Nodirbek Abdusattorov Seeks Prep Advantage at Chennai GM

Nodirbek Abdusattorov, the Uzbek No. 1, is set to begin his campaign at the fourth edition of the Chennai GM on Thursday. As the top-seed, Abdusattorov will be looking to use this event as a prep to help his compatriot Javokhir Sindarov at the Championships.

What happened?

Abdusattorov, who is close with World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov, has a history of using events like the Chennai GM to fine-tune his skills. In the inaugural edition of this event, he finished top of the field to advance to the 2024 edition of the Candidates thanks to the points he had picked up.

Why it matters for Nodirbek Abdusattorov

The stakes are lower this time around, but Abdusattorov will be looking to make the most of this event. With just a few months to go for the World Championship, a good performance here could do wonders for his confidence. Coming on the back of another below-par run at Norway chess, Abdusattorov is in danger of falling outside the world's top-25.

What comes next?

The Chennai GM will feature a strong lineup, including D Gukesh and Hans Niemann. Gukesh, the reigning Classical world champion, has fond memories of this event at home and will be looking to make a strong impression. Niemann, the US player, will be making his debut at the event and will be one to watch.

The other Indian in the field is M Pranesh, who won the Challengers event last year. Pranesh will be looking to make a strong impression and potentially breach into the top-20 for the first time. The event will be played from July 16 to 22 in Classical format.

Key players to watch

Arjun Erigaisi, the top-ranked Indian and the second seed, finished joint first with Magnus Carlsen at the TePe Sigeman in Malmo before losing out on tiebreaks. He also finished 0.5 points behind the leaders at UzChess in Tashkent in May, showing he is in good form.

The event will be a great opportunity for chess enthusiasts in India to watch some of the world's top players in action. With a strong lineup and a competitive format, it promises to be an exciting event.

Event details

* Date: July 16 to 22 * Format: Classical (90 minutes + 30 second increment from first move) * Contestants: D Gukesh, M Pranesh, Nihal Sarin, Arjun Erigaisi, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Dmitry Andreikin, Hans Niemann, Alireza Firouzja