Kolkata: It took years for an Indian to enter the World Chess Championship (WCC) cycle after Viswanathan
Anand. And when that happened, we saw three Grandmasters come forward as candidates this time. But Managing Director Surya Sekhar Ganguly believes that this was not something unusual, but rather the beginning of a new chess culture in India. Ganguly, who was in Toronto as deputy to general manager Vidit Gujrathi, saw D Gukesh become the challenger to world champion Ding Liren by winning the competition. As Anand said recently, you don’t have to be a tourist but live there (at the highest level). world failures). Ganguly believes this will now be a
reality. “I think this is just the beginning. I won’t be surprised to see more of them or even someone new doing the cycle soon,” he told TOI on Wednesday after returning to the city. “I have the chance to watch all these young people very closely and none of them their achievements really surprise me more. They have the personality and character to go the distance. Not only Gukesh or Pragg (R Praggnanandhaa), but Nihal (Sarin) and Arjun (Erigaisi) could have also succeeded this time. They are all so humble, down to earth, eager to learn and focused that nothing goes to their heads. The way Gukesh made his comeback after the seven-round loss speaks volumes about how they approach tough situations. It is very difficult to shake them,” Ganguly pointed out. The boy from Bengal felt that the seeds of this success were harvested years ago when some of the best chess players like Vishnu Prasanna and RB Ramesh started coaching. “These coaches helped their students stay on track without being distracted by outside noise. And of course, they also had the advantage of having Anand on their side,” said Ganguly, who himself was the runner-up to the three-time multiple world champion in world championship matches. The multiple national champion hopes to see a world champion from India later this year. “On paper, Liren will be the favorite. But will this matter to Gukesh? I will say no. You see, none of Gukesh, Pragg or Vidit were equally favorites among the contestants, but the way they played, anyone could have won the encounter. After all, the game is played on the chessboard and starts with a score of zero,” he concluded.
We have also recently published the following articles
Gukesh and I are enemies, but his victory inspires me: Pragg
R Praggnanandhaa reflected on her performance in the Candidates Tournament, acknowledging setbacks and missed opportunities. He shared his admiration for D Gukesh’s victory and discussed his future goals, including improving his chess rating and addressing his weaknesses.
Pakistan to play seven Tests in third round of World Test Championship
-
Pakistan will play seven Tests from August 2024 to January 2025 in the ICC World Test Championship cycle. The schedule includes matches against England, Bangladesh, South Africa and a tour of Australia for ODIs and T20Is.
Not trusting my intuition cost me some candidate wins: Vidit Gujrathi
Vidit Gujrathi reflects on his experience as a candidate, emphasizing the importance of trusting intuition, improving execution, and addressing non-failure aspects for growth. He criticizes the chess rating system and aims for a fairer and more rewarding qualification cycle.
