Praggnanandhaa Shines in Romania + Champions Tour Shocks - EP 20

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Welcome back, chess fans, to another episode of The Chess Times - A Chess Gaja Podcast—your go-to source for all things chess, from the biggest tournaments to rising stars and dramatic blunders.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Hey everyone! It's a busy month in the chess world and we’ve got a ton to break down today—starting with the high-stakes action at the Chess.com Classic, some upsets at the Sharjah Masters, and surprises from the Asian Chess Championship. Let’s get into it!

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Alright, let’s start with the tournament that’s had the entire chess world on the edge of their seats — the Superbet Chess Classic in Romania.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

"Oh yes, and what a finish! GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu pulled off a fantastic win.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

That’s right. He took first place in the second leg of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour — and it’s one of just two classical events in the whole tour

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Huge moment for him. This win really cements his place as one of the top young stars to watch

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

And he’s doing it with style. Cool under pressure, sharp prep — everything you'd expect from a future world title contender."

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Let’s start with the Chess.com Classic—the final leg of the 2025 Champions Chess Tour. The event is running a double-elimination format with 16 top-tier players battling it out from Tuesday through Friday.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

That’s right—and this lineup is stacked: you've got Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and newly crowned world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, just to name a few.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Speaking of which—let's talk drama. Nakamura resigned in a completely winning position against Carlsen. You heard that right! He miscalculated, thought he was lost, and just threw in the towel.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

It was one of the most shocking resignations in recent memory. Carlsen advanced, and Nakamura was out. And he's not the only big name eliminated—Fabiano Caruana and Ding Liren are also out of contention.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Meanwhile, Gukesh was knocked out by fellow Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi, showing once again that India’s young talent pool is absolutely loaded.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

If a match ends in a draw, by the way, players go to an Armageddon bidding format. It’s high-pressure, high-drama chess. This tournament format really separates those who can handle the heat from those who can't.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Let’s take a moment to honor FIDE, the International Chess Federation, which celebrated its100th anniversary last year. FIDE has overseen some of the most iconic moments in chesshistory — from the Cold War-era showdowns to today’s AI-assisted prep battles.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

They’ve been the backbone of professional chess — organizing tournaments, maintainingrating systems, and promoting the game around the globe. A century of checkmates andcreativity — we salute you, FIDE!

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

FIDE was founded in 1924 in Paris — so there’s a nice full-circle moment with France’s currentchess renaissance.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Now shifting to the UAE—the 8th Sharjah Masters is well underway and it’s already delivering surprises. The tournament is a 9-round Swiss open for players rated 2500 and above, with $15,000 on the line for the winner.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

We’ve got a strong field here too: top seeds include Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Anish Giri, and Parham Maghsoodloo. But after just two rounds, it’s not the top seeds making waves.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Exactly! Three co-leaders at this point—Aleksandar Indjic from Serbia, Dai Changren of China, and India’s Visakh N R—all relatively under the radar compared to the heavyweights. Indjic, by the way, is the reigning European champion.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

And we have to talk about Faustino Oro—just 11 years old and already making noise on the international stage. Also standing out is Bibisara Assaubayeva, currently the top-performing female player.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

It’s a testament to how deep the chess talent pool is becoming. From grandmasters in their prime to kids barely in their teens, this tournament really has it all.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

And wrapping up today’s global chess roundup—the 2025 Asian Chess Championship just concluded in Al Ain, UAE, and it delivered some truly unexpected results.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

In the Open section, Iran’s GM Bardiya Daneshvar took gold with 7 out of 9 points—edging out none other than top seed Nihal Sarin on tiebreaks.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Daneshvar pulled off a huge win against India’s Abhimanyu Puranik in the penultimate round, giving him just enough momentum. Even though he lost to Nihal in the final round, his average opponent rating was higher, and that made all the difference in the tiebreak.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

In the women’s section, China’s IM Song Yuxin clinched the title after a dramatic final round. Again, it came down to tiebreaks—she had the highest average opponent rating and took the gold.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

And Shamsiddin Vokhidov of Uzbekistan grabbed bronze in the Open section, beating out five players tied at 6.5 out of 9. Talk about a nail-biter finish!

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Between dramatic resignations, unexpected co-leaders, and rising teenage talents, the chess world is in an electric phase right now. There’s something about 2025 that feels like a turning point.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Absolutely. We're seeing new names break into elite levels, legends like Carlsen still putting on a show, and teenagers challenging for top prizes. Chess is more global and competitive than ever.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

And that’s what keeps us coming back. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss our next deep dive—we’ll be recapping the Sharjah Masters results and previewing the upcoming Norway Chess tournament!

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Thanks for tuning in, and until next time—stay sharp and play smart!