London, June 10 (HS): Five-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand will compete for the 'Freedom' team in the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship, led by FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky. Anand is the sole Indian in his team, while Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi commands the favored WR Chess Team. Notably absent is Norway's world number one Magnus Carlsen. The WR Chess Team also includes Indian players Arjun Erigaisi, who plays on the top board, and P. Harikrishna on the second board, with the team further strengthened by world junior champion V. Pranav. Upcoming talent Luke Leon Mendonsa joins them, representing the next wave of Indian stars. Meanwhile, Nihal Sarin will represent the fifth-seeded 'Ashdod Elite Chess Club,' also playing as a top seed. Despite the lack of prominent players like Carlsen and D. Gukesh, the tournament will still see fierce competition. Major players in the WR Chess Team include Nepomniachtchi, Alireza Firouzja, and Hikaru Nakamura, among others. A unique rule requires each team to have one female player and one rated below 2200, adding excitement to the event. The winning team will earn $110,000, while runners-up will receive $75,000. Arjun Erigaisi's performance will be crucial for India's hopes in the tournament.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar