New Delhi, May 2 (H.S.): An exciting announcement has come for chess enthusiasts. The Indian team, led by the newly crowned world champion grandmaster D. Gukesh, will clash against the American team, led by GM Hikaru Nakamura, on October 4 in the USA.

This high-voltage match, titled ‘Checkmate: USA vs India,’ will be held at the Esports Stadium in Arlington, USA.

In this five-board contest, top stars from the chess world, emerging players, female talents, and popular content creators will compete head-to-head.

Clash of the Titans: Gukesh vs. Nakamura, Erigaisi vs. Caruana

D. Gukesh will take to the top board for India, facing off against American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. On the second board, Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi will compete against American GM Fabiano Caruana, promising a fierce battle.

On the third board, two prominent chess content creators will go head-to-head. From the USA, IM Levy Rozman (GothamChess) will compete against India’s IM Sagar Shah (founder of ChessBase India). This pairing is expected to bring excitement to the audience.

Women’s Talent Clash: Carissa Yip vs. Divya Deshmukh

On the women’s board, the USA’s most promising young player Carissa Yip will face India’s top-rated female player, Divya Deshmukh, in the under-21 category.

The fifth board will feature a clash between junior players, with the USA’s Tanitoluwa Adewumi facing India’s Ethan Vaz.

The competition will be played over 5 rounds, with one game on each board taking place sequentially.

Each game will have a time control:

– Regular game: 10 minutes per player

– If there is a draw, overtime game: 5 minutes per player

– If still drawn, shootout game: 1 minute per player

– If the result is still undecided, games will continue with 1-minute rounds until a winner is determined.

The USA will have the home advantage and will play with the white pieces on all boards. The second phase of the match is expected to be held in India.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar