Vidit Gujrathi in the Fray for London Chess Classic
Indian Grandmaster Among World's Elite in Prestigious Tournament
London, England
Indian Grandmaster Vidit Santosh Gujrathi will be among the world’s top eight players competing in the prestigious London Chess Classic, scheduled to take place from August 1-7, 2023, at the iconic Olympia Conference Centre in London, England.
Gujrathi, currently ranked 15th in the world, has been in excellent form this year, winning the prestigious Gibraltar Masters in January and finishing second in the Tata Steel Challengers tournament in February.
He is the second Indian player to be invited to the London Chess Classic after five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, who has participated in the tournament several times.
The London Chess Classic is one of the strongest chess tournaments in the world and has been held annually since 2009. The tournament features a double round-robin format, with each player playing every other player twice.
The prize fund for the tournament is £150,000 (approximately US$174,000), with the winner receiving £50,000 (approximately US$58,000).
Gujrathi will be facing a tough field in London, which includes world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway, world number two Ding Liren of China, and world number three Fabiano Caruana of the United States.
Other players in the field include Levon Aronian of Armenia, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan, and Wesley So of the United States.
Gujrathi will be looking to make a strong impression in London and will be aiming to finish in the top three.
He will be the only Indian player in the tournament and will be hoping to continue his good form and make a name for himself on the world stage.
The London Chess Classic is a major event on the chess calendar and is expected to attract a large number of spectators.
The tournament will be covered live by a team of commentators, including Grandmasters Daniel King and Simon Williams.