Ep-34: Divya's World Cup Entry + Hikaru Wins

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Hey everyone, welcome back to Chess Times, your weekly shot of chess news in less time than it takes to play your coffeehouse blitz! I’m here with GM Priyadharshan Kannappan, and this week—man, it feels like the world of chess just doesn’t slow down, does it?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

No, not even a little! In fact, it’s been sort of whirlwind—Grand Swiss drama, wildcards for the World Cup, and lots of new faces making headlines. Shall we just jump right in?

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Absolutely! Okay, first up, huge congrats to Anish Giri—he just took the Grand Swiss in Samarkand, going undefeated with 8 out of 11. Not only did he bag a big trophy, he now locks in his spot for the 2026 Candidates. It’s wild, because we literally talked last week about those pressure moments, and Giri just, like, handled it.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Yeah, exactly. And for the other Candidates qualification—blitz finish here—Matthias Blübaum edged out Vincent Keymer on tie-breaks for the final spot. Both had a strong event, but tie-breaks always make that last round so tense. Got to mention, Gukesh—he went in as one of the favorites, but it was just not his tournament this time. Three tough losses in a row...you could kind of see the frustration. Players move in and out of form—shows how difficult these events are at the highest level.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

For sure, it really highlights how deep the field is now. And then, rolling right into the World Cup news—FIDE dropped the list of wildcards for 2025 in Goa, which feels...I don’t know, like the chess world just gets bigger every year? But here’s the standout: Divya Deshmukh. She’s the only woman out of 206 names, and she’s joined by Abhimanyu Mishra, Andy Woodward—those guys have been making waves—and also, Faustino Oro, the young prodigy. It kind of shifts the narrative. Priyadharshan, what do you think about FIDE’s choices?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

I think it’s important—giving players like Divya a shot on such a stage sends a message. For Indian chess and, honestly, for women in chess worldwide, it’s so impactful. I always tell my students at Chess Gaja that these moments matter. It’s not just about celebrating the top seed, but encouraging more diversity, showing new faces. Reminds me, I was in a similar spot mentoring players who weren’t ‘favorites’ but suddenly had this breakthrough moment. So inclusion like this means we’re actually building for the future, not just rewarding the present.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

And India is fielding a record 21 players in Goa. It’s kind of wild...One country with so many World Cup hopefuls—talk about chess fever! It makes those big grassroots stories and pushes for equality in chess so much more real. I can’t wait to see who steps up.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

And speaking of India and its chess obsession, the 62nd National Chess Championship just kicked off at Vignan University in Guntur. The opening ceremony was all about that “chess is more than a game” angle. There were, like, speeches urging players to see chess as a foundation for bigger things in life—leadership, innovation, and, you know, leaving a mark beyond just the board. It’s something I really relate to. Chess gives you so much more than an ELO number.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

For sure, it’s not just checkmates—it’s a whole mindset. I heard the National Championship is turning into this launchpad for young talents too. And hey, while we’re zooming around India—let’s talk Nagpur. The Jaihind 9th Rapid was another reminder: Chetan Deodhagle went 7.5 out of 8, just mowing down the competition. That’s, like, a “boss level” performance. And behind him, we had three players tying at 7 points each—Vijay, Utkarsh, and Aparnita. Makes you wonder, does dominating these regional tournaments actually set players up for a jump to bigger things?

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

It definitely can, but it’s not always a straight line, you know? These local championships—they’re intense, but the gap to international events is still pretty wide. Though when someone’s consistently topping these leaderboards—like Chetan just did—that’s the sort of signal coaches and federations notice. With Chess Gaja, we’re always scouting for this kind of local spark. Get them early, give them strong competition, and suddenly, you have a legit international contender on your hands. But, uh, there’s also the side where players might specialize—like dominating rapid or blitz, but, you know, not always translating it over the board in longer formats. Depends on training and opportunities.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

That’s a good point. Not every local star’s gonna be a Grand Swiss finalist, but I like seeing the possibility pipeline. And honestly, these regional events just feel more relatable, like anyone could walk in and play the next prodigy before they become ‘famous-fame’, you know?

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Switching gears…let’s get digital. Hikaru Nakamura just dominated the online scene—again. He snagged another Titled Tuesday, scoring 10 out of 11. The guy just keeps finding ways to crush, whether it’s classic or bullet or whatever. He’s also on track for his, what, 50th Bullet Brawl title? I almost can’t keep up—if we did ‘Chess Times: Nakamura News,’ it’d be every week!

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Haha, exactly. And he just beat Sina Movahed in Freestyle Friday, breaking what could’ve been a three-win streak for Sina. Online chess, I mean, it’s not just a side thing anymore. Even FIDE is watching these formats—they specifically called out the current World Blitz setup, saying too many draws or ‘non-games’ are happening, especially as they lead into the upcoming Rapid & Blitz Worlds in Qatar.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Yeah, and to spice things up: there's that “Checkmate: USA vs India” event coming in Texas. GM-on-GM action, women’s stars, influencers—it’s basically turning chess into a stadium event. I actually went to a stadium chess thing in St. Louis once—it was wild. The vibe was less 'library quiet' and more, like, fans rooting for last-second time scrambles and just losing it when somebody blundered a piece. I’m kinda hoping this showy format sticks around. It made chess feel so alive for players and the crowd.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Yeah, I’d love to see that energy go global! Mixing up formats, bringing in showmanship, adding “smash the king” drama—it’s a great way to introduce chess to more people. It’s not always about sticking to classical roots, you know. Sometimes you need to experiment so new players or fans don’t just scroll past. We might see hybrid tournaments or more creative rules become legit parts of the chess calendar, especially if the fan response is strong. But the key for me is keeping the competitive depth—making sure it’s not just a gimmick for TV, but actually builds new audiences.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Right, and as rapid and blitz worlds head to Qatar, I think we’ll have even more of that “what’s next for chess?” discussion. Will fans prefer these amped up, popcorn-style events, or are we always going to love the slow burn of a tough endgame? Who knows, but either way, I’m, like, here for the experiments.

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Same here. If it helps new players get excited—or makes the game more inclusive and diverse—I’m all in for keeping chess evolving.

Young, American, Crisp, Female Voice (Conversational)

Alright, that’s our quick-fire tour through this week’s chess headlines. We’ll see how the wildcards perform, whether Chetan and the Indian field keep their momentum, and if stadium chess is more than just a fun headline. Thanks, Priyadharshan, for all your insights as always. And thanks to everyone for joining us at Chess Times this week. Don’t forget—next time, we’ve got another stack of chess news, fresh from the board. Until then, keep your mind sharp and your pieces active. Catch you later!

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan

Thanks so much—see you all next week, and remember, stay curious, keep learning, and never stop loving the game. Bye!