Tata Steel Chess India to Feature World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and Strong Indian Contingent

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen to headline Tata Steel Chess India tournament in Kolkata

Kolkata, Oct 21 (PTI) – The sixth edition of Tata Steel Chess India is set to take place in Kolkata from November 13 to 17, with world No. 1 Norwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen as the star attraction. Carlsen, who had previously won the tournament in 2019, will be making his second appearance in the prestigious event.

Following their recent success at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, a strong Indian contingent will also be participating in the tournament. Players such as Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, Nihal Sarin, and S L Narayanan will be competing in the ‘Open’ category, while Koneru Humpy, R Vaishali, D. Harika, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agrawal will represent India in the women’s category.

Chess legend Viswanathan Anand, who will continue his role as the tournament’s ambassador, expressed his excitement about the upcoming event. “Looking forward to being back at Tata Steel Chess India. It has become the marquee event in India. This year brings the best of the world headed by Magnus Carlsen,” said Anand.

The tournament will feature both ‘Open’ and women’s categories with rapid and blitz formats, offering equal prize money for both sections. Chanakya Chaudhary, vice-president of corporate services at Tata Steel, highlighted the significance of hosting the event, especially with the return of Carlsen and the participation of top global players alongside the Indian chess champions.

The lineup for this year’s tournament includes top players such as Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Wesley So, Vincent Keymer, Daniil Dubov, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Kateryna Lagno, and Alexandra Kosteniuk, among others.

With the stage set for an exciting competition, chess enthusiasts can look forward to witnessing some intense battles and strategic moves at Tata Steel Chess India 2021.