Tata Steel Chess: Nihal Sarin battles through grief – wins Rapid title a day after grandfather’s death

For every athlete, there come moments that test more than skill and talent; they test the heart. Moments when one has to choose to either press onward through personal pain, or take a step back to grieve and reflect.

For Grandmaster Nihal Sarin, that moment came on Thursday night when he learned that the man who first taught him the game, his grandfather, had passed away. With tremendous courage, Nihal chose to continue and ended up winning the Rapid event at the 2026 Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz tournament.

Nihal’s 82-year-old grandfather A.A. Ummar, who had been ailing for the past 18 months, was his earliest mentor and a staunch supporter. Nihal wasn’t even supposed to be in Kolkata and would have been with Ummar in his last days in Thrissur had it not been for a call from Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua, who invited him to play as a replacement for D. Gukesh.

Eager for opportunities and unaware of the impending tragedy, Nihal straightaway said yes to the event at the 11th hour.

India’s grandmaster (GM) Viswanathan Anand, left, with compatriot GM Nihal Sarin during a press conference at the Tata Steel Chess India 2026 Rapid and Blitz Open tournament, in Kolkata, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. Sarin won the Open Rapid section title while Anand finished second at the tournament. (PTI Photo)

“Nihal completely broke down after hearing the news last night. He wanted to fly back home immediately,” his manager Priyadarshan Banjan told The Indian Express. “It was his mother who encouraged him to stay, to compete at the event and to play as he always had as homage to his achachan (grandfather).”

The loss came within months of the demise of Nihal’s close friend GM Daniel Naroditsky, but the 21-year-old pushed through the pain. The replacement player clinched the Rapid title ahead of Viswanathan Anand and Arjun Erigaisi, dedicating his victory to his grandfather.

“It’s a very emotional moment for me. My grandfather, who introduced me to chess, passed away last night. He was the reason I started this journey, and he supported me in every way possible. I would love to dedicate this win to him,” an emotional Nihal said after the win.

“It was obviously very tough. But you have to try your best when you’re playing in a tournament. I was just trying to block out distractions and focus on the game. One thing I know for sure is that this is what my grandfather would have wanted me to do. He would have wanted me not to lose focus on the tournament. Even at 80-plus, he used to watch my games or follow them online.”

Nihal started the event with a draw against the ever-so-solid Wei Yi before defeating Aravindh Chithambaram in the second round. He was up against Erigaisi in the last round of the opening day and was cruising for the majority of the game, poised to end the day on a high with two wins. But Erigaisi somehow hung on and turned the tables to secure a win after two losses.

In a similar fashion, Erigaisi kept on playing in an inferior position against Anand before the latter made a blunder and threw away the game.

Nihal was untouchable on day two. He broke through the defences of Hans Niemann, Volodar Murzin and Vidit Gujrathi for three consecutive wins, ending the day as joint-leader alongside Anand with 4.5 points after six rounds.

On Friday, after holding R. Praggnanandhaa and then dismantling Wesley So’s defences to gain a winning position in just 13 moves, both with black pieces, Nihal’s path to the title became much clearer. Heading into the final round, he was in sole lead, with Anand trailing by half a point. The two were set to face off in the ninth round to decide the winner.

While an eager Nihal was anticipating a big battle, Anand chose a quieter path, settling for a calm draw to finish in second spot. Erigaisi grabbed the third spot in the Open category.

In the women’s event, it was the Kateryna Lagno show from start to finish. The Russian remained unbeaten and won with a round to spare, finishing 1.5 points ahead of defending champion Aleksandra Goryachkina. Five players tied for third place, with Divya Deshmukh claiming the bronze thanks to the best tie-breaks.