Fans cheer 17-year-old Indian world challenger

(Newcastle Chronicle, 26 April 2024)

North East chess fans gathered at Gosforth Empire Club on Monday evening to celebrate the news that 17-year-old Indian grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh has become the youngest-ever challenger for the World Championship.

Gukesh, from Chennai in southern India, the hometown of five-time World Champion Vishy Anand, has qualified to play a World Championship match against China’s Ding Liren this November after winning the gruelling three-week Candidates tournament in Toronto, Canada, ahead of legendary grandmasters Ian Nepomniachtchi (33, Russia), Fabiano Caruana (31, USA) and Hikaru Nakamura (36, also USA).

Gukesh becomes the youngest player to challenge for the unified World Championship, run by FIDE, the international chess federation.

The Candidates tournament was watched by millions of chess fans online, finishing late on Sunday night with Gukesh on 9/14, half a point ahead of Nepomniachtchi, Caruana and Nakamura on 8.5.
In a dramatic last round, Gukesh held Nakamura to a draw, while Nepomniachtchi and Caruana played a must-win game but could only draw after a titanic struggle lasting six hours and 109 moves.

This week also saw the first 2024 Gosforth Chess Club Summer Blitz, which ended in a victory for Gustavo Leon Cazares (Gosforth), who scored 6.5 points out of 7 and leads the Open Grand Prix with 25 points.

In joint second place were Mick Riding (Gosforth) and David Henderson (Tynemouth) on 5.5.

In the Major category, the winners were Andy Trevelyan and John Turnock (both Jesmond) on 5 points.

The Junior prize was won by Kai Harkensee (Gosforth) on 4.5, and the Minor was won jointly by Jose Grueso (Morpeth) and Brandon Russell (Gosforth) on 4.

The tournament attracted a total of 48 competitors of all levels and ages. The other rounds of the Grand Prix will be held on May 20, June 17, July 15 and August 19.

For more info about these events, contact: enquires@gosforthchessclub.co.uk

Entries in the Open, Major and Minor tournaments are still being accepted for the Durham Chess Congress, which is being held at Darlington’s Dolphin Centre on May 12-14.
Go to https://durhamchesscongress.co.uk/ to register.

The biggest North East chess event planned for this summer is the 7th Northumbria Masters Congress, also at Darlington’s Dolphin Centre, over the Bank Holiday weekend of Thursday 22 to Monday 26 August.

The congress will feature Grandmaster and International Master round robin events, plus three nine-round Swiss tournaments: the Masters Open with several Grandmasters, the Challengers (Under 2000) and Major (Under 1600).

To enter the Northumbria Masters Congress online, go to: https://northumbriamasters.com

puzzles

Puzzle A: Kovalev (White) to play and win:

Puzzle B: Gritsac (White) to play:

Puzzle C: Kotronias (White) to play:

Puzzle D: Stefanova (Black) to play:

Answers:

A: 1 Qxg7+! 1-0. If 1…Bxg7 2 Rxe8+ Bf8 3 Rxf8 checkmate;
B: 1 Rxf7! 1-0. If 1…Rxf7 2 Bb3 wins;
C: 1 Rxh7+! 1-0. If 1…Kxh7 2 Rh1+ Kg6 3 h6 checkmate;
D: 1…Rxh4+! 0-1. If 2 Kxh4 Qf2+ 3 Kg4 or 3 Kh3, 3…Qg3 checkmate.