Magnus Carlsen to lead star-studded lineup at Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz 2024
Five-time former world chess champion and World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen is set to be the main attraction at the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz Tournament (TSCI) 2024. Scheduled to take place from November 13 to 17 at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata, this prestigious event will see Carlsen making his second appearance after his victory back in 2019.
The sixth edition of the tournament promises to be a thrilling showdown, featuring some of the world’s top chess talents, including several of India's brightest stars.
India’s top players Arjun Erigaisi, R. Praggnanandhaa, and Vidit Gujrathi, all ranked among the country's top five, will join Magnus Carlsen in the Open section. The tournament lineup also includes foreign heavyweights such as former world rapid champions Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan and Daniil Dubov of Russia, along with Wesley So from the USA.
Despite a strong Indian presence, World No. 4 D. Gukesh will miss the tournament as he will take part in the upcoming World Championship title clash against China’s Ding Liren.
Competitive Open and Women’s sections besides Magnus Carlsen and Indian stars
The Open section of the TSCI 2024 will feature a highly competitive 10-player field. Besides Magnus Carlsen and the Indian trio, the event will see the participation of India's Nihal Sarin, who was recently named Player of the Tournament in the Global Chess League (GCL), and S.L. Narayanan. International players such as Germany’s Vincent Keymer will also be part of this intense battle for the title.
In the Women’s section, World No. 5 Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia leads the charge. Joining her will be two-time European women’s champion Kateryna Lagno, former women’s world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, Nana Dzagnidze, and Valentina Gunina.
India’s top-ranked female player, Koneru Humpy, is set to make her comeback after missing the Chess Olympiad 2024. The Indian women’s team from the Budapest Chess Olympiad, which won the gold medal, comprising R. Vaishali, Harika Dronavalli, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agrawal will also be taking part.
Initially held in 2018, the Tata Steel Chess India tournament has grown in stature and is now seen as a sister event to the famed Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.
The Kolkata event will also have equal prize money for men and women alike. Viswanathan Anand, a five-time former world champion, will be the ambassador of the tournament, further adding to its glow.