Chess Grandmasters Face Existential Crisis at Sharjah Masters 2024: 'Are We Really Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?'
In a stunning turn of events at the 7th edition of the Sharjah Masters 2024, chess Grandmasters are reportedly facing an existential crisis, questioning not only their elo ratings but their very dignity. GM Arjun Erigaisi, the top seed of the Masters section, was seen muttering 'Am I really smarter than a fifth grader?' as he made his first move.Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club's official website has been flooded with concerned spectators who are more interested in witnessing a philosophical breakdown rather than the classic checkmate. One of the top rated comments captured the moment perfectly, stating 'Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, and Aravindh Chidambaram...'. Another spectator noted with frustration that the ongoing glitch on chess.com makes following games outside the top-10 boards an exercise in futility: 'When you open a position from a game on lower boards and get back, it takes you all the way to the top. It’s like they want us to watch only the celebrity boards – typical!' As the tournament progresses, another crowd favorite, Aravindh Chidambaram, extended his unbeaten streak to 45 games in spectacular fashion. However, the real story emerging is the unexpected rise of Pranav V. and his shocking elo gain of 47.4 points this month. Experts speculate he might actually be a chess-playing alien, sent to Earth to accelerate humanity's mental evolution. Move over Elon Musk, we have a new genius in town!There’s also more drama as players bemoan the anti-cheating measures in place which include a 30-minute broadcast delay. 'Who are they kidding? The real cheat is making us wait so long to see the fatal blunders in real-time!' exclaimed an anonymous IM. With live coverage available on Lichess's official and channels, viewers get the chance to see top players like Teimour Radjabov wondering if life indeed is like a game of chess—an endless series of postponed checks and forced moves. Tune in, because in a world where sports-playing pieces are smarter than politicians, anything is possible!
In a stunning turn of events at the 7th edition of the Sharjah Masters 2024, chess Grandmasters are reportedly facing an existential crisis, questioning not only their elo ratings but their very dignity. GM Arjun Erigaisi, the top seed of the Masters section, was seen muttering 'Am I really smarter than a fifth grader?' as he made his first move.Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club's official website has been flooded with concerned spectators who are more interested in witnessing a philosophical breakdown rather than the classic checkmate. One of the top rated comments captured the moment perfectly, stating 'Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, and Aravindh Chidambaram...'. Another spectator noted with frustration that the ongoing glitch on chess.com makes following games outside the top-10 boards an exercise in futility: 'When you open a position from a game on lower boards and get back, it takes you all the way to the top. It’s like they want us to watch only the celebrity boards – typical!' As the tournament progresses, another crowd favorite, Aravindh Chidambaram, extended his unbeaten streak to 45 games in spectacular fashion. However, the real story emerging is the unexpected rise of Pranav V. and his shocking elo gain of 47.4 points this month. Experts speculate he might actually be a chess-playing alien, sent to Earth to accelerate humanity's mental evolution. Move over Elon Musk, we have a new genius in town!There’s also more drama as players bemoan the anti-cheating measures in place which include a 30-minute broadcast delay. 'Who are they kidding? The real cheat is making us wait so long to see the fatal blunders in real-time!' exclaimed an anonymous IM. With live coverage available on Lichess's official and channels, viewers get the chance to see top players like Teimour Radjabov wondering if life indeed is like a game of chess—an endless series of postponed checks and forced moves. Tune in, because in a world where sports-playing pieces are smarter than politicians, anything is possible!