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Articles by Aditya Pai
Magnus Carlsen interview: Fearless young players will make India the strongest chess country in the world
The Grenke Chess Classic came to a close on Monday evening with Magnus Carlsen dominating the field once again. Carlsen scored 7½ points out of his nine games and remained a point and a half ahead of his nearest rival The Grenke Chess Classic came to a close on Monday evening with Magnus Carlsen dominating the field once again. Carlsen scored 7½ points out of his nine games and remained a point and a half ahead of his nearest rival.
Magnus Carlsen interview: Fearless young players will make India the strongest chess country in the world
Sports Aditya Pai May 01, 2019 16:24:15 IST The Grenke Chess Classic came to a close on Monday evening with Magnus Carlsen dominating the field once again. Carlsen scored 7½ points out of his nine games and remained a point and a half ahead of his nearest rival. With this third straight super tournament win of the year, the reigning world champion has raised his Elo rating to a staggering 2875, just six points shy of his all-time high of 2881.
Iranian GM Alireza Firouzja forfeits game due to opponent Or Bronstein's Israeli nationality at GRENKE Chess Open
The playing hall of the Kongresszentrum in Karlsruhe, Germany was bustling with players, chess lovers and officials. The third round of the GRENKE Chess Open, the biggest open event in all of Europe, was minutes away from commencing. When the arbiters announced the start of the round, it was noticed that Iranian GM Alireza Firouzja, one of the top Grandmasters in the event, was missing from his seat. Looking at the pairings, it was clear why: he was paired against Israeli FM Or Bronstein.
Iranian GM Alireza Firouzja forfeits game due to opponent Or Bronstein’s Israeli nationality at GRENKE Chess Open
Sports Aditya Pai Apr 20, 2019 18:57:53 IST The playing hall of the Kongresszentrum in Karlsruhe, Germany was bustling with players, chess lovers and officials. The third round of the GRENKE Chess Open, the biggest open event in all of Europe, was minutes away from commencing. When the arbiters announced the start of the round, it was noticed that Iranian GM Alireza Firouzja, one of the top Grandmasters in the event, was missing from his seat.
Grenke Chess Classic 2019: Magnus Carlsen-Fabiano Caruana clash after World Championship among encounters in offing
While Carlsen is, indeed, a favourite to win the tournament, the field is fierce. So will Caruana successfully defend his title, will Anand score his first big win of the year, or will it be another ‘Magnus Opus’? Only time will tell. Just weeks after witnessing Magnus Carlsen take the Shamkir chess title, the elite players of the chess world have moved westwards towards the German cities of Karlsruhe and Baden Baden for the next big event of the year, the Grenke Chess Classic.
Grenke Chess Classic 2019: Magnus Carlsen-Fabiano Caruana clash after World Championship among encounters in offing
Sports Aditya Pai Apr 18, 2019 22:36:34 IST Just weeks after witnessing Magnus Carlsen take the Shamkir chess title, the elite players of the chess world have moved westwards towards the German cities of Karlsruhe and Baden Baden for the next big event of the year, the Grenke Chess Classic.
AlphaZero's stunning victory over chess engine Stockfish raises hopes of Artificial Intelligence's positive impact on royal game
Sports Aditya Pai Feb 07, 2019 10:54:11 IST AlphaZero, a chess-playing Artificial Intelligence (AI) designed by DeepMind, a Google-owned AI company, became a worldwide sensation when it defeated Stockfish, the world's strongest chess engine, in a prolonged match. A year since its December 2017 match, the AI has played about a thousand more games, adding another 155 wins while losing only six.
Anish Giri interview: 'Viswanathan Anand's depth of preparation for world championship matches inspired me'
In an interview with Firstpost, Giri talked about his connection to India, his work with Gujrathi and Anand, the current boom in Indian chess and his prospects of playing in the country. Anish Kumar Giri " to an Indian ear might automatically consider the bearer of this name to hail from its home country. But this top chess star, ranked fifth in the world currently, was born in St. Petersburg and lives in the Netherlands. But even besides his name, there are some things that connect him to India.
Anish Giri interview: 'Viswanathan Anand's depth of preparation for world championship matches inspired me'
Sports Aditya Pai Feb 02, 2019 11:10:07 IST Anish Kumar Giri – to an Indian ear might automatically consider the bearer of this name to hail from its home country. But this top chess star, ranked fifth in the world currently, was born in St. Petersburg and lives in the Netherlands. But even besides his name, there are some things that connect him to India. Vidit Gujrathi, one of India’s top talents, has been the Dutchman’s second for quite a while now.
Game Changer: AlphaZero revitalizing the attack
AlphaZero: Challenging the way we play Aditya Pai: What made you take up this project? Did your previous book, Chess for Life play a role? Natasha Regan: Yes, certainly. We had worked together on Chess for Life and we’d written a nice book about ten players. We did a mixture of interviews and chess analysis in that book. It was a popular book, especially in England. We then heard in December 2017 about AlphaZero. It was the first time we had heard of it.
It's a bit like coming home: Viswanathan Anand opens up on completing 30 years since his maiden Wijk aan Zee victory
Back in 1989, Viswanathan Anand had bagged his first title prize in Wijk. Thirty years down the line he has played it eighteen more times and is still going strong The 81st edition of Tata Steel Chess (popularly known as Wijk aan Zee tournament) came to a close on Sunday evening with Magnus Carlsen clinching title. For India's Viswanathan Anand, this annual chess meet, sometimes referred to as the Wimbledon of Chess, holds a very special place.
It’s a bit like coming home: Viswanathan Anand opens up on completing 30 years since his maiden Wijk aan Zee victory
Sports Aditya Pai Jan 29, 2019 09:27:41 IST The 81st edition of Tata Steel Chess (popularly known as Wijk aan Zee tournament) came to a close on Sunday evening with Magnus Carlsen clinching title. For India’s Viswanathan Anand, this annual chess meet, sometimes referred to as the Wimbledon of Chess, holds a very special place. Back in 1989, Anand had bagged his first title prize in Wijk. Thirty years down the line he has played it eighteen more times and is still going strong.
Tata Steel Chess: Magnus Carlsen bags seventh title after holding Anish Giri; Viswanathan Anand finishes joint third
The thirteenth and final round of the Masters’ segment of Tata Steel Chess saw Magnus Carlsen hold Anish Giri to a draw in a 30-move long game to clinch the title The thirteenth and final round of the Masters' segment of Tata Steel Chess saw Magnus Carlsen hold Anish Giri to a draw in a 30-move long game to clinch the title. For the reigning world champion, this was the seventh time that he has won the event " which also happens to be the record number of times any player has won the tournament.
Tata Steel Chess: Magnus Carlsen bags seventh title after holding Anish Giri; Viswanathan Anand finishes joint third
Sports Aditya Pai Jan 28, 2019 12:28:47 IST The thirteenth and final round of the Masters’ segment of Tata Steel Chess saw Magnus Carlsen hold Anish Giri to a draw in a 30-move long game to clinch the title. For the reigning world champion, this was the seventh time that he has won the event – which also happens to be the record number of times any player has won the tournament.
Tata Steel Chess: Magnus Carlsen cements top spot after beating Viswanathan Anand; Vidit Gujrathi impresses with win
Carlsen, as he is known to do, kept probing in an attempt to trick his opponent. On his 70th turn, Anand made a critical error that threw away the game. He had to resign just six moves later. The tenth round of the Masters' leg of Tata Steel Chess had been much anticipated, especially in the light of the leaderboard standings since round seven.
Tata Steel Chess: Magnus Carlsen cements top spot after beating Viswanathan Anand; Vidit Gujrathi impresses with win
Sports Aditya Pai Jan 24, 2019 16:42:01 IST The tenth round of the Masters’ leg of Tata Steel Chess had been much anticipated, especially in the light of the leaderboard standings since round seven.
Undeterred Vidit Gujrathi keeps nervousness at bay against top guns halfway into Tata Steel Masters
Regardless of the accomplishments of his opponents, Vidit Gujrathi remains undeterred and is looking forward to playing each game as it comes. The Masters' leg of Tata Steel Chess is one of the premier events of the chess world. Nicknamed the 'Wimbledon of Chess', it had, until this year, only seen the participation of four Indians " Manuel Aaron Viswanathan Anand, Pentala Harikrishna and Adhiban Baskaran " in its rich 81-year-history.
Undeterred Vidit Gujrathi keeps nervousness at bay against top guns halfway into Tata Steel Masters
Sports Aditya Pai Jan 19, 2019 14:37:28 IST The Masters’ leg of Tata Steel Chess is one of the premier events of the chess world. Nicknamed the ‘Wimbledon of Chess’, it had, until this year, only seen the participation of four Indians – Manuel Aaron Viswanathan Anand, Pentala Harikrishna and Adhiban Baskaran – in its rich 81-year-history. Vidit during the fourth round of the Tata Steel Masters.
Tata Steel Chess 2019 poised for a spectacular start with likes of Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen in fray
Defending champion Magnus Carlsen will be eyeing his seventh title. Meanwhile, Anand will try to level scores with the reigning World Champion by clinching the sixth Tata Steel trophy of his career. The town of Wijk aan Zee lies on the coast of the North Sea in the North Holland province of the Netherlands, some twenty kilometres from Amsterdam. It was put on the map due to a chess event that it hosts, featuring an interesting blend of fourteen players.
Tata Steel Chess 2019 poised for a spectacular start with likes of Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen in fray
Sports Aditya Pai Jan 12, 2019 16:47:32 IST The town of Wijk aan Zee lies on the coast of the North Sea in the North Holland province of the Netherlands, some twenty kilometres from Amsterdam. It was put on the map due to a chess event that it hosts, featuring an interesting blend of fourteen players. Players from the Masters’ and Challengers’ segments at the Tata Steel Chess event pose before the start of the event.
World Blitz Championship: Magnus Carlsen, Kateryna Lagno clinch blitz titles; Nihal Sarin impresses with 11th place finish
After the dust of the battles had settled Magnus Carlsen and Kateryna Lagno had emerged as the world champions, remaining unbeaten through the course of the tournament. The final day of the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Championship in St Petersburg, Russia, witnessed nine rounds of blitz chess in the open group and eight in the women's.
World Blitz Championship: Magnus Carlsen, Kateryna Lagno clinch blitz titles; Nihal Sarin impresses with 11th place finish
Sports Aditya Pai Dec 31, 2018 19:22:20 IST The final day of the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Championship in St Petersburg, Russia, witnessed nine rounds of blitz chess in the open group and eight in the women’s. After the dust of the battles had settled Magnus Carlsen and Kateryna Lagno had emerged as the world champions, remaining unbeaten through the course of the tournament.
World Blitz Championship: Vladislav Artemiev, Magnus Carlsen take lead; Viswanathan Anand experiences mixed Day 1
Viswanathan Anand, who was within a point’s distance from the leaders until the sixth round, began to slip lower down the leaderboard due to back to back draws in Rounds 6 and 7. In the eighth round, he suffered a shocking loss to Anton Korobov. Play moved to the blitz time control at the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Championship in St. Petersburg, Russia on Saturday. After having missed out by a smidge in the rapid event, Magnus Carlsen spared no usurpers on the first day of Blitz.
World Blitz Championship: Vladislav Artemiev, Magnus Carlsen take lead; Viswanathan Anand experiences mixed Day 1
Sports Aditya Pai Dec 30, 2018 20:04:03 IST Play moved to the blitz time control at the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Championship in St. Petersburg, Russia on Saturday. After having missed out by a smidge in the rapid event, Magnus Carlsen spared no usurpers on the first day of Blitz. Scoring an unbeaten 9½/12 on the first day, he leads the tournament alongside Vladislav Artemiev, the sixth seed of the tournament. Vladislav Artemiev and Magnus Carlsen lead the Open group after Day 1.
World Rapid Chess Championship: Russia's Daniil Dubov clinches maiden title; Ju Wenjun wins in the women's group
The final third of the King Salman World Rapid Championship had begun with as many as seven players leading the tournament in the open segment. In addition, ten more were within striking distance of the leaders. The possibility of a tiebreak to determine a winner at the end could not have been denied. But as the action unfolded, a tiebreak wasn't needed after all.
World Rapid Chess Championship: Russia's Daniil Dubov clinches maiden title; Ju Wenjun wins in the women’s group
Sports Aditya Pai Dec 29, 2018 17:24:49 IST The final third of the King Salman World Rapid Championship had begun with as many as seven players leading the tournament in the open segment. In addition, ten more were within striking distance of the leaders. The possibility of a tiebreak to determine a winner at the end could not have been denied. But as the action unfolded, a tiebreak wasn’t needed after all.
World Rapid Chess Championship: Viswanathan Anand in joint second spot as seven players lead the event after Day 2
Five more rounds were played in the open segment of the World Rapid Championship in St Petersburg, Russia on Thursday. At the conclusion of the tenth round, the number of leaders had grown to a whopping seven, all tied at 7½/10. The leaders include Ian Nepomniachtchi, Dmitry Andreikin, Wang Hao, Yu Yangyi, Vladislav Artemiev, Daniil Dubov and Maxim Matlakov. For Magnus Carlsen, the day turned out to be a lot better than the opening day as he raked four points out of his five games.
World Rapid Chess Championship: Viswanathan Anand in joint second spot as seven players lead the event after Day 2
Sports Aditya Pai Dec 28, 2018 21:35:20 IST Five more rounds were played in the open segment of the World Rapid Championship in St Petersburg, Russia on Thursday. At the conclusion of the tenth round, the number of leaders had grown to a whopping seven, all tied at 7½/10. The leaders include Ian Nepomniachtchi, Dmitry Andreikin, Wang Hao, Yu Yangyi, Vladislav Artemiev, Daniil Dubov and Maxim Matlakov. Viswanathan Anand suffered his first loss of the event to GM Ivan Saric in Round 8.
World Rapid Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen suffers early upsets; Viswanathan Anand undefeated after day one
Sports Aditya Pai Dec 27, 2018 15:43:03 IST The 2018 edition of the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Championship got underway in St Petersburg, Russia on Wednesday. The 15-round Swiss league will be played over three days until Friday, 28 December before the event proceeds to a two-day blitz on the following day. The rate of play for the rapid event will be 15 minutes for the entire game with a 10-second increment from move 1.
World Rapid Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen suffers early upsets; Viswanathan Anand undefeated after day one
World Rapid Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen suffers early upsets; Viswanathan Anand undefeated after day one The 2018 edition of the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Championship got underway in St Petersburg, Russia on Wednesday. The 15-round Swiss league will be played over three days until Friday, 28 December before the event proceeds to a two-day blitz on the following day. The rate of play for the rapid event will be 15 minutes for the entire game with a 10-second increment from move 1.
GA Stany interview: 'My only regret is that I could not become a Grandmaster when my father was alive'
Besides the crowning of a new national champion, the National Chess Championship also witnessed India get its 58th Grandmaster in GA Stany. The 2018 National Chess Championship came to a close in Jammu on Tuesday with Chennai lad, Aravindh Chithambaram clinching his first National title along with a ¹500,000 cash prize. But besides the crowning of a new national champion, the event also witnessed India get its 58th Grandmaster (GM) in GA Stany.
GA Stany interview: 'My only regret is that I could not become a Grandmaster when my father was alive'
The 2018 National Chess Championship came to a close in Jammu on Tuesday with Chennai lad, Aravindh Chithambaram clinching his first National title along with a ₹500,000 cash prize. But besides the crowning of a new national champion, the event also witnessed India get its 58th Grandmaster (GM) in GA Stany. In the ninth round of the event, Stany signed peace against Chithambaram in a 53-move long battle on the second board to score his final Grandmaster norm.
Viswanathan Anand interview: Positions in Magnus Carlsen-Fabiano Caruana World Championship were so rich, but no one fell apart
You’ve played six World Championship matches till date. Which one of those do you think resembles the Magnus Carlsen-Fabiano Caruana World Championship match the most? I don’t think anything resembles this. Maybe my match with Boris Gelfand comes the closest. But we managed one pair of decisive results at least. The first game of the match began with a Rossolimo; Caruana played 3.Bb5. What are your thoughts on his opening choice? Well, Magnus has been dabbling in 2.Nc6 this year.
Viswanathan Anand interview: Positions in Magnus Carlsen-Fabiano Caruana World Championship were so rich, but no one fell apart
You've played six World Championship matches till date. Which one of those do you think resembles the Magnus Carlsen-Fabiano Caruana World Championship match the most? I don't think anything resembles this. Maybe my match with Boris Gelfand comes the closest. But we managed one pair of decisive results at least. The first game of the match began with a Rossolimo; Caruana played 3.Bb5. What are your thoughts on his opening choice? Well, Magnus has been dabbling in 2.Nc6 this year.
World Youth Olympiad: India win their second straight silver with inspiring show from GM Arjun Erigaisi and Sankalp Gupta
The World Youth Under-16 Championship came to a close on Sunday evening in Konya, Turkey with Uzbekistan taking the title prize. The Indian team finished second after scoring back-to-back wins in the final three rounds while China bagged the third spot. The event had attracted forty-six teams from 39 countries that included four Grandmasters and fifteen International Masters.
World Youth Olympiad: India win their second straight silver with inspiring show from GM Arjun Erigaisi and Sankalp Gupta
The World Youth Under-16 Championship came to a close on Sunday evening in Konya, Turkey with Uzbekistan taking the title prize. The Indian team finished second after scoring back-to-back wins in the final three rounds while China bagged the third spot. The event had attracted forty-six teams from 39 countries that included four Grandmasters and fifteen International Masters. The Indian team with its non-playing captain, GM Narayanan Srinath (extreme left).
World Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen dominates Fabiano Caruana in tiebreakers to defend title for third time
The world chess championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana came to a close on Wednesday evening with an emphatic win for the Norwegian superstar. After the record-breaking 12 draws in the classical games, the world champion dominated the tiebreaks by blanking Caruana 3-0 in the four-game rapid mini-match. For the record keepers, this was one more thing to make note of since it was the first time that a world championship tiebreak had been resolved within just three games.
World Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen dominates Fabiano Caruana in tiebreakers to defend title for third time
The world chess championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana came to a close on Wednesday evening with an emphatic win for the Norwegian superstar. After the record-breaking 12 draws in the classical games, the world champion dominated the tiebreaks by blanking Caruana 3-0 in the four-game rapid mini-match. For the record keepers, this was one more thing to make note of since it was the first time that a world championship tiebreak had been resolved within just three games.
World Chess Championship: Tiebreakers to determine the winner after Magnus Carlsen's shocking draw offer
"I don't know how to put it politely. So, I will just say the first words that come to mind " it's a shame," said former world champion, Vladimir Kramnik when he was informed that Magnus Carlsen had offered a draw on the 31st move of the twelfth and final game of the World Chess Championship match at The College in Holborn, Central London.
World Chess Championship: Tiebreakers to determine the winner after Magnus Carlsen’s shocking draw offer
“I don’t know how to put it politely. So, I will just say the first words that come to mind – it’s a shame,” said former world champion, Vladimir Kramnik when he was informed that Magnus Carlsen had offered a draw on the 31st move of the twelfth and final game of the World Chess Championship match at The College in Holborn, Central London.
World Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana agree to a tepid draw in shortest game of the match in Game 11
For the eleventh game of the World Chess Championship Match, world champion, Magnus Carlsen switched his opening once again and went for 1.e4. His challenger, Fabiano Caruana could not have been happier as he got to play his favourite Petroff Defence. With black, Caruana neutralized the position comfortably to steer the game to a draw in just a little over 2 hours, leaving the match score tied at 5½-all. In terms of time, this was the shortest game of the match.
World Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana agree to a tepid draw in shortest game of the match in Game 11
For the eleventh game of the World Chess Championship Match, world champion, Magnus Carlsen switched his opening once again and went for 1.e4. His challenger, Fabiano Caruana could not have been happier as he got to play his favourite Petroff Defence. With black, Caruana neutralized the position comfortably to steer the game to a draw in just a little over 2 hours, leaving the match score tied at 5½-all. In terms of time, this was the shortest game of the match.
World Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen's death-or-glory approach fails to break Fabiano Caruana as Game 10 ends in draw
As it stands, there are only two more games remaining out of the scheduled 12 games of the World Chess Championship match that is underway. On Thursday evening, world champion, Magnus Carlsen and his challenger, Fabiano Caruana agreed to their tenth straight draw at The College in Holborn, central London, leaving the match in a 5-5 deadlock. Going into the tenth game, Caruana was believed to have a slight edge in the match since he had one more white game in store than the world champion.
World Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen’s death-or-glory approach fails to break Fabiano Caruana as Game 10 ends in draw
As it stands, there are only two more games remaining out of the scheduled 12 games of the World Chess Championship match that is underway. On Thursday evening, world champion, Magnus Carlsen and his challenger, Fabiano Caruana agreed to their tenth straight draw at The College in Holborn, central London, leaving the match in a 5-5 deadlock. Magnus Carlsen made the razor-sharp Sicilian Sveshnikov the battleground.
World Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana set record for longest streak of draws after ninth successive stalemate
The World Chess Championship of 2018 set the record for the longest streak of draws to open a world championship match as Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana drew their ninth straight game on Wednesday evening. Previously, the record was held by the Anand-Kasparov World Championship Match of 1999 which had begun with eight successive draws. But while the day ended with a record, it had also begun with something unprecedented.
World Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana set record for longest streak of draws after ninth successive stalemate
The World Chess Championship of 2018 set the record for the longest streak of draws to open a world championship match as Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana drew their ninth straight game on Wednesday evening. Previously, the record was held by the Anand-Kasparov World Championship Match of 1999 which had begun with eight successive draws. Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana set a new record with their 9th straight draw.
World Chess Championship: Fabiano Caruana's atypical misstep helps Magnus Carlsen evade defeat in Game 8
Magnus Carlsen had another tough outing in the eighth game of his world championship match against Fabiano Caruana in London on Monday evening. After a 38-move-long battle, however, the world champion had managed to come out of the woods unscathed as the game eventually petered out in a draw. As it stands, the match is still longing to witness its first decisive game as players stand tied at 4-4 with four games to go.
World Chess Championship: Fabiano Caruana’s atypical misstep helps Magnus Carlsen evade defeat in Game 8
Magnus Carlsen had another tough outing in the eighth game of his world championship match against Fabiano Caruana in London on Monday evening. After a 38-move-long battle, however, the world champion had managed to come out of the woods unscathed as the game eventually petered out in a draw. As it stands, the match is still longing to witness its first decisive game as players stand tied at 4-4 with four games to go.
World Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen feels he played 'too softly' after drawing Game 7 against Fabiano Caruana
Two games ago, Magnus Carlsen had said he was looking forward to his "double whites" at the halfway mark of the match as it could have been "an opportunity to strike or when you are at your most vulnerable". Turns out, Carlsen neither struck nor was he vulnerable as Game 7, the second of his double whites games, came to a peaceful conclusion on Sunday evening. Perhaps, in terms of vulnerability, Carlsen's statement stood true.
World Chess Championship: Magnus Carlsen feels he played 'too softly' after drawing Game 7 against Fabiano Caruana
Two games ago, Magnus Carlsen had said he was looking forward to his "double whites" at the halfway mark of the match as it could have been "an opportunity to strike or when you are at your most vulnerable". Turns out, Carlsen neither struck nor was he vulnerable as Game 7, the second of his double whites games, came to a peaceful conclusion on Sunday evening. Perhaps, in terms of vulnerability, Carlsen's statement stood true.
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