Chess Olympiad: Time to play the right moves | Chess News – Times of India

India, with six teams, will be one of the favourites in the 44th Olympiad
It was in 2013 that home boy Viswanathan Anand lost the World Championship title at India’s chess capital, Chennai. Nine years have gone by and top-flight chess is back in Tamil Nadu with the 44th Olympiad starting at Mamallapuram, a sea town 60 km from Chennai, on Friday.
Chennai is all geared up, the iconic Napier Bridge has been painted in black and white and the event’s mascot Thambi — the knight clad in a traditional south Indian attire of white shirt and veshti — is on every other billboard.
The players are trooping in – there are about 2000 from about 187 countries – and the excitement around the event is palpable. There’s a sense of missing out though with Russia not being there — being barred from world events due to the Ukraine war — and China preferring to stay away. But there will be no shortage of star value as the likes of World no. 1 Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian and Anish Giri will be in action.
And then, there will be six Indian teams (three in open and three in women’s categories) – trying to better their bronze won in 2014 over-the-board Olympiad.

India ready to fire on all cylinders
Viswanathan Anand won’t be playing the event and will be associated with the Indian team only as a mentor. Carlsen feels Anand’s absence will be a big weakness for India, but not everyone thinks so. P Harikrishna, who will be playing in his 10th Olympiad, feels the Indian line-up will rely on its depth to do well. “India has a very good team this time around. Obviously, not having Anand is going to make a big difference. That said, this side has a perfect mix of young and experienced players and we are capable of doing really well,” Harikrishna said ahead of the tournament.
On one hand, Harikrishna, Vidit Gujrathi, Sasikiran, B Adhiban, Koneru Humpy and Dronavalli Harika, among others, possess loads of experience. But it’s the India B team, with the likes of R Praggnanandhaa, D Gukesh and Padmini Rout, which has caught the imagination of Carlsen. “Praggu has beaten me twice (in online events) and is a fantastic player. In fact, India B scares me more than India A,” Carlsen told TOI recently in an interview. The fact that Anand is mentoring them is an added advantage for the youngsters looking to make a mark. “His presence could be a game-changer for us. Those inputs from him will add a lot of value for us,” Praggu said.
India are the second seeds in the open section and the top seeds in the women’s category. Not surprisingly, there has been a lot of talk about India’s medal chances. Harikrishna though doesn’t want to put himself under too much pressure. “There are at least 15 other teams which are really strong. Therefore, it’s important that in order to perform well, all four players deliver their best. And we also need a little bit of luck. We should not be too focussed on the medal,” he said.
Team USA, the overwhelming favourite
With a line-up comprising Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Dominguez Perez Leinier and Sam Shankland — top seeds USA are understandably the team to beat in the open section. Wesley, in a chat with TOI, put the seedings in perspective. “I think it is very nice to be considered one of the favourites. Secondly, I don’t think it means much. Any player, in any sport, on any given day, can produce a good performance or a bad one. When you have hundreds and hundreds of players involved, anything can happen,” Wesley pointed out.
Spotlight on Carlsen’s Norway
For all the success World No. 1 Carlsen has achieved till date, the Norwegian is yet to win an Olympiad medal. However, with Norway seeded third in the open category, Carlsen believes this could be their Olympiad. “This is clearly the best chance we have ever had (to win a medal). We have a very nice team and I am really excited to be playing at the Olympiad,” he said.
Most open Olympiad ever
With Russia and China not there, it offers other teams a chance to have a shot at the medal. The likes of Poland, Spain are touted as the dark horses while Carlsen thinks it’s India B. “Not having Russia and China is sad. But then, there are many teams from other smaller countries which can never be discounted. They will feel it is their moment to shine,” Wesley pointed out.