Vidit Gujrathi has qualified for the Chess World Cup 2021 on the basis of his rating. The mega-event is all set to take place in Russia from July 10.
With this direct qualification, 26-year-old GM Vidit has become the 4th Indian to qualify for the World Cup 2021. This is his third World Cup appearance, previously being in 2017 and 2019.
He joins GM Harikrishna, GM Aravindh Chidambaram, and GM Iniyan P for the men's World Cup squad. As of now, GM Harika Dronavali, GM Koneru Humpy, WGM Bhakti Kulkarni, WGM R.Vaishali, and IM Padmini Rout have qualified for the women's World Cup team. However, the All India Chess Federation (AICF) will announce the final list of players by next week.
Vidit Gujrathi, the Indian Chess Grandmaster, said: "Really happy to be a part of the WC squad. Playing for India is always a proud moment and especially the World Cup which is the most prestigious event across any sport. I am confident of putting up a nice show and will surely try to give my best in each and every game I play. Eagerly looking forward to the event as this is going to be my first Over the Board (OTB) event since February 2020."
Vidit Gujrathi is an Indian chess player currently based out of Nashik, Maharashtra. He was the captain of the Indian chess team which won a historic Gold Medal at the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad.
Previously, he has individually made the country proud by winning multiple tournaments and championships such as Tata Steel, Beil Grandmaster's event, Prague Masters, etc. He is only the fourth Indian ever to cross the 2700 ELO rating in 2017. He is ranked number 23 in the world and number three in India. Currently, he is employed at ONGC and supported by Lakshya Foundation and Bharat Forge.
FIDE World Cup 2021 is scheduled from July 10 to August 6 in Sochi, Russia. It'll be a classical event with standard time control.
( With inputs from ANI )
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