On 10 May 2021, India’s teen talent Arjun Erigaisi ensured his seat in the June event of the elite, online Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. In a tough game that showcased his grit and patience, the 17 year old beat compatriot and prime seed B. Adhiban in the Indian Qualifier finals.
For both Arjun and Adhiban it was a dream-come-true moment to enter the finals (3.5-2.5) of the Qualifier Rounds. Both beat Aravindh Chithambaram and D.Gukesh respectively in the semis.
Arjun Erigaisi v/s B.Adhiban
For Arjun, beating Indian Grandmaster B. Adhiban comes with an extra scoop of sweetness as the latter had the upperhand in last year’s Aeroflot Open chess tournament in Moscow. Arjun (who is also the first GM of the newly formed state of Telangana) had lost his ground to Adhiban in the seventh round in the 2020 Moscow tournament.
In the finals of the Indian Qualifier Round, Arjun kept the scores at 2-2 following 4 rapid games. Though in the initial 5-minute blitz game, Adhiban seemed to have a grip, Arjun’s strong defense decided the win.
Initially, Arjun faced a challenge as Adhiban’s white kingside pawns posed a threat to his bishop-pair. But when Adhiban stumbled following an exchange of queens, Arjun bounced back. In the consequent complicated positions, Arjun put a few precise continuations to advantage causing his strong opponent to pull back. While the second blitz game playing black put pressure on Adhiban for a necessary win, Arjun stayed calm and in control. Left with no chance to level the score, Adhiban's game ended as a poorly-etched stalemate.
India’s Emerging Chess Talent
Arjun’s selection to Meltwater Champions Chess Tour comes close on the heels of the talented Praggnanandhaa’s victory in the initial event of the Julius Baer Challengers Chess that got him a wild card entry to the Champions Chess next leg.
As India’s young talents soar to greater heights and receive better exposure to international, how far do we progress in nourishing our talents? Talents like Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin, D.Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Bharat Subramaniyam, R.Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Aryan Chopra, Leon Mendonca, Vantika Agrawal etc hold the reins to the future of Indian chess. Most of them have the potential to rise to the level of their senior and greatest chess champion of the country, Vishwanathan Anand.
But is the soil well-plowed?
It was young Vishy who brought India to the esteemed battlegrounds of the board game. A young Anand created history in the Indian chess world when in 1987 he won the world junior title. It was an achievement that changed the course of Indian chess. Anand rose to become the shining star from India, becoming World champion five times and unleashing a surge of interest in the game as well as in its coaching.
Anand’s battleground is classical chess – esteemed to be more prestigious than Rapid or Blitz that have shorter durations. Vishy Anand’s fame and prowess inspired many youngsters to focus intensely on chess and even take it up as career.
Today India is ranked No.4 in world chess and has an impressive count of 66 Grandmasters. India has its share of presence in women’s chess as well, with Koneru Humpi leading the team. Humpi’s incredible victory in the first ever online chess Olympiad won India the title in 2020. Also, India has been winning multiple medals regularly at international age-group championships.
Yet, it is noteworthy that over the past decades no other Indian has created similar history in world chess despite better exposure and ample coaching centers mushrooming around.
Where do we lack? Where do we need to work; focus?
Anand who has been recently appointed the Asian Continental Assistant to FIDE chief has faith in the depth of the young prodigies.
The 5-times world champion believes that India’s youth chess team is one of the most competitive in the world. We have the players, and the potential. What is required are newer and better platforms for them to perform. According to Anand, India is capable of adding more numbers to the World Top 20 category.
The young talents are putting in their efforts. What could nourish them better would be resourceful aid from AICF and other government bodies. AICF, on its part, has been actively involved in recognising the potential and nurturing it through various age-group tournaments. Perhaps with more big-time events back home, that could serve as a podium and bring in more international names, chess in India could reach for the next level and repeat history yet again.
CONCLUSION
To bring in more young talents to the forefront we would need a focused and broader vision of training. The need-of-the-moment is better coaches and coaching institutes that intensely seek to identify the potential and mentor them in the right manner. Acing the game does not always mean learning the techniques, but developing your intuitive strategies and persevering against all odds.
One needs to understand the game and cultivate a passion for the same. At MindMentorz, we help children develop strong inner balance required to focus on the game and navigate through complicated positions. Our mentoring strives to blend the practical techniques required to master the board game as well as the cognitive skill development that is a residue of learning the game. To know more about chess coaching for kids in Bengaluru, reach out to us at 9606847428.