Chess greats back on table for Nations Cup

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 1

Fans of chess have a bonanza of matches coming their way, even as the world of sports remains desolate due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

India will be part of the first-ever online tournament of its kind, the FIDE Chess.com Nations Cup, which also features China, Russia, USA, Europe and the Rest of the World. The tournament will be held on May 3-10 and will be a nostalgic reminder of the battle between the USSR and the Rest of the World, held 50 years ago.

Former world champions Garry Kasparov, Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik, rising youngster Alireza Firouzja and blitz star Hikaru Nakamura would feature in the tournament. Reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen has opted out, saying he had played too many online tournaments. The players would be playing from home, with additional cameras installed in the room to prevent any form of cheating.