Ep-28: Prodigies, Champions & AI Wars: Chess's Week of Breakthroughs

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Hey everyone, welcome back to Chess Times—your snappy chess news fix from Chess Gaja. I’m here with GM Priyadharshan Kannappan and, I mean, what a week it’s been. We’re kicking things off with history in the making: Michael Adams has just clinched his ninth British Championship title, and—I always have to do the math—now he’s right up there tied with Henry Atkins, which is wild, and just one short of that Jonathan Penrose record. Priyadharshan, were you watching those tiebreaks?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Yes, actually. The final against Stuart Conquest was, oh, just real drama—went all the way down to speed tiebreaks. You know, Adams has been around forever, but he just keeps showing why he's still at the top. Matching Atkins with nine titles? That's serious legacy stuff. And, by the way—speaking of legacies, we can't skip over the young stars this time.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

I know, right? Bodhana Sivanandan—she’s only ten! She just became the youngest girl to beat a Grandmaster in, like, a classical game. That’s not just impressive, it’s sort of mind-blowing. She also wrapped up her last WIM norm along the way, so clearly she’s just getting started.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Absolutely, and then there’s 11-year-old Supratit Banerjee—grabbed his first IM norm and knocked off two Grandmasters. We talk about prodigies in every episode lately, but these two, Bodhana and Supratit, that’s the next wave. You know, when I was their age in India, getting international exposure, even just facing GMs, was rare. We didn’t have much support back then.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Yeah, and that’s what’s cool about what just happened in the UK too—the government just pledged, what, one and a half million pounds for elite chess? I mean, it’s kind of hard to picture that happening here—but it feels like the chess world is getting some real recognition in all the right places for once.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

If I’d had even a fraction of that support growing up, who knows—maybe my journey would’ve been a bit different! But, honestly, it’s great to see young players actually getting the kind of backing they deserve, not just in India now, but in the UK too. And who knows, might inspire other countries to follow suit.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Yeah, wouldn’t that be nice? Anyway, huge congrats to Adams, Bodhana, Supratit, and everyone pushing chess forward. Speaking of trailblazers—this week was massive for women’s chess as well.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Oh yeah, definitely. Divya Deshmukh, only 19, just made Indian chess history—she won the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup, beating Koneru Humpy. That is just incredible. Not only is she the first Indian woman to take the World Cup, she also got her final norm to become a Grandmaster. She’s now India's fourth female Grandmaster, and, uh, the 88th female GM overall. That’s a big deal.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

It seriously is. And, like, people were going wild with congratulations. I mean, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted her, Judit Polgar sent a message, Hikaru Nakamura—just, like, everyone. It’s so cool when you see international legends, and, you know, national leaders all coming out and saying “Yes, this matters.”

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Yeah, it’s a real shift for Indian chess, especially for women. We talked about this in earlier episodes—India just keeps turning out champions at every level. But what Divya did, it’s ground-breaking. And honestly, I see her inspiring a lot more young girls to go for GM titles. That’s a win for the whole chess community.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

And, not to rush past it, but the momentum doesn’t stop with Divya, right? We’ve got RookTook, this up-and-coming startup, kicking off the Indian Chess League. They’re working with the STAIRS Foundation, and it feels almost like what we saw with cricket years back—a new domestic league, but with international ambitions too. I mean, is this kind of what you pictured with the Chess Gaja vision, Priyadharshan?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Totally. When I started Chess Gaja, part of the goal was to bridge that gap for Indian players—give them more pathways to go global, get better competition, and just put Indian chess on the world map. RookTook’s league could absolutely raise the bar, not just for India but could set the template for others. And, uh, it’s good timing too, with so many stars emerging. Makes you wonder how fast things might change in the next five years.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Yeah, it almost feels like chess in India is ready to level up across the board—no pun intended. And with all that going on, it’s wild to remember there’s even more change happening—not just with people, but with tech. Let’s talk about the latest in AI and all those fireworks from the St. Louis and Chennai events.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

So, this is the part where I geek out—a bit. The chess world’s latest AI update? OpenAI’s o3 model just totally dominated Grok 4 at the recent chess championship on Google’s Kaggle platform. I mean, 4-0 in the finals? AI used to just be, like, Stockfish versus Leela, and now it’s these new models pushing the edge of what’s possible. How far can this go?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Kind of mind-boggling, yeah. Technology isn’t just changing prep, it’s transforming how everyone interacts with the game. These new models aren’t just analysis tools anymore, they’re active competitors. I wonder—will there be an AI league for chess one day? I guess we’re already halfway there.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Right? And while machines are busy taking over, let’s not forget the humans. World Champion Gukesh made a real statement at St. Louis Rapid & Blitz. Early losses, but then he comes roaring back, knocking out Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana. He finished tied sixth in rapid, which—seriously, with that field—that has to feel like a win.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Definitely. Plus, Chennai saw some shake-ups too. Awonder Liang beat Pranav Venkatesh and joins the 2700 rating club—that’s sort of this magic barrier players dream about. Only a handful ever do it, and he’s tied with Arjun Erigaisi now. Meanwhile, Vincent Keymer’s leading, and with only two rounds left, he’s looking strong for the title.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Oh, and this gave me a laugh—Anish Giri making classic Giri jokes about how even the pizza and burgers were spicy in Chennai. I mean, you’ve toured around a lot, Priyadharshan. Indian food—on the road, it’s a different level, right?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

It’s the one thing you can count on: if you’re in India, even your French fries might have a bit of a kick! Honestly, fun moments like that, mixed with these big rating jumps, it keeps the tournaments human. And, seeing new leaders emerge in tournaments always adds some unpredictability—which, let’s be honest, is what we all live for.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Exactly. Chess just never sits still. Alright, that’s a wrap for this week—historic wins, prodigy power, AI getting smarter, and even spicy snacks on the side. Priyadharshan, always a blast having you on for these weekly updates. Thanks as always!

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Thanks! And everyone listening—keep following the action, whether it’s on the board or off it. We’ll break it down for you again next week. See you then—and, uh, don't forget to enjoy your next chess game, maybe with a side of spicy fries.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Love that. Stay tuned for more—bye everyone!