Dibyendu Barua welcomes the young generation of chess enthusiasts at The Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz Open Tournament

The Open category features Viswanathan Anand, Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, Wesley So, Wei Yi, R. Praggnanandhaa, Hans Niemann, Vidit Gujrathi, Aravindh Chithambaram, and Volodar Murzin. The women's field is equally strong, with Aleksandra Goryachkina, Kateryna Lagno, Divya Deshmukh, Vaishali R., Nana Dzagnidze, Harika Dronavalli, Carissa Yip, Stavroula Tsolakidou, Vantika Agrawal, and Rakshitta Ravi.

Dibyendu Barua, the first Grandmaster from West Bengal, mentioned while speaking to News Ei Samay, “I would like to welcome the young generations of chess enthusiasts to the Tata Chess India Tournament 2026. It will be a great tournament, attracting the chess greats from all over the world. The country has been gifted with a lot of chess greats who have taken part in this esteemed tournament. I have been given a great opportunity to direct this tournament. There will be five days of great games, strategic moves, and enthusiasm surrounding this tournament. The first three days will be dedicated to the ‘rapid’ category of the tournament and the last two days to the ‘blitz’ category.”

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Dibyendu Barua gears up for directorial debut with 'iconic' Anand comeback as centerpiece

“The most iconic part of this tournament is the comeback of Vishwanathan Anand after a long wait of six years. Young prodigies like R. Pragganandhaa and Nihar Sarin will also be participating in this esteemed tournament. Several international greats, including Wesley So and Hans Niemann, will participate in this tournament. The women's category also features some great names, like Divya Deshmukh and Vanthika Aggarwal. This is going to be an exciting tournament for five, where the first three days will feature the ‘rapid tournament’, and the next two days will feature the ‘blitz tournament’. This is the first time I have been asked to serve as a tournament director, and I will fulfil the responsibilities that come with it. This is a huge opportunity for me. I am aware that the fans are very excited to witness the tournament for the next five days.” Dibyendu Barua, the Indian chess grandmaster, added while speaking to News Ei Samay.

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“We are all excited to see Vishy Anand play because that is something we don't get to see often these days, maybe in one or two classical tournaments. It will be very exciting to see Vishy Anand taking on the young prodigies in the ‘rapid’ and ‘blitz’ formats of the game. The results do not matter to me, but the happiness behind the participation of Anand is priceless,” he further added.