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Praggnanandhaa may have slowed down a bit but mentally he’s peaking for Candidates: Anand

Praggnanandhaa may have slowed down a bit but mentally he’s peaking for Candidates: Anand

Legendary chess player Viswanathan Anand said young Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa “may have slowed down a bit” in the lead-up to the FIDE Candidates Tournament, but will be mentally tuned for the challenge.

Eight leading players in the Open section will vie for the title when the Candidates begins in Cyprus on March 28, with the winner earning the right to challenge reigning world champion D Gukesh for the world title later this year.

Anand, who is also the vice-president of FIDE, said Praggnanandhaa, the only Indian in the Open section, will face stiff competition from players such as Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, adding that predicting the eventual winner would be difficult.

Asked about his personal favourite, Anand said several players intrigued him.

“He’s experienced, but at the same time, he looks very motivated. He has slowed down a little bit in the last few months, but maybe mentally he is already peaking and getting ready for the Candidates,” Anand said on FIDE’s YouTube channel.

He added that players such as Caruana, Nakamura and Anish Giri had a strong chance of winning the event and earning the right to challenge Gukesh.

“I think Fabi (Caruana), Hikaru (Nakamura), Anish (Giri)… this has got to be their time, so they will have that feeling going into it that this is a chance to grab. But I can’t for the life of me get around to predicting someone,” said Anand, a five-time world champion.

ALSO READ: 16-year-old Mayank Chakraborty ends North-East’s long wait for a Grandmaster

Cyprus as the venue has drawn attention due to its proximity to the Gulf conflict. Three Indians are set to compete in the women’s section of the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament to challenge reigning champion Ju Wenjun.

Indian stalwart Koneru Humpy is reportedly considering withdrawing from the event due to security concerns.

Anand said FIDE always tries to secure the best possible venues for its marquee tournaments and added that Cyprus would provide an excellent setting for the event.

“FIDE tries to first find a good high-quality venue and I think we’ve succeeded in that. Cyprus will be a very good venue and the location will be amazing,” Anand said.

Published on Mar 16, 2026

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Deadspin | A’s, Brewers meet again in Las Vegas after show-stopping opener     Jun 8, 2026; Summerlin, Nevada, USA;  Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) celebrates after hitting a home run against the Athletics during the ninth inning at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images   LAS VEGAS — Both scheduled starting pitchers have a pretty good idea of what to expect when the Milwaukee Brewers face the Athletics on Tuesday night in the second game of a three-game series at Las Vegas Ballpark, the hitter-friendly home of the A’s Triple-A affiliate, the Aviators.    Left-hander Robert Gasser (0-2, 4.73 ERA) will start for the Brewers against right-hander J.T. Ginn (3-3, 2.74) of the A’s, who are using this series in Las Vegas to connect with the community. The Athletics currently play their home games in West Sacramento, Calif., but will move to Las Vegas permanently when their new climate-controlled stadium opens there in 2028.   On Monday, the Brewers rallied for a wild 15-14 victory in 12 innings in a 4-hour, 14-minute game that featured 11 home runs, including seven by the A’s. The teams combined for 34 hits.    “The most bizarre game I’ve ever had in Major League Baseball in 11 years,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said afterward. “I never saw anything like it.”    Milwaukee, which trailed 8-4 after three innings, tied the score at 10-10 in the ninth. The Brewers then scored four in the 10th, boosted by William Contreras’ three-run homer, only to see the A’s rally with four runs in the bottom of the inning behind homers from Nick Kurtz, his second of the game, and pinch hitter Jonah Heim.  After neither team scored in the 11th, automatic runner Christian Yelich stole third in the 12th and slid home ahead of the throw on Brice Turang’s fielder’s choice bouncer.   Milwaukee’s Chad Patrick took the mound in the home half of the 12th and stranded the tying run at third base to earn the save.    “I’ve played here and I’ve seen it,” said Patrick, who played at Las Vegas Ballpark when he was in the A’s system. “It’s definitely crazy. I don’t know if it’s necessarily made for big league hitters, but it’s still baseball.”    Tyler Soderstrom homered twice for the A’s, who also got solo homers from Zack Gelof and Shea Langeliers. Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn and Jake Bauers also homered for the Brewers.    Milwaukee, which started its current six-game road trip with a three-game sweep at Colorado, moved a season-high 18 games above .500 (41-23). The Brewers lead the National League Central by 5 1/2 games over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals.     For the A’s, Ginn made his first three appearances of 2026 out of the bullpen before joining the rotation. He is 3-2 with a 1.49 ERA over his past six starts, holding opponents to a .172 batting average.    In his most recent start, he allowed one run — a homer by Pete Crow-Armstrong — in six innings of two-hit ball against the Cubs, leaving with a 6-1 lead, but did not get the decision in a 7-6 loss on Thursday.    “Ginn was exceptional again,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said afterward. “One pitch to Crow that he left up, but outside of that, I thought he had a dominating performance tonight.”    Ginn also has experience pitching at Las Vegas Ballpark during his minor-league career. He was 4-3 with 5.72 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2024 and was 1-0 with a 2.11 ERA in five starts in 2025.    Ginn is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against Milwaukee.    Despite a loss his last time out, Gasser is coming off his best start. He allowed one run on five hits in five innings, taking the loss in a 1-0 defeat against San Francisco on Wednesday.    He has never faced the Athletics in his 10 career outings.    The series with the Brewers will be followed by three games against Colorado in Las Vegas.  –Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Brewers #meet #Las #Vegas #showstopping #openerJun 8, 2026; Summerlin, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) celebrates after hitting a home run against the Athletics during the ninth inning at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

LAS VEGAS — Both scheduled starting pitchers have a pretty good idea of what to expect when the Milwaukee Brewers face the Athletics on Tuesday night in the second game of a three-game series at Las Vegas Ballpark, the hitter-friendly home of the A’s Triple-A affiliate, the Aviators.

Left-hander Robert Gasser (0-2, 4.73 ERA) will start for the Brewers against right-hander J.T. Ginn (3-3, 2.74) of the A’s, who are using this series in Las Vegas to connect with the community. The Athletics currently play their home games in West Sacramento, Calif., but will move to Las Vegas permanently when their new climate-controlled stadium opens there in 2028.

On Monday, the Brewers rallied for a wild 15-14 victory in 12 innings in a 4-hour, 14-minute game that featured 11 home runs, including seven by the A’s. The teams combined for 34 hits.

“The most bizarre game I’ve ever had in Major League Baseball in 11 years,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said afterward. “I never saw anything like it.”

Milwaukee, which trailed 8-4 after three innings, tied the score at 10-10 in the ninth. The Brewers then scored four in the 10th, boosted by William Contreras’ three-run homer, only to see the A’s rally with four runs in the bottom of the inning behind homers from Nick Kurtz, his second of the game, and pinch hitter Jonah Heim.

After neither team scored in the 11th, automatic runner Christian Yelich stole third in the 12th and slid home ahead of the throw on Brice Turang’s fielder’s choice bouncer.

Milwaukee’s Chad Patrick took the mound in the home half of the 12th and stranded the tying run at third base to earn the save.

“I’ve played here and I’ve seen it,” said Patrick, who played at Las Vegas Ballpark when he was in the A’s system. “It’s definitely crazy. I don’t know if it’s necessarily made for big league hitters, but it’s still baseball.”

Tyler Soderstrom homered twice for the A’s, who also got solo homers from Zack Gelof and Shea Langeliers. Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn and Jake Bauers also homered for the Brewers.

Milwaukee, which started its current six-game road trip with a three-game sweep at Colorado, moved a season-high 18 games above .500 (41-23). The Brewers lead the National League Central by 5 1/2 games over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals.


For the A’s, Ginn made his first three appearances of 2026 out of the bullpen before joining the rotation. He is 3-2 with a 1.49 ERA over his past six starts, holding opponents to a .172 batting average.

In his most recent start, he allowed one run — a homer by Pete Crow-Armstrong — in six innings of two-hit ball against the Cubs, leaving with a 6-1 lead, but did not get the decision in a 7-6 loss on Thursday.

“Ginn was exceptional again,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said afterward. “One pitch to Crow that he left up, but outside of that, I thought he had a dominating performance tonight.”

Ginn also has experience pitching at Las Vegas Ballpark during his minor-league career. He was 4-3 with 5.72 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2024 and was 1-0 with a 2.11 ERA in five starts in 2025.

Ginn is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against Milwaukee.

Despite a loss his last time out, Gasser is coming off his best start. He allowed one run on five hits in five innings, taking the loss in a 1-0 defeat against San Francisco on Wednesday.

He has never faced the Athletics in his 10 career outings.

The series with the Brewers will be followed by three games against Colorado in Las Vegas.

–Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Brewers #meet #Las #Vegas #showstopping #opener">Deadspin | A’s, Brewers meet again in Las Vegas after show-stopping opener     Jun 8, 2026; Summerlin, Nevada, USA;  Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) celebrates after hitting a home run against the Athletics during the ninth inning at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images   LAS VEGAS — Both scheduled starting pitchers have a pretty good idea of what to expect when the Milwaukee Brewers face the Athletics on Tuesday night in the second game of a three-game series at Las Vegas Ballpark, the hitter-friendly home of the A’s Triple-A affiliate, the Aviators.    Left-hander Robert Gasser (0-2, 4.73 ERA) will start for the Brewers against right-hander J.T. Ginn (3-3, 2.74) of the A’s, who are using this series in Las Vegas to connect with the community. The Athletics currently play their home games in West Sacramento, Calif., but will move to Las Vegas permanently when their new climate-controlled stadium opens there in 2028.   On Monday, the Brewers rallied for a wild 15-14 victory in 12 innings in a 4-hour, 14-minute game that featured 11 home runs, including seven by the A’s. The teams combined for 34 hits.    “The most bizarre game I’ve ever had in Major League Baseball in 11 years,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said afterward. “I never saw anything like it.”    Milwaukee, which trailed 8-4 after three innings, tied the score at 10-10 in the ninth. The Brewers then scored four in the 10th, boosted by William Contreras’ three-run homer, only to see the A’s rally with four runs in the bottom of the inning behind homers from Nick Kurtz, his second of the game, and pinch hitter Jonah Heim.  After neither team scored in the 11th, automatic runner Christian Yelich stole third in the 12th and slid home ahead of the throw on Brice Turang’s fielder’s choice bouncer.   Milwaukee’s Chad Patrick took the mound in the home half of the 12th and stranded the tying run at third base to earn the save.    “I’ve played here and I’ve seen it,” said Patrick, who played at Las Vegas Ballpark when he was in the A’s system. “It’s definitely crazy. I don’t know if it’s necessarily made for big league hitters, but it’s still baseball.”    Tyler Soderstrom homered twice for the A’s, who also got solo homers from Zack Gelof and Shea Langeliers. Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn and Jake Bauers also homered for the Brewers.    Milwaukee, which started its current six-game road trip with a three-game sweep at Colorado, moved a season-high 18 games above .500 (41-23). The Brewers lead the National League Central by 5 1/2 games over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals.     For the A’s, Ginn made his first three appearances of 2026 out of the bullpen before joining the rotation. He is 3-2 with a 1.49 ERA over his past six starts, holding opponents to a .172 batting average.    In his most recent start, he allowed one run — a homer by Pete Crow-Armstrong — in six innings of two-hit ball against the Cubs, leaving with a 6-1 lead, but did not get the decision in a 7-6 loss on Thursday.    “Ginn was exceptional again,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said afterward. “One pitch to Crow that he left up, but outside of that, I thought he had a dominating performance tonight.”    Ginn also has experience pitching at Las Vegas Ballpark during his minor-league career. He was 4-3 with 5.72 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2024 and was 1-0 with a 2.11 ERA in five starts in 2025.    Ginn is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against Milwaukee.    Despite a loss his last time out, Gasser is coming off his best start. He allowed one run on five hits in five innings, taking the loss in a 1-0 defeat against San Francisco on Wednesday.    He has never faced the Athletics in his 10 career outings.    The series with the Brewers will be followed by three games against Colorado in Las Vegas.  –Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Brewers #meet #Las #Vegas #showstopping #opener

The internet tells me that Lisa Salters is an unconfirmed 5-2, but still this is pretty hilarious. Would it have killed ESPN to take a couple of steps back so both Wemby and their reporter could both be in the shot at once? It wouldn’t have taken away from the moment considering that Wembanyama is a literal giant, and it’s gotta be better than just having a random arm invading the frame.

#Victor #Wembanyama #interviewed #disembodied #arm">Victor Wembanyama got interviewed by a disembodied arm  There’s no good way to interview someone the size of Victor Wembanyama post-game, unless the man is sitting down. When you’re 7-4 your entire existence is spent adapting to the world around you, so I don’t blame him when he doesn’t feel like stooping down after a basketball game to make life easier on reporters. Still, it has a tendency to create some hilarious moments, as we saw on Monday night when ESPN’s Lisa Salters was reduced to a disembodied arm on camera.The internet tells me that Lisa Salters is an unconfirmed 5-2, but still this is pretty hilarious. Would it have killed ESPN to take a couple of steps back so both Wemby and their reporter could both be in the shot at once? It wouldn’t have taken away from the moment considering that Wembanyama is a literal giant, and it’s gotta be better than just having a random arm invading the frame.  #Victor #Wembanyama #interviewed #disembodied #arm

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