Chennai
The third week of August 2023 is brimming with suspense, excitement, and fervor for India. Kicking off the week, Indian chess Grandmaster (GM) R.Praggnanandhaa raised the nation’s spirits to new heights by securing a spot in the finals of the FIDE World Cup, triumphing over world number 3, American GM Fabiano Caruana. In a remarkable feat, Praggnanandhaa also secured his berth for the forthcoming Candidates Tournament set to be hosted in Canada next year. The victor of the Candidates Tournament will earn the coveted opportunity to challenge reigning world champion, Chinese GM Liren Ding, for the world title. The stage is now set with mounting anticipation: Can Praggnanandhaa overcome world number 1, Norwegian GM Magnus Carlsen, to seize the World Cup? Having bested world No. 2 and world No. 3 contenders earlier in the competition, the chess world is buzzing with speculation: Will Praggnanandhaa’s exceptional run extend to toppling the world No. 1? This inquiry will be resolved on Tuesday as the two chess maestros engage in a battle of wits in Baku, Azerbaijan, across the 64-square board. Shifting to space endeavors, the prevailing question centers around India’s lunar ambitions. Will the nation’s moon lander successfully achieve a soft landing near the South Pole, overcoming the setback of the 2019 mission? Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), S. Somanath, offered reassurance, stating that the lander is equipped for a gentle touchdown even if its sensors and two engines falter. He confirmed that the primary objective of Chandrayaan-3 remains attainable. The Chandrayaan-3 mission encompasses a propulsion module (weighing 2,148 kg), a lander (1,723.89 kg), and a rover (26 kg). Recently, the lander module detached from the propulsion module and the latter orbits the moon at an altitude of 25 km x 134 km.
