Chess great Viswanathan Anand on Tuesday hailed the remarkable feat of four Indian players entering the quarter finals of the Fide World Cup 2023, saying it is a “historic moment for Indian chess.”

D. Gukesh, R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Vidit Gujarathi have entered the last-eight stage of the world tournament, being played in Baku, Azerbaijan.

“It is a historic moment for Indian chess because we had a good hand, which is multiple players who are playing, who are all good... good enough level to qualify to the final stages,” said Anand in a video shared by chess.com.

Anand, a five-time world champion, said the young players are taking Indian chess through a “happy time.”

“I was hoping that at least one or two, simply statistically, will break through to the quarter finals.

“But in fact, four of them have managed (to enter quarter finals). So, it is a happy time for Indian chess, and I am happy,” he added.

In a much-anticipated quarter-final duel, Gukesh will face five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen.

Gujarathi, who had stunned Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi via the tie-breaker to reach the quarters, will be up against Azerbaijan’s Nijat Abasov, while in an all-Indian contest, Praggnanandhaa will take on Erigaisi.

Gujarathi defeated Nepomniachtchi 2-0 in the 10-minute rapid segment of the tie-break. Gujrathi and Nepomniachtchi had drawn the two-game classical match and the two tie-break games.

Asked about four Indians featuring in the quarter finals of the World Cup, Gujrathi said: “We are doing very well, what can I say! Everybody is showing a very high level
of play.”

PTI