R Praggnanandhaa and other members of Asian Games-bound chess team to undergo training camp in Kolkata

Kolkata: The Asian Games-bound Indian men’s chess team, which includes World Cup silver medallist GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa along with three other quarter-finalists, will undergo a four-day tactical camp in Kolkata from 30 August. Grandmsters Vidit Gujarathi, Arjun Erigaisi and R Gukesh, along with veteran Pentala Harikrishna as the other member are part of the Hangzhou-bound men’s squad. The team is led by head coach legendary GM Boris Gelfand and includes coach Srinath Narayanan, assistant coaches Vaibhav Suri and Arjun Kalyan. The women’s coaching camp is currently underway till Tuesday and has Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Vantika Agrawal and Savitha Shri B as the participants. “AICF’s commitment is etched in unwavering support and cutting-edge facilities for our players,” AICF president Sanjay Kapoor stated in a release. “This coaching camp stands as a testament to that commitment, providing an immersive experience that delves deep into strategy and finesse, enriching players’ abilities in anticipation of the Asian Games scheduled in Hangzhou.” The camp will be held on the sidelines of the fifth edition of Tata Steel Chess India rapid and blitz tournament slated in Kolkata from 31 August-9 September. All the members of the Asian Games-bound Indian squad will compete in the tournament which will also see participation from former World Blitz champion Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and reigning World Champion Wenjun Ju.