India, Aug. 8 -- It was a dream for Nihal Sarin to face Magnus Carlsen in a chess match, and it came true at the recently held Esports World Cup chess tournament. The 21-year-old, considered to be one of the best in faster formats, faced Carlsen in the quarter-finals in a highly anticipated showdown. If the match had taken place a few years ago, one would have predicted an easy win for the Norwegian. But in 2025, fans have seen a new rivalry emerge for the 34-year-old, against the new generation of Indian Grandmasters. He has been beaten twice by Gukesh this year, once in classical at Norway Chess, then in the rapid format in Zagreb. He lost to R Praggnanandhaa in the Las Vegas Freestyle Chess Grand Slam.

Against Nihal, the quarter-final...