As World Championship challenger D Gukesh gears up to prove his mettle in faster chess formats, Vidit Gujrathi joins him as a wildcard entry in the upcoming Superunited rapid and blitz chess tournament, part of the prestigious Grand Chess Tour. Scheduled to take place in Zagreb from November 20, this tournament holds significant stakes with a prize pool of USD 175,000.
Gukesh, who will face off against Chinese Ding Liren for the World Championship in Singapore, aims to translate his success from classical chess to the rapid and blitz formats. Despite his prowess in the classical arena, Gukesh is yet to establish himself among the elite in faster chess variants, a challenge he hopes to overcome in Zagreb.
The tournament structure includes nine rounds of rapid chess and 18 rounds of blitz chess, where each win in rapid scores two points and one point in blitz. The competition features top contenders like Fabiano Caruana, who recently dominated in Bucharest’s tiebreaker, and other strong players including Ian Nepomniachtchi and Alireza Firouzja.
Vidit Gujrathi, known for his strategic preparation and past performances in high-stakes tournaments like the Candidates, enters as a wildcard entrant, poised to surprise with his tactical acumen and resilience.
Other notable participants in the field include Wesley So, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Anish Giri, Levon Aronian, and local favorite Ivan Saric. Each player brings their unique strengths and ambitions to Zagreb, promising an intense battle of skills and strategies over five days of competition.
As the chess world awaits, all eyes will be on Gukesh and Gujrathi as they strive to make their mark in this challenging and prestigious event.
