The first-round draws for the sixth Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz tournament were announced in Kolkata on Tuesday. All eyes will be on Magnus Carlsen, the former world champion, who will be facing 19-year-old Indian grandmaster R. Pragganandhaa in both the Rapid and Blitz formats.

This year’s tournament, with a prize fund of USD 41,500, will be held at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata’s Alipore between November 13 and 17. Like previous editions, the tournament will have two categories, Open and Women, in two formats, Rapid and Blitz.

After a stellar performance at the 2024 Chess Olympiad 2024 Budapest in Hungary, the Indian chess contingent is all set to compete in the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz tournament.

In the Open category, alongside Praggnanandhaa, India’s S.L. Narayanan will go up against Germany’s Vincent Keymer, while Vidit Gujrathi will face the USA’s Wesley So. Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin are scheduled to play each other in an exciting matchup.

In the Women’s category, India’s Harika Dronavalli will take on England’s Nana Dzagnidze, while Vantika Agrawal plays Russia’s Valentina Gunina. Koneru Humpy will face Russia’s Kateryna Lagno.

A three-year-old chess prodigy from Kolkata named Anish Sarkar was involved in the draw. He picked up the names of Carlsen and Pragganandhaa and pitted them against each other. The wonder kid got praise from the involved chess stars.

During draw of Men and Women participants of 6th Tata steel chess tournament in Kolkata | Salil Bera

Meanwhile, Carlsen, five times world champion, is making a comeback to the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz after winning the edition in 2019.

In the Open category, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave claimed victory in the Rapid section, while Alexander Grischuk won the Blitz. In the Women’s category, Divya Deshmukh emerged as the Rapid winner, with Ju Wenjun taking the title in the Blitz format.

Vishwanathan Anand will continue his association with the competition as its ambassador. He said, “This year brings the best of the world headed by Magnus Carlsen. I am particularly excited that the women’s event will have the best of Indian Chess. This year has been a celebration of Indian chess and this event will be a fitting tribute.”

THE man who filmed David Coote’s anti-Liverpool rant has been named and reportedly suspended from his job.

Footage emerged on Monday of Premier League referee Coote making derogatory comments about Jurgen Klopp and his former side.

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Coote, 42, has been suspended by the PGMOL pending an investigation.

Now the person responsible for filming the video, named as Ben Kitt, has also been suspended from his job, report The Telegraph.

The former Nottinghamshire cricketer is being investigated by his employers, executive recruitment firm Forsyth Barnes, whose clients include Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Kitt is heard saying in the clip: “Long story short: Jurgen Klopp’s a c***, Liverpool are all f***ing b***ends and we hate Scousers.”

Forsyth Barnes co-founder Roheel Ahmad said in a statement to the Telegraph: “Forsyth Barnes understands that the leaked video of David Coote includes one of its employees, Ben Kitt.

“This is something that we are taking very seriously and we have suspended Ben on full pay while we investigate further.

“Although we are still in the process of gathering all the facts, we do know for certain that the video was taken some years before Ben became an employee of Forsyth Barnes.

“In his time with the business, Ben has demonstrated a strong [work] ethic and dedication to his career. He has matured considerably and grown into a responsible young man.

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Shocking David Coote video in full

First video

First man: “What did you think of the Liverpool game earlier when you were fourth official?”

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Second man (allegedly Coote): “Erm Liverpool were s***.”

First man: “What did you think of Jurgen Klopp?”

Second man (allegedly Coote): “C***, absolute c***.”

First man: “Why would you say that Jurgen Klopp is a c***?”

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Second man (allegedly Coote): “Erm, aside from having a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown.

“Then, he accused me of lying and then just had a right f***ing pop at me – and I’ve got no interest in speaking to somebody whose f***ing arrogant.

“So I do my best not to speak to him. [James] Milner is alright, I get on with Milner.”

First man: “James Milner, he gets on with James Milner.”

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Second man (allegedly Coote): “You can see me there with mask on.”

First man: “Mask on, obviously.”

Second man (allegedly Coote): “Yea Covid, got to be done. Social distancing right? We’re two meters apart.”

First man: “We have to social distance.”

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Second man (allegedly Coote): “Yep, so but [exhales] my God. German c***, f*** me.”

First man: “Long story short, Jurgen Klopp’s a c***, Liverpool are all f***ing b******s, we hate Scousers.”

Second video

Second man (allegedly Coote): “Right just to be clear, that f***ing last video cant go anywhere, seriously.”

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First man: He’s a Premier League referee, let’s not f***ing ruin his career.

“Like let’s face we’re good blokes but we can’t ruin a bloke’s career. We’re not that bad. Also he’s a f***ing legend.”

Second man (allegedly Coote): “So, yeah.”

First man: “So lets not ruin his career.”

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“To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, Forsyth Barnes will not be making any further comments.”

A spokesman for the firm said Kitt did not wish to comment on the video, while Coote is also yet to respond.

In the clip, Coote can be seen branding the Merseyside club “s**t” and calling Klopp a “c***” while in conversation with Kitt.

Referencing a match between Liverpool and Burnley in 2020, Coote added: “Aside from having a right pop at me when I was refereeing them against Burnley in lockdown, he (Klopp) accused me of lying and then had a right f***ing pop of me.

“I have no interest in speaking to someone who is f***ing arrogant.”

He later said in a separate video: “Just to be clear, that f***ing last video cannot go anywhere, seriously.”

Coote has since admitted the video is of him but “cannot recall” making it.

The ref has been excluded from Uefa’s match list for the upcoming Nations League fixtures this week.

The majority of sensible observers, though sometimes not those fans who choose to view decisions through the prism of their own partisanship, accept referees will make mistakes under the severest pressure. That pressure is very often from players and managers in the fierce hothouse of elite-level football, trickling right down to the grassroots.

Coote’s alleged insults about Liverpool and Klopp – who even his biggest admirers would admit was confrontational from his technical area – allow sceptics to challenge that principle of integrity.

It plays straight into the hands of those supporters only too willing to cry “corruption” or feel referees “have it in” for their particular club.

Coote’s previous decisions when in charge of Liverpool games are already being scrutinised. He was on video assistant referee duty for the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in October 2020 when Virgil van Dijk sustained a season-ending knee injury after a reckless challenge in the area by Everton keeper Jordan Pickford, with no penalty being awarded. Jordan Henderson had an stoppage-time winner ruled out for offside.

He was performing the same role in December 2023 when a clear handball from Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard – later acknowledged as a mistake by Webb – escaped punishment in a 1-1 draw at Anfield.

Mistakes, yes – but honest ones, only for the emergence of the Coote video to reopen a very large can of worms, presenting a crisis for Webb and PGMOL.

Referees are already under pressure and an unforgiving microscope. This latest development will only bring the entire debate into sharper relief.

Football Association data released late last year revealed serious offences against match officials in grassroots football increased in 2022-23.

There were 1,451 allegations, up by 1%, with 72 about an actual or attempted assault, 391 about actual or attempted physical contact and 988 relating to threatening a match official. There were 42 proven cases of assault or attempted assault.

The most high-profile challenge to the integrity of an official came from Nottingham Forest after a controversial 2-0 loss at Everton in April, when they felt three penalty decisions went against them.

Minutes after the final whistle, Forest’s social media account pointed an accusing finger at VAR Stuart Attwell, who they claimed was a fan of Luton Town, who were also in relegation trouble at the time.

The club posted: “Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept. We warned PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him. Our patience has been tested multiple times. NFFC will now consider its options.”

Forest were fined £750,000 by the FA in October for what was described as an “attack on the integrity of a match official on an unparalleled scale”.

Attwell gave a statement to the panel about the “stress, distress, fear and embarrassment caused to him” as a result of the post, while Webb said it “has the potential of serving as a green light to those who seek to abuse officials and normalises questioning the integrity of all referees”.

The Coote video, if genuine, may have just done the same disservice to every official in the land.

RJ Young

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

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The Oregon Ducks remained No. 1 in the second set of College Football Playoff rankings, which were released on Tuesday night.

The Ducks, who currently sit at 10-0 overall and 7-0 in Big Ten play, were followed by Ohio State at No. 2 and Texas at No. 3. Penn State and Indiana round out the top five teams.

Oregon (Big Ten), Texas (SEC), BYU (Big 12) and Miami (ACC) would receive first-round byes in the 12-team playoff, while Ohio State (Big Ten), Penn State (Big Ten), Indiana (Big Ten) and Tennessee (SEC) would host games in the opening round.

With that, here is a look at my top takeaways from the second set of CFP rankings:

[College Football Playoff rankings: Oregon, Ohio State on top; Alabama enters top 10]

1. No. 17-ranked Colorado has a path to the CFP … and the national title.

The road for the Buffs to the national championship game is clean, and that’s saying quite a bit in a landscape shrouded in uncertainty for other teams who could cap their season with “just” 10 wins. But the format and criteria are clear: The four highest-ranked conference champions will not only earn selection to the playoff, but will be granted a first-round bye, and the Big 12 is one of those four Power 4 leagues the 12-team CFP was designed to accommodate.

For Deion Sanders’ Colorado team, the math is simple: Win against Utah on Saturday, and every game you play afterward, and it will culminate in a magical year for the Buffaloes. And all this is thanks to athletic director Rick George hiring Coach Prime and then following that bit of business with a shrewd move to join the Big 12 as the Pac-12 dissolved in front of him.

With Prime already mentioned as a favorite for a job that isn’t even open yet — the Dallas Cowboys — nothing should shock you about what might happen at Colorado over the next two months and change — including winning the national title.

Michael Irvin asked Deion Sanders about coaching the Cowboys

2. The “strength of schedule” argument can’t be used against Indiana much longer.

The Hoosiers have proven themselves to be unprecedented. Not only has Indiana become the first program to notch 10 wins this season, but it has begun the season 10-0 for the first time in school history after winning a total of nine games over the previous three years combined (9-27). While the knock on this program is its strength of schedule – Indiana hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent yet this season – the Hoosiers have beaten nine out of 10 opponents by 14 points or more.

While the Buckeyes needed to come back to defeat Nebraska in Columbus, Ohio, 21-17, the Hoosiers beat Nebraska 56-7 in Bloomington, Indiana. While the Buckeyes beat Michigan State 38-7 in East Lansing, the Hoosiers beat the Spartans 47-10 in East Lansing. The Oregon Ducks managed a 31-10 defeat of the Spartans in Eugene, Oregon. And while the Ducks beat Maryland 39-18 in Eugene, the Hoosiers beat the Terps 42-28.

The results might lead you to believe Indiana is not just one of the best teams in the Big Ten, but one of the best teams in the sport — given Ohio State and Oregon are ranked ahead of them.

So why is Penn State, who lost to Ohio State, ranked ahead of Indiana? Perhaps it’s because Indiana hasn’t played anybody, but that changes on Nov. 23. The Hoosiers get their chance to shut that discussion down against Ohio State at the Shoe.

3. A one-loss Washington State team deserves just as much consideration as a two-loss Georgia team.

Sure, Georgia can finish 10-2. But are the Bulldogs one of the 12 best teams in the sport? It already looks as if one 10-win Power 4 team is going to get left out of the CFP with five spots spoken for by conference champions and one that doesn’t play a P4 schedule, but should one of the at-large bids go to a team that has struggled mightily offensively for most of the season and has only demonstrated itself to be elite defensively against Texas?

Georgia was ranked No. 12 in the second set of CFP rankings, while Ole Miss, fresh off an upset win over the Bulldogs, came in at No. 11. That means Georgia would be the first team left out of the 12-team CFP field and the Rebels would receive the No. 11 seed.

Why shouldn’t that spot go to Washington State, a team that could finish 11-1 with its lone loss coming against a Boise State team that is projected to be in the 12-team CFP as the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion? Or, what about an Army program that is ranked No. 24, and could finish the season undefeated?

It’s the kind of conversation that should include Notre Dame, who, like Washington State, won’t play nine games against P4 opponents but is on a path toward 11-1.

The difference for Notre Dame is who it has beaten — like the team tied at the top of the SEC standings, Texas A&M, as well as previously undefeated Navy. And the Irish have an opportunity to defeat an undefeated Army team on Nov. 23. The best win on Washington State’s résumé might be San Jose State, and their schedule is one they needed to make on the fly with a short-term arrangement with the Mountain West. And yet, because Washington State is a member of a conference without a championship game, the Cougars are likely to feel as if circumstance played a bigger role in them not qualifying for the CFP than their play — even in a tournament with 12 teams earning invitations.

We genuinely thought Florida State might be the last team to have done what it was asked to do to earn entry into the CFP and then get left out due to circumstance — like losing their starting QB to a season-ending injury — but we might be wrong again. But that won’t soothe the hurt that could be in store for an 11-win Washington State team.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him at @RJ_Young.

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LUKE LITTLER maintained his 100 per cent Grand Slam of Darts record.

But he missed out on a history-making nine-darter.

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The Nuke topped Group F with a 5-3 win over Filipino Lourence Ilagan at a packed house in Wolverhampton.

Littler, 17, averaged 102.05 to secure his third ton-plus average from the group stages.

He had raced into a rapid 2-0 lead but was pegged back as Ilagan levelled it up.

However, Littler got back on track then he took out a brilliant 130 with a Bull finish to seal an emphatic 12-dart leg for 4-2 then orchestrated the crowd with his darts.

At 4-2, he deliberately left 170 for the Big Fish – but was left with a wry smile when his opponent nailed a brilliant 148 checkout.

The tournament favourite could have sealed victory with a perfect leg but missed double 12 in leg eight before eventually stumbling over the line in the same leg after Ilagan missed tops.

In the end, Littler managed to get one over Asia’s No1 star as he marched into the last 16 of this TV darts major where he will face Mike De Decker.

Since January, the Warrington teen has celebrated four nine-darters and getting one more before the end of the year would be a record.

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Littler, 17, said: “I was relaxed. I knew I had qualified.

“The important thing was to win and go three out of three in the group.

“I felt dead relaxed and enjoyed that.

“I know if I do hit another one then it’s a record.

“I know if I play well, I can feel it coming. It didn’t go then – I’ll try again next time.”

Littler added: “I did quite a lot with the crowd because I knew I was through but in the next round I’ll need to focus on the game. I’ll always get the crowd involved.

“I just thought to myself, ‘Let’s have some fun.’”

In Group G, Gary Anderson thumped 5–2 transgender player Noa-Lynn van Leuven, who lost all three games.

But Michael van Gerwen was dumped out following a shock 5-4 defeat to Ryan Joyce.

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Inside Littler’s massive rise

LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship at the beginning of the year.