Nihal Sarin Dedicates Tata Steel Triumph to Late Grandfather Who Taught Him Chess

• Grandmaster Nihal Sarin won the Tata Steel Open Rapid title, dedicating his victory to his maternal grandfather, A.A. Ummar, who passed away a day before the final round.
• Ummar was the first person to teach Sarin how to play chess and followed his games religiously despite being in his eighties and unwell.
• Sarin, a last-minute replacement for D. Gukesh, secured outright first place with 6.5 points, drawing with Viswanathan Anand in the final round.
• Viswanathan Anand finished second with six points, and Arjun Erigaisi completed the podium with five points.
• In the women's section, Kateryna Lagno won the title unbeaten, with Divya Deshmukh claiming bronze.

Why It Matters: Nihal Sarin's emotional Tata Steel victory honors his late grandfather, his first chess teacher.