Time to move with extreme caution
Munsi Premchand’s Shatranj ke Khiladi offers a grim reminder of the vulnerability of weaker nations at a time when great power rivalry is at its height Awadh ruler Wajid Ali Shah’s noblemen Mirja and Mir die an ignoble death while ‘protecting’ their ‘kings’ on the chessboard, letting Awadh collapse like a house of cards In the global chessboard of geopolitics and geostrategy, Nepal must move ahead with extreme caution Devendra Gautam Playing against Magnus Carlsen must be really tough even for FIDE grand masters. Though an extremely difficult challenge, a few minutes at the chessboard with the maverick (with a standard FIDE rating of 2832, rapid rating of 2827 and blitz rating of 2888) as your opponent must be one of those moments to cherish forever. It can be a real confidence booster for those lacking self-confidence. While the 34-year-old maverick remains ensconced in his lofty citadel as the 16th undisputed world chess champion and the number #1 player in the world since 2011,...