Sports
West Indies beat UAE to clinch ODI series in Sharjah
The UAE can look at the emergence of Ali Naseer as a silver lining ahead of the ICC World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in two weeks when it conceded the one-day international series against West Indies 2-0 after the second match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The third dead rubber will be played on Friday before the team flies to Harare on June 11.
Making his debut on Sunday with a half-century, Naseer followed it up with a successive effort in the middle order in losing causes. An experiential side for the hosts went down by 78 runs and the general result was already etched in the minds of those in attendance by the time the visitors put up 306 runs on the board. Already lean in the batting order – the UAE lost the first ODI by seven wickets after managing only 202 – their innings hinged on captain Muhammad Waseem to lead by example.
But Waseem was the first to go, dismissed cheaply for six runs, caught behind. Rameez Shahzad, the only other senior batsman in the top order, was rested for this match with a niggle. Debutant Lovepreet failed to make most of the opportunity, as did wicketkeeper-opener Aryansh Sharma after settling in on a cautious note, but gifted his wicket away.
The West Indies have won the three-match ODI series with a match to play for. Courtesy Emirates Cricket Board
Asif Khan – still fresh with his March exploits of becoming the fourth-fastest cricket to score a hundred, in 41 balls, and the first cricketer from a Associate nation to get on the list – failed for a successive time despite promotion to the No 5 spot.
Once the battle was lost in the mind and evident from their body language, the only positives left to see was Vriitya Aravind (36 from 52 balls), Naseer (57, 53b) and Basil Ahmed (49, 84b) from spending time in the middle to get some batting expertise against the tall bowlers from the Caribbean. They proved it was only the lack of application in batting that cost the UAE.
Earlier, West Indies lost their way despite a cracking start after winning the toss and electing to bat. Openers Brandon King (64) and Johnson Charles (63) put on 129 runs for the opening wicket in just 17 overs.
Yet, Ali Naseer broke the deadlock with Charles holing out to the young substitute Ethan D’Souza, 17. Credit to the UAE bowlers, who kept their chin up and reigned in the batsmen with wickets at regular intervals. A double from left-arm spinner Aayan Khan helped as UAE prised open the batting order piece by piece.
West Indies even looked like falling short of the 300-run mark, which seemed a formality earlier, but Odean Smith (37 from 24 balls) took them past the milestone. He was dismissed by Zahoor Khan (3-44) as the medium-pacer’s third wicket. Opening bowlers Naseer and Sanchit Sharma brought some respectability to their bowling figures with two wickets each.
Events
Magnus Carlsen, Praggnanandhaa lead 24 chess stars at $650,000 Total Chess Tournament in Budapest
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen headlines a star-studded field of 24 elite players assembling in Budapest for the inaugural Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot, a landmark tournament designed to introduce a new format to professional chess.
With a total prize fund of $650,000, the competition will bring together some of the biggest names in international chess to test their skills across Fast Classical, Rapid and Blitz formats.
Carlsen, widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players of all time, arrived in the Hungarian capital late Monday evening. The Norwegian superstar has maintained the world No. 1 position for 15 consecutive years, making his participation one of the major highlights of the tournament.
The Budapest Pilot marks an important step in the development of the Total Chess World Championship Tour, which aims to redefine elite chess through a combination of competitive innovation, global broadcasting and enhanced fan engagement.
Magnus Carlsen headlines 24-player chess field
The tournament features an exceptional lineup of international grandmasters, established champions and emerging chess talents, including two leading female players.
According to the recent FIDE standard ratings provided by the organisers, the confirmed participants include:
- Magnus Carlsen (Norway) – World No. 1
- Fabiano Caruana (United States) – World No. 3
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) – World No. 5
- Wesley So (United States) – World No. 6
- R Praggnanandhaa (India) – World No. 7
- Vincent Keymer (Germany) – World No. 9
- Alireza Firouzja (France) – World No. 10
- Anish Giri (Netherlands) – World No. 11
- Arjun Erigaisi (India) – World No. 12
- Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland) – World No. 13
- Liem Le (Vietnam) – World No. 16
- Levon Aronian (United States) – World No. 20
- Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE) – World No. 22
- Richard Rapport (Hungary) – World No. 23
- Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands) – World No. 24
- Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) – World No. 27
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) – World No. 28
- Hans Moke Niemann (United States) – World No. 32
- Haik M. Martirosyan (Armenia) – World No. 48
- Vladislav Artemiev (FIDE) – World No. 66
- Abhimanyu Mishra (United States) – World No. 76
- Andrew Hong (United States) – World No. 134
- Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan) – Women’s World No. 7
- Vaishali Rameshbabu (India) – Women’s World No. 24
India will have a strong presence in Budapest, with R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Vaishali Rameshbabu representing the country’s growing influence in international chess.
The participation of established stars and emerging talents makes the tournament one of the notable gatherings in the international chess calendar.
New championship format
Beyond the prize money and star power, the Budapest Pilot is designed to test a new competitive format that identifies the most complete chess player across three major disciplines: Fast Classical, Rapid and Blitz.
The organisers aim to create a more dynamic and engaging championship by combining different time controls into a single competition.
The initiative also seeks to modernise how professional chess is presented and consumed, bringing fans closer to the players, their strategies and the drama unfolding during matches.
How the tour format works
The pilot tournament will feature 24 players divided into four groups of six competitors.
Group stage
Each group will follow a double round-robin format over five days, with every player competing in 10 Fast Classical games.
The time control will be 45 minutes per player with a 30-second increment per move.
The scoring system awards:
- Three points for a win.
- One point for a draw.
- Zero points for a loss.
A nine-round Blitz Swiss tournament conducted before the main competition will determine the tie-break rankings.
Knockout stage
Following the group stage, players will advance into knockout brackets according to their finishing positions.
Each knockout match will take place over two days and feature three chess disciplines:
- Four Blitz games with a 3+2 time control.
- Two Rapid games with a 15+10 time control.
- One Fast Classical game with a 45+30 time control.
The scoring system uses weighted points to reward performance across the different formats, with greater emphasis on longer time controls.
If a knockout match remains tied, an Armageddon game will determine the winner.
Road to Grand Final
The four highest-ranked players across the Tour will qualify for the Grand Final.
The final stage will feature semifinals and a championship match to determine the inaugural FIDE World Combined Champion.
The format is designed to reward consistency, versatility and excellence across all three disciplines rather than performance in just one time control.
Global broadcast partnerships
The Budapest Pilot is also aiming to reach a worldwide audience through an extensive network of international television and digital broadcasting partners.
DAZN will serve as the global broadcast partner, while India’s NDTV will bring the tournament to Indian audiences through its television network and digital platforms, including YouTube.
Additional coverage will be available through Chess.com, ChessBase India, Norway’s TV 2 and the Norway Chess YouTube channel.
The enhanced broadcast experience will feature professional production, expert commentary, live insights and detailed post-match studio analysis.
According to the organisers, the tournament’s distribution network is expected to make the competition accessible across more than 200 countries and territories.
New chapter for professional chess
With 24 elite players, a $650,000 prize fund and an innovative multi-format competition structure, the Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot represents an ambitious attempt to reshape the future of professional chess.
The tournament brings together some of the world’s strongest players while exploring new ways to improve the competitive experience and expand the sport’s global appeal.
For Magnus Carlsen, Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and the other participants, Budapest offers an opportunity to compete for the inaugural title while becoming part of a new chapter in chess history.
The bigger question is whether the combination of Fast Classical, Rapid and Blitz can establish a new standard for elite chess competitions.
Twenty-four elite players. Three chess disciplines. $650,000 in prize money. The journey towards a new world championship begins in Budapest.
Total Chess is a global championship platform developed by Norway Chess and approved by FIDE, with the objective of redefining elite competitive chess through a unified championship format.
Magnus Carlsen, Praggnanandhaa lead 24 chess stars at $650,000 Total Chess Tournament in Budapest
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