for a challenging day ahead.
After finishing second behind Magnus Carlsen in the rapid section, Praggnanandhaa soon uncovered the fun side of blitz as well, ending the day in the same position — second overall — after nine thrilling rounds on Saturday.
Indeed, the day had begun on a sour note for Praggnanandhaa, as he faced crushing losses to Carlsen and S.L. Narayanan, after Vidit, leaving him visibly frustrated at the bottom of the standings.
Blitz, with its relentless 3-minute time control, allows no room for error, forcing players to adapt or succumb. Yet, it was perhaps this unforgiving format that fueled Praggnanandhaa’s remarkable comeback.
A scrappy win against Wesley So seemed to spark a turnaround, as he went on a streak, defeating some of the brightest talents in the game. Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Vincent Keymer, Nihal Sarin, Daniil Dubov, and Arjun Erigaisi all fell victim to the Indian prodigy’s brilliance.
The remarkable show, nonetheless, wasn’t enough to dethrone Carlsen. The Norwegian had another perfect start, scoring 5.5 in the first six rounds — including wins against three Indians. The difference between him and the second-best player could at least have been two full points, but Arjun had other plans.
The Warangal wunderkind avenged his rapid loss in some style, handing Carlsen his first and only loss of the tournament in the penultimate round of the day. The 33-year-old five-time world champion narrowly escaped another upset when Vidit let a winning position slide and the duo settled for a draw.
Arjun ended the day in third place with 5.5 points after falling to Praggnanandhaa in their last-round clash.
Lagno leads the pack
The Russian domination, though, continued for the fourth day straight in the women’s section, with Kateryna Lagno stealing the spotlight this time around.
The three-time world blitz champion displayed precision and resourcefulness to lead the standings — while being the only unbeaten player in the 20-player mix on the first day of the blitz event — with a 7.0/9 performance.
Kateryna Lagno won against Valentina Gunina in the ninth round of Tata Steel Chess India Blitz. | Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI/The Hindu
Lagno, who combined solid defence with timely aggression, won five games and drew four to stay ahead of her compatriots. Aleksandra Goryachkina, after a perfect 3.0/3 start, slowed down, finishing the day in third place. Valentina Gunina shone with six points, securing second place.
Among the Indian players, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Koneru Humpy made steady progress, each finishing with 4.5 points and occupying mid-table positions.
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