New Delhi: The 21st edition of the Delhi International Open GM Chess tournament ended on Saturday evening with some familiar view under the grand roof of Tivoli Garden Resort in Chhatrapur. In this program, now a serial winner Abhijeet Gupta raised the trophy for the fourth time and smiled for the cameras – an investigation of the winner of Rs 7 lakh in hand.Sitting silently on one side of the playing hall, lost in thought, Grandmaster Sl was Narayanan.The 27 -year -old Narayanan came to Delhi to defeat Delhi. Only 2600-rated players in the ground, he came to a storm through the first five rounds with five wins.Go beyond the border with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!But chess, as he knows very well, can be ruthless.“I clearly wanted to win the program,” Narayanan told Timesofindia.com after the last round. “After five wins in five rounds, I took a little rest, thinking that a pair of draw would not hurt”
Delhi International GM Open Final Standing (special arrangement of Timesofindia.com)
In fact, in the last five rounds, five draws, against all the lower-respected players, meant that Narayanan not only missed the title, but also ended outside the top five, settled for a minor seventh position and Rs 1 lakh in the prize money.Kerlite said, “Yesterday’s game was particularly painful.” “I was winning completely. I had 10–12 minutes on the clock; on any other day, I would be easily converted. But the veins got better for me.”Chess is as mental battle as it is about steps on a board, and Narayanan is the best knows how cruel it can be.“I have once been close to 2700. Now, I am around 2600, a big fall. But I don’t think the strength of my chess has fallen. Mentally, however, I was trying hard to win every game, and it back back, “he accepted.
A trip that begins with nine
Narayan’s love affair with chess thanked his mother, Lyana. “She used to play in her office. One day, because I was very mischievous at home, she used to take me along,” she laughed.Fascinated by the moving pieces, the young Narayanan wanted to play. “I asked if I can play too. She said,” First, know the tricks. ” This became my goal: to play next year, “Recall the Grandmaster, who then returned to nine.
Voting
Do you think which aspect of chess is the most challenging for the players?
“In that tournament hall, a rated player focused on my interest and suggested to my mother that I should get proper training.” In this way, a chance encounter in that office tournament took him to a former state champion P Srikumar, who became his first coach.Unlike some contemporaries, who trusted the parents for preparation, Narayanan found his own way. “I learned through books, a little like Gukesh, but not as extreme. Until I became GM, I stayed away from the chess engine. I believed that you need to think independently. But later I realized, as a professional, the engine work is a necessary. ,
Financial tight
Chess in India has seen more sponsorship in recent years, but Narayan’s journey has not been easy on that front.“For a long time, I did not have a stable sponsor. Once, Chris Gopalakrishnan of Infosys funded my journey to Turkey. When I formed the Olympiad team, AICF gave me Rs 12 lakh, which I used to fully use for training. And now, a private person is supporting my training this year, “he shared.
It is a reminder that when the game has increased, the support of the players is wildly different. “In Tamil Nadu, the government supports players brilliantly. Grandmasters are recognized, recipients are rewarded. It inspires the players. But in other states, not only mine, this support is missing. I hope the changes have changed. Young players need encouragement.”
A fight with the board
The last two years have tested Narayanan as if there is no opponent. “It is difficult to pinpoint, but my performance has actually dropped in the last two years. It is not that my chess strength has declined. Other players were improving rapidly, and keeping me means that I was working very hard, which I was doing. I was not able to understand what was going wrong, and it was disappointing. “When I was 24 or 25 years old, I was around 2700, which makes it quite disappointing to see how I have dropped in the last three years. But as I said, if there was a clear decline in the quality of my games, I would consider it a serious issue. When I review my game with my coaches and others, they cannot even find out what went wrong. It may be that my mindset was not ideal. I wish I could withdraw that time. I am sure I will be very rated now. But it is how it is, sometimes things go in your way, sometimes they do not. ,ALSO READ: Bangladeshi chess player exiled from India; 80 -year -old legend queen Hamid ‘upset’ from Delhi airport incidentsBut the fire still burns. At the age of 27, Narayanan is not ready to give. “I still want to play for one and two or three years. I believe I can come back, as long as I keep my mental attitude strong and look forward.”And when he went away from the playing hall, the head held a high despite disappointment, you can tell: SL Narayanan is away from the game he loves.In chess, as in life, return is always difficult, and always sweet.
