World Rapid Chess Championship: India’s Vaishali impresses with three wins on day one

Indian youngster Vaishali Rameshbabu was off to an impressive start in the women’s section of the World Rapid Chess Championship that started on Sunday in Poland.

She scored three victories, including an instructive one over one of the tournament favourites, Mariya Muzychuk, and a draw against another heavyweight, Nino Batsiashvili.

The winner of the previous women’s world rapid tournament (in Moscow in 2019) Koneru Humpy finished day one with 2.5/4, with just one victory and three draws. She was placed joint 33rd.

In the open section, the highest placed among Indians after six rounds was Harsha Bharathakoti on 3.5/5 and ranked 17th. Vidit Gujrathi, also on 3.5, was placed 23rd.

One of the most important events in the chess calendar – The World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships – started in the Polish capital Warsaw. More than 250 strongest world players accompanied by their trainers and staff, descended on the PGE Narodowy Stadium, the home of the Polish national football team

Magnus Carlsen, who just defended his fifth world title in classical chess and who is the defending rapid and blitz champion, is looking for another hat-trick, wanting to finish the year with all three titles under his belt.

Aiming to bring him down is a field made up of world heavyweights including…

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