Tata Steel Open: Nihal Sarin dedicates Rapid title win to late grandfather

An emotional Nihal Sarin dedicated his Tata Steel Open Rapid chess title to his maternal grandfather, who passed away only a day before the final round on Friday. The 21-year-old, who replaced D. Gukesh at the eleventh hour, pushed the legendary Vishy Anand to second spot after a draw in their last game at the sprawling Dhana Dhanyo auditorium.

‘’Yesterday night, I got the news that my maternal grandfather A.A.Ummar, who taught me chess had passed away,’’ the Thrissur-born Sarin said later. The young Grandmaster said that his grandfather used to follow his matches closely despite his age.

 ‘’He had been ill for a very long time. Yeah, especially in the last 12 months, his condition was really deteriorating. Yeah, it was heartbreaking. He would love to see it. He was always a huge well-wisher, and even when 80-plus, he used to watch my games and follow chess all night. I would like to dedicate this victory to him,’’ said Sarin.

After going toe-to-toe with Anand in the first two days, Sarin settled for a mature draw against five-time world champion Anand, a result that secured him the top spot outright with 6.5 points. Now a FIDE Vice President who plays competitive chess selectively, Anand was back as a player in Kolkata after six editions but finished the event in second place on six points, while Arjun Erigaisi, who recently claimed double bronze medals at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Doha, rounded off the podium with five points.

The women’s competition was dominated by Kateryna Lagno, who controlled the tournament from the opening round to the end. The Russian GM stayed unbeaten throughout the event and secured the title with a round still to play, eventually finishing 1.5 points clear of reigning champion Aleksandra Goryachkina.

The battle for third place ended in a five-way tie with Divya Deshmukh emerging with the bronze medal after coming out on top in the tie-break calculations. The weekend will see the Blitz competition taking place on Saturday-Sunday.