Bengaluru, Nov. 11 -- Is there such a thing as format fatigue in chess? Is it setting in already? While we catch our breath, a spanking-new chess tournament with a somewhat complicated format - the Total Chess Pilot, strategically scheduled just ahead of the Fide World Chess Championship - is here for its pilot run in Budapest. It will be played across three time controls - fast classic, rapid and blitz - and features a galaxy of top players, with the man who went cold turkey on the classical World Championship after five consecutive title wins - Magnus Carlsen, spotted watching Peppa Pig on his flight to Budapest in his new role as a father - leading the line-up. A nine-round blitz Swiss on the opening day carries no points or prize money but serves as a tiebreaker for the group stage and determines the seeding of the knockout semi-finalists. The group stage will run from November 11 to 15, with 24 players divided into four groups, playing two fast classical games (45 minutes plus 30 seconds per move) each day. The knockouts that follow will feature all three time controls - four blitz games, two rapid games and one fast classic game. Last week, Carlsen posted a picture from his pre-tournament training camp in Spain, where he was analysing with his coach Peter Heine Nielsen, friend and commentator David Howell, and what appeared to be his training partner, world No.5 Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Abdusattorov, who has spoken of helping Javokhir Sindarov prepare for his match against D Gukesh, will also play in the tournament. So will three of India's stars - R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Vaishali Rameshbabu. htc...