Chess
Chess World Cup: Koneru Humpy, D Gukesh to lead India's challenge
The Indian chess players will be eyeing qualification for the 2024 Candidates Tournament at Chess World Cup in Baku.
Indian Chess players D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and Koneru Humpy will be leading India's challenge at the Chess World Cup to be held in Baku from July 30 to August 24.
The tournament will act as the qualification tournament for the upcoming 2024 Candidates Tournaments (held to decide the challenger for the World Chess Championship).
Both aged 17, Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa would enter the tournament in the second round after getting byes in the first round.
Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, both aged 17, would enter the tournament in the second round having been handed byes in the first round.
Gukesh will start his campaign against the winner of the match between Cheng Bobby and Iskandrov Mistradin and could run into compatriot S L Narayanan in the third round if the latter manages to come through two matches.
Praggnanandhaa would take on the winner of the contest between Santiago Yago De Moura and Maxime Lagarde in round two.
The other Indians in action will be Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Nihal Sarin, B Adhiban, Abhimanyu Puranik and Harsha Bharatakoti.
In the women's tournament, the Indian challenge would be led by the experienced Koneru Humpy and D Harika, who will enter the event in round two after receiving byes in the first round.
R Vaishali, sister of Praggnanandhaa, Mary Ann Gomes, P V Nandhidhaa, and Divya Deshmukh will also be part of the women's draw.
The 2023 World Cup would see the top three instead of the top two from each section qualifying for the forthcoming Candidates tournament, which will take place next April in Toronto, Canada.
World No. 1 and top-seed Magnus Carlsen would be eyeing a first-ever triumph in the World Cup. Current world champion Ding Liren and world No. 6 Alireza Firouzja would not be seen in action in the tournament.
Other top names participating in the tournament include Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Anish Giri, Ju Wenjun, the reigning women's world champion, and Aleksandra Goryachkina.
