Tata Steel Chess: Gukesh withdraws from Kolkata event citing personal reasons, Nihal Sarin drafted in as replacement

World Champion D Gukesh has withdrawn from the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz tournament, scheduled to be held in Kolkata from January 7 to 11. While there has not been any communication from Gukesh and his side on the abrupt withdrawal, the organisers said it was due to personal reasons.

“Due to personal reasons, D. Gukesh will be unable to participate in Tata Steel Chess India this year,” said the organisers of the Kolkata event on social media on Friday. Nihal Sarin, one of India’s better speed chess players, will replace Gukesh in the Rapid and Blitz event.

Dibyendu Barua, India’s second Grandmaster and Tata Steel Chess India Tournament Director, says Gukesh’s withdrawal is a big setback. “This is definitely a big setback for the organisers and for the chess fans in Kolkata. All the chess lovers were eagerly waiting to watch Gukesh play in their city as a world champion for the first time,” he told The Indian Express over the telephone from Kolkata.

He said Gukesh was one of the main attractions of the event and many young players were waiting for him to arrive and play in their city. “Kolkata is known for its sporting culture, and people here are very enthusiastic about sports. At the same time, there is another tournament scheduled to be held, the Tata Chess Festival, a three-age-group event. Most players were going to participate in this event just to see Gukesh, Viswanathan Anand, and Arjun play together in the tournament,” said Barua.

He also appreciated Nihal for accepting the last-minute invitation. “You cannot compare any player to anyone, and I don’t like doing that. But Nihal is as good a player as anyone. He is very talented, very promising and he’s good at Rapid and Blitz. Also, it’s great on Nihal’s part to have accepted the invitation at the last moment, because it is very difficult to get a player of his stature,” Barua said.

Gukesh last featured in the World Rapid and Blitz Championship in Doha last week, where he finished 20th (4th best performing Indian in Open section) in Rapid event and 53rd (9th best performing Indian in Open event) in the Blitz.

Following a historic double bronze at the 2025 World Rapid and Blitz, India No. 1 in all formats, Arjun Erigaisi will headline the event. Meanwhile, having juggled his role as a player and the ambassador of the Kolkata event, the 2026 edition will see five-time World Champion Anand return to action.

The event will also feature Candidates 2026 qualified and 2023 World Cup finalist R. Praggnanandhaa. Vidit Gujrathi and Aravindh Chithambaram are the rest of the Indians in the Open section. World Cup 2025 finalist, China’s Wei Yi, 2024 World Rapid Champion, Russian teenager Volodar Murzin, flamboyant and somewhat controversial American Grandmaster Hans Niemann and Wesley So are the foreigners.

In the Women’s event, Divya Deshmukh, R. Vaishali, Harika Dronavalli, Vantika Agrawal and Rakshitta Ravi are the Indian representatives. The overseas women’s contingent will be led by defending champion Russia’s Aleksandra Goryachkina. Joining her will be compatriot Kateryna Lagno, Georgia’s Nana Dzagnidze, American sensation Carissa Yip and Greek IM Stavroula Tsolakidou.

The Tata Steel Chess India tournament, first held in 2018, is regarded as the sister event to the prestigious Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. It is one of the few chess events offering equal prize money for both men and women.

Open: Viswanathan Anand, Wesley So, Wei Yi, R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Volodar Murzin, Hans Niemann, Vidit Gujrathi, Aravindh Chithambaram, Nihal Sarin.

Women: Aleksandra Goryachkina, Kateryna Lagno, Divya Deshmukh, R. Vaishali., Nana Dzagnidze, Harika Dronavalli, Carissa Yip, Stavroula Tsolakidou, Vantika Agrawal, Rakshitta Ravi.