Make way for Chess

The Indian chess stars are ready to take on the world. Their confidence is sky-high and determination steely with a burning desire to bring to motherland the sweet glory of a medal.


Indian men and women Chess teams are busy practicing and preparing for the forthcoming Chess Olympiad to be held in Turin (Italy) from 20th May to 3rd June. And what better place for them to train than in Goa? Far away from the hustle bustle of daily life, the teams are enjoying their stay in a conditioning camp organized in a hotel in Ponda. "We will give our best," is their motto and they are working hard to realize ’Mission Olympiad’.

"We are hoping for a place among first three," declares young GM (Grandmaster) P. Harikrishna, emphatically when questioned about the team’s expectations. Bolstered by the charisma of Legendary Viswanathan Anand, the Indian team is looking supremely confident and aiming high. Although Anand is not amongst them at the camp but is busy playing a tournament in Sofia (Bulgaria), his name induces enthusiasm which is quite remarkable.

The Indian team consisting of Harikrishna, Suryashekhar Gnaguly, Sasikiran, Sandipan Chanda and D. P. Singh, is ably guided by a renowned coach Elizbar Ubilava in the camp. In the last Olympiad the Indian men managed to bag sixth position which has been their best performance so far. However Harikrishna vows to be much better this year. "We are mainly concentrating on the openings in the game. We want to surprise our rivals with the variations in the openings," quips Harikrishna.

The teams schedule includes rigorous practice in the morning and afternoon sessions with some physical exercise in the evening. "Olympiad is a long and stressful tournament and physical stamina is also very important to survive in it," adds women GM Swati Ghate.

The women’s team, along with Swati includes Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika and Mary Ann Gomes. While the last Olympiad saw Indian women fare disappointedly finishing ninth, the team this time round is a nice blend of youth and experience and is hopeful of better results under the coaching of Georgian Trainer Giorgi Giorgadze. "We want to finish in the first six teams," said Ghate.KoneruHumpy

Expressing satisfaction over the facilities made available to them in Goa, both teams feel such camp is a nice way to understand each others ideas and enhance solidarity for each other. Sameer Salgaocar, the President of Goa Chess Association and Vice President of Indian Chess Federation, is ecstatic to have organized such a camp, calling it "an honour to play host to some of the best chess talent in the country."

Category: Articles , Chess