Five-time World Champion Vishwanathan Anand, who is also the ambassador of Tata Steel Chess India is now back as a player! 6 years later. He won the blitz section in the inaugural edition back in 2018.
Anand opened his campaign by patiently outplaying Wesley So, gradually increasing pressure until the position collapsed. Vidit Gujrathi made a strong statement with the black pieces, dominating Arjun Erigaisi and sealing the win with a rare knight and bishop checkmate. Hans Niemann won his first game with an adventurous king walk against Volodar Murzin.
The second round saw Praggnanandhaa control both wings before breaking through on the kingside to defeat Arjun. Wesley So entertained spectators with a daring king march to h6, outplaying Volodar, while Nihal Sarin finished Aravindh Chithambaram with a precise forcing combination.
In Round 3, Anand once again showed his class, using clever rook play to defeat Aravindh with black. Wesley So prevailed against Wei Yi, Arjun capitalised on an error by Nihal, and Hans Niemann wrapped up a quick win featuring a timely bishop sacrifice against Praggnanandhaa.
In the women’s section, Carissa Yip emerged as the sole leader with 2.5/3. Among the Indian players, Vantika Agrawal has impressed the most so far, scoring 2 out of 3 and standing as the top Indian performer.
The event began with a dramatic 114 move marathon draw between Harika Dronavalli and Divya Deshmukh. Vantika showed excellent endgame technique in Round 1, converting a material advantage to defeat Vaishali.
Round 2 featured three decisive games, highlighted by Stavroula Tsolakidou’s victory over Divya in a complex struggle. Kateryna Lagno outplayed Vantika in a knight versus bishop endgame, while Aleksandra Goryachkina took advantage of an exposed king to score her first win against Vaishali.
In Round 3, Carissa Yip claimed the lead by calmly converting an early exchange advantage against Goryachkina. Nana Dzagnidze prevailed in a dramatic queen endgame against Tsolakidou, while Vantika capped the day with an aggressive win over Harika Dronavalli. Rakshitta Ravi is the only Indian player to remain unbeaten with three draws.
