Global Chess League: “The new chess generation needs exposure,” says Vidit Gujrathi

Magnus Carlsen in action on Saturday BENGALURU: Magnus Carlsen, Koneru Humpy and Vidit Gujrathi took on 25 young players from Bengaluru and Chennai in a corporate event on the sidelines of the Global Chess League on Saturday. The grandmasters played with typical seriousness and offered the youngsters an unforgettable experience and real-time lessons.India’s recent success in chess has inspired the next generation, but Vidit stressed the need to build on the momentum. “It is very important to build on this momentum because the new generation will also need a lot of grooming. The more tournaments in India, the more exposure they will have. This is the time to step up,” he said.Pipers off to a winning startDefending champions Alpine APL Pipers opened their campaign with a narrow 10-8 win over Mumba Masters while two-time champions Continental Kings suffered a 9-10 reverse against Ganges Grandmasters. In the next game, the American Gambits beat the Alaskan Knights 10-4. French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave held world number one Magnus Carlsen to a draw.Results (Day 1): Alaskan Knights 4 lost to American Gambits 10; Continental Kings 9 lost to Grandmasters Ganges 10; Mumba Masters 8 lost to APL Pipers 10; American Gambits 14 bt Continental Kings 5.