Magnus Carlsen to headline Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz tournament

The sixth edition of the tournament will also feature three of India’s top five players — Arjun Erigaisi, R. Praggnanandhaa, and Vidit Gujrathi.

Magnus Carlsen is set to headline the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz tournament. (File Photo) | Photo Credit: AP

World No. 1 and five-time former World Champion Magnus Carlsen is set to headline the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz tournament (TSCI) at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata from November 13 to 17. This marks Carlsen’s second appearance at the event, following his victorious run in 2019.

The sixth edition of the tournament will also feature three of India’s top five players — Arjun Erigaisi, R. Praggnanandhaa, and Vidit Gujrathi. However, current World No. 4 D. Gukesh will miss the event due to his World Championship title clash against China’s Ding Liren in Singapore, scheduled for November-December.

Nihal Sarin, recently named Player of the Tournament in the Global Chess League (GCL), along with S.L. Narayanan, will also represent India in the Open section. Foreign players include former World Rapid Champions Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) and Daniil Dubov (Russia), as well as Wesley So (USA), rounding out a competitive 10-player field.

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In the women’s section, World No. 5 Aleksandra Goryachkina (Russia) will be the highest-ranked participant. Two-time European Women’s Champion and double Olympiad gold medallist Kateryna Lagno, alongside Alexandra Kosteniuk, Nana Dzagnidze, and Valentina Gunina, add further star power to the line-up.

India’s top female player, Koneru Humpy, returns to action after skipping the Chess Olympiad 2024 due to personal reasons. The gold medal-winning women’s team from the Budapest Chess Olympiad — R. Vaishali, Harika Dronavalli, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agrawal — will also compete.

Five-time former World Champion Viswanathan Anand will continue his role as the tournament ambassador. “I’m excited to return to Tata Steel Chess India, now a marquee event. This year’s edition brings the world’s best, led by Magnus Carlsen. It’s a fitting tribute to Indian chess, especially with the strong presence of our top women players,” Anand said.

The Tata Steel Chess India tournament, first held in 2018, is regarded as the sister event to the prestigious Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. Notably, it is one of the few chess events offering equal prize money for both men and women.

Tournament line up:

Open Category: Magnus Carlsen (NOR), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB), Wesley So (USA), Vincent Keymer (GER), Daniil Dubov (FIDE), Arjun Erigaisi (IND), R. Praggnanandhaa (IND), Vidit Gujrathi (IND), Nihal Sarin (IND), S.L. Narayanan (IND)

Women’s Category: Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE), Kateryna Lagno (FIDE), Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI), Nana Dzagnidze (GOE), Valentina Gunina (FIDE), Koneru Humpy (IND), R. Vaishali (IND), Harika Dronavalli (IND), Divya Deshmukh (IND), Vantika Agrawal (IND)