Chess News and Other Updates | February 2023

2023 has just begun, and Chess World has witnessed so many happenings already. From the Neiman-Carlsen Scandal to GM Anish Giri's slow but steady steps towards a brighter future, so many events have taken place already. My friends, February was no exception in that case. From the Pro Chess League to WR Chess Masters 2023, many tournaments were held in February. In this issue, you will get to know all about it. Hence, take a deep breath and start the joyride with EnthuZiastic!

The 2023 Pro Chess League Update As promised in last newsletter, here are the updates on 2023 Pro Chess League. The 2023 Pro Chess League started on February 1. The Main event was on February 14, and the playoffs will be on March 28. The main finals will be held from May 11 to 14th. After the main event on February 14, Indian Yogis held the first rank, and it was followed by Gotham Knights and Canada Chessbrahs in second and third position, respectively. With chess titans like Carlsen, Nakamura, and Praggnanandhaa, the 2023 Pro Chess League can glue you to your seat.

Source: Chess.com

Russian Federation Wants to Switch to Asia from Europe The enterpriser of the chess world, the Russian Federation, has decided to move to Asian Chess Union (ACU) from European Chess Union (ECU). The main reason behind such a hard decision is the tuft between federations due to the Ukrainian war. As stated by ECU, the Russian Federation is "politically exposed." Therefore, chess organisations are concerned with the safety and security of the players as well as global peace and harmony. The ECU statement said: "The ECU has taken a clear position, expressing its concern about the high-ranked Russia Security Council officials who are part of the RCF's constitutional structure (Board of Trustees), including the Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu and the Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov."

Unstoppable Kosteniuk in Munich FIDE Women's Grand Prize The 'Chess Queen,' Alexandra Kosteniuk, is among the best women chess masters in history. She also remained unbeaten this time in the Munich FIDE Women's Grand Prize. She competed with GM Tan Zhongyi. The 'Chess Queen' claimed her fourth straight victory after facing GM Tan Zhongyi's Hyper Accelerated Dragon. She used the Alapin setup as her weapon to become successful in the match. You can also play with the agility of the 'Chess Queen.' Enrol in EnthuZiastic's chess classes to become an expert player.

Image Credit: Chess.com

Carlsen and Nakamura face off in Airthings Masters The alluring question for every chess fan is who is best: Nakamura or Carlsen. The Champions Chess Tour Airthings Masters 2023 served as the answer to it. It set the stage on fire as the second round had players Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura. GMs Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura defeated GMs Arjun Erigaisi and Wesley So, respectively, to reach the Division I Winners Bracket Final. This will be their first match since Nakamura won against Carlsen the last time in the SCC final.

First Round of WR Chess Masters 2023 The first round of WR Chess Masters 2023 had a great start. The inaugural game was held in Duesseldorf, Germany. The match started with GMs Wesley So and Levon Aronian. Both had claimed their success alongside the Russian GM Andrey Esipenko. This WR Chess Masters saw a start with a bang truly, as it has three winners in the first round already.

Nakamura's Continued Victory of Tuesday Title

Nakamura is genuinely one of the best grandmasters in chess history. He continues to hold his legacy as the strongest grandmaster with a successive victory of Titled Tuesday. He won his third consecutive title in the early tournament on February 21. Nakamura began with 8/8, as in last week's early game. This week, he got through GM Dmitry Andreikin in just 26 moves in the eighth round to reach that mark.  

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Conclusion February 2023 served with many chess tournaments, and many more are yet to come. In the coming days, the chess world awaits many excellent prospects. We will come up with more such exciting news in our next issue. Until then, stay tuned. Meanwhile, hone your skill with our free trial classes.