Praggnanandhaa, Tania start favourites

With the Chinese absent, an Indian medal sweep is widely expected

After a three-year break owing to Covid-related restrictions, the $60,000 Asian chess championship is back.

With the Chinese absent from this edition beginning on Wednesday at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, an Indian medal sweep is widely expected.

Should the Open section’s third seed Nodirbek Yakubboev (Uzbekistan) and the women’s second seed Nomin-Erdene Davaademberel (Mongolia) perform to their ratings, they should make the podium.

But the strong Indian presence could make it very difficult for the challengers from nine other countries.

R. Praggnanandhaa, after making waves in online events by beating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen thrice this year, is focusing on raising his standard. In the absence of the country’s top five players, this Chennai teenager begins as the rating favourite, ahead of in-form S.L. Narayanan.

Winner in 2007, Tania Sachdev will be looking to regain the title in the absence of her higher-rated compatriots K. Humpy, D. Harika, R. Vaishali and B. Savitha Shri.

With four qualifying spots available in the Open section and two for women in the cash-rich World Cup, the competition in the nine-round event is expected to be fierce.