Ep-23 Viral Upsets and New Champions
This show was created with Jellypod, the AI Podcast Studio. Create your own podcast with Jellypod today.
Get StartedIs this your podcast and want to remove this banner? Click here.
Chapter 1
Major Tournament Highlights
Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)
Hey everyone, welcome back to Chess Times, your quick chess news fix from Chess Gaja! I’m here with Grandmaster Priyadharshan Kannappan, and wow, what a week.
GM Priyadharshan Kannappan
Kicking things off with the big one: the Norway Chess 2025 wrapped up on June 6. Magnus Carlsen pulled off his seventh win in this prestigious event, despite suffering a stunning loss to World Champion D. Gukesh. He bounced back quickly and finished with 16 points—just ahead of Fabiano Caruana. Gukesh, despite beating Magnus earlier, landed in third place.
Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)
And in the women’s section of Norway Chess, Anna Muzychuk took home the crown, with Ju Wenjun trailing behind in fourth. The level of play was sky-high across the board.
GM Priyadharshan Kannappan
Speaking of Gukesh, that win over Carlsen created a viral moment when Carlsen slammed the table in frustration. Turns out Gukesh had a good laugh about it too—he even shared his favorite meme from the whole incident: a cat jumping on a table. Gotta love the lighter side of chess drama.
Chapter 2
Indian Chess Domination
Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)
Over in India, the Delhi International GM Open is heating up. GM Abhijeet Gupta took the lead after Round 7 by defeating Armenian GM Mamikon Gharibyan. Gupta now stands at 6.5 points with just a few rounds left. A veteran making a statement!
GM Priyadharshan Kannappan
Meanwhile, in Nagpur, the 18th GH Raisoni Memorial International saw Kaustuv Kundu and Arun Kataria tied at the top, both unbeaten with 7.5 points. But the real buzz is about 12-year-old Kushagra Paliwal, just half a point behind. He’s proving that age is just a number.
Chapter 3
More International Highlights
Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)
In Armenia, the Stepan Avagyan Memorial 2025 finished in style. GM Aravindh Chithambaram edged out Praggnanandhaa on tiebreaks after both scored 6.5 points. That win boosts Aravindh into the world’s top 10. Huge for Indian chess!
Chapter 4
Chess Buzz & Controversies
GM Priyadharshan Kannappan
Back to the World Championship: while Gukesh’s win over Carlsen was a highlight, things didn’t go as planned for the young champ overall. Hikaru Nakamura was blunt in his analysis, calling out Gukesh’s mental prep and strategy. A bit harsh, but it sparked some interesting debates online.
Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)
And in freestyle chess news, Jan Henric Buettner, co-founder of the Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge, announced a bold 2025 tour—five global tournaments, $1 million prize fund each. That’s a massive push to globalize the freestyle format.
Chapter 5
What’s Coming Up
GM Priyadharshan Kannappan
Don’t sleep on the Cairns Cup in St. Louis. It’s underway now with a $250,000 prize fund and an elite field of women players battling it out.
Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)
Also, the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships are happening in London through June 16. India’s squad is stacked: Anand, Arjun, Nihal, Vidit, and Harikrishna are all representing. It’s going to be intense.
GM Priyadharshan Kannappan
Thanks for listening, everyone! We’ll be back soon with more chess news. Until then, stay sharp and keep playing. Bye!
Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)
Goodbye, everyone!