Classical act: Despite evolution of chess, purest form of sport is here to stay
The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram|December 07, 2024
COUPLE of days ahead of the World Championship, Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana had checked into Singapore.
SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN
Classical act: Despite evolution of chess, purest form of sport is here to stay

In an alternate world, the former, the World No 1 across all three regular formats (Classical, Rapid and Blitz), would have arrived in the city-state to play the final. Now? Not so much. He had arrived with Caruana, the World No 2 in Classical, to play a couple of games of freestyle chess, a variant of the game. In this game, the starting order of the pieces on the back rank are randomised. So, as D Gukesh and Ding Liren checked into a plush hotel for the World Championship, Carlsen and Caruana, with a bevy of photographers, sailed off on a yacht to play a couple of freestyle games.

Carlsen won the series – of course he won the series – before posting something provocative on X. "Freestyle > Classical". He, of course, knew what he was doing. In less than 24 hours, the World Championship's first game was about to get underway. On November 25, less than two hours after the final began, Emil Sutovsky, the CEO of the world body (FIDE), couldn't resist. "Classical > any other", he wrote on X.

Welcome to the battle to preserve the board game's purest version and its immediate siblings in the face of increasing alternatives.

Denne historien er fra December 07, 2024-utgaven av The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra December 07, 2024-utgaven av The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS THIRUVANANTHAPURAMSe alt
Paul Mescal to play Paul McCartney in The Beatles biopic
The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram

Paul Mescal to play Paul McCartney in The Beatles biopic

PAUL MESCAL is reportedly set to portray Paul McCartney in an upcoming four-part biopic centered on The Beatles.

time-read
1 min  |
December 12, 2024
Paul Mescal to play Paul McCartney in The Beatles biopic
The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram

Paul Mescal to play Paul McCartney in The Beatles biopic

PAUL MESCAL is reportedly set to portray Paul McCartney in an upcoming four-part biopic centered on The Beatles.

time-read
1 min  |
December 12, 2024
IMDb announces list of popular Indian titles of 2024
The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram

IMDb announces list of popular Indian titles of 2024

INTERNET MOVIE Database (IMDb) has unveiled its list of Top 10 Most Popular Indian Movies and Series of 2024.

time-read
1 min  |
December 12, 2024
The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram

Shane's 25th film begins in Coimbatore

THE POOJA and switch-on ceremony for Shane Nigam's 25th film was recently held in Coimbatore, with the cast and crew in attendance.

time-read
1 min  |
December 12, 2024
A$AP Rocky to play the lead in Highest 2 Lowest
The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram

A$AP Rocky to play the lead in Highest 2 Lowest

AS PER latest reports, American rap artist A$AP Rocky has been cast as the lead actor in Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest, an Apple Original film.

time-read
1 min  |
December 12, 2024
Fourth installment of Meet the Parents in the works
The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram

Fourth installment of Meet the Parents in the works

ROBERT DE NIRO, Ben Stiller, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner are in negotiations to reprise their roles in the new Meet The Parents film, which is in the works at Universal Pictures.

time-read
1 min  |
December 12, 2024
The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram

MEET THE 'GERMAN NAMBIAR'

TNIE speaks to Hartmut Schmidt, a German national who is on a mission to popularise Ottanthullal in Europe. Recently, he performed at the Tripunithura Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple as part of its Vrischikolsavam festival

time-read
3 mins  |
December 12, 2024
Engineering a thullal trend
The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram

Engineering a thullal trend

TNIE talks to Kalamandalam Vishnu M Gupta about his mission to bring all of Kunchan Nambiar's works to life on stage

time-read
1 min  |
December 12, 2024
A police 'motocross' thriller along Indo-Bangla border
The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram

A police 'motocross' thriller along Indo-Bangla border

Days ago, on a foggy morning along the treacherous bends of the Padma River, the India-Bangladesh border dissolves into uncertainty as a Kerala police team closes in on their elusive target in their style.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 12, 2024
The New Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram

A reckoning spurred by Hema Committee report

The hum gradually becomes a murmur that swells with the voices of women—working, creating, and resisting. This is the atmosphere at The Neighbour Gallery, a new space in the capital city envisioned by artists Joe Paul Cyriac and Valentina Abenavoli. The gallery opened with an exhibition that reflects its mission: exploring the power of shared spaces where gathering fosters care, nurtures creativity, and challenges societal norms.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 12, 2024