Ep 24 - Thrills, Upsets, and Rising Stars

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Hey everyone, welcome back to Chess Times—your quick chess news fix! I’m here with GM Priyadharshan Kannappan, and wow, what a week. Let’s kick things off in Delhi, where the International Open just wrapped up. Priyadharshan, did you catch that crazy finish?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Absolutely! So starting with Delhi—on June 11, GM Abhijeet Gupta surged to the lead with a crucial win over Mamikon Gharibyan in Round 7, bringing his total to 6.5 points.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

And the very next day, June 12, Mihail Nikitenko defeated Luka Paichadze in Round 8 to join Gupta atop the leaderboard.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

It all wrapped up on June 14, with both battling for the coveted ₹1.21 crore prize pool.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

A superb showing by both Gupta and Nikitenko—Gupta’s steady march, and Nikitenko’s late surge—made this one of the most thrilling finals in Delhi in recent memory.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Meanwhile, in London, the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship ran from June 10 to 16, featuring 60 teams.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Rapid rounds were held June 11–13, blitz on June 14–15, and the prize fund? A massive €500K.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Team MGD1 clinched the Rapid title, while WR Chess Team retained the Blitz crown.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Notably absent though—Carlsen and Gukesh. They opted out after playing in Stavanger.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

While the community missed seeing Carlsen vs. Gukesh, the team event brought depth—even ex-champs like Anand and Short added historical flavor.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Let’s head over to Saint Louis now. The Cairns Cup kicked off June 10, with nine rounds running till June 20.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

It features top female grandmasters and a $250K prize, all streamed with live commentary.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Current lineup includes Tan Zhongyi, Humpy Koneru, Nana Dzagnidze, Mariya Muzychuk, Harika Dronavalli, Carissa Yip, and more.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

A powerhouse field. Expect high drama and intense rivalries—especially with GM commentary keeping fans glued to the board.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Alright, viral moment of the month—early June, June 1 to be exact—Carlsen lost to 19-year-old Gukesh and slammed the table, visibly upset.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

And Gukesh? He later joked, “I laughed for 10 minutes” at the meme sensation.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Tensions run high at the elite level—and moments like these remind us even legends are human.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Some more big results—Stepan Avagyan Memorial in Jermuk ended June 6, with Aravindh Chithambaram edging out Pragg via tie-break after 6.5/9.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

And over at the Prague Chess Festival, both the Masters and Challengers sections wrapped up early June, with playoff drama in the challengers led by Yakubboev.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Let’s take a look back—India continues to shine: Gukesh, Pragg, Aravindh—all making headline waves.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

And London’s team format is gaining traction, giving the chess world a new way to enjoy elite matchups.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Coming up next week: UzChess Cup kicks off June 18 in Tashkent, Markus Carlsen returns to classical events, and more boards fire up worldwide—don’t go anywhere!

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

That’s a wrap from June 11 to 18! Major wins across the board—Delhi, London, Jermuk, Saint Louis—and even memes making headlines.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Thanks for tuning in! Catch you next week with more tournament news, drama, and chess brilliance.