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Indian Express
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Why Delhi International Open chess champion Abhijeet Gupta opts for title wins over ELO points
Abhijeet Gupta's career statistics might not show the peak ratings of legends like Viswanathan Anand or current stars like Arjun Erigaisi and D. Gukesh, but his trophy collection speaks volumes. With five Commonwealth gold medals, a World Junior Championship title, national championships at both senior and junior levels (becoming the youngest-ever junior national champion at the time), an Olympiad individual board silver, title wins at Reykjavik Open, Parsvnath Open, Dubai Open, Georgy Agzamov Memorial, and now four Delhi Open crowns, Gupta's accolades form an impressive legacy. This has to do a lot with his willingness 'to risk it all for the bigger gains,' an approach which comes with its own price as this philosophy has cost Gupta a few titles right at the finishing line. But he is happy with his choices. 'I don't mind losing those final rounds a few times to win once,' Gupta tells The Indian Express. 'Winning that one tournament means more to me than finishing second in five. Coming fifth in five tournaments does not excite me,' he says. However, at the final round of the 21st Delhi International Open at Tivoli Gardens in Chhatarpur on Saturday, ironically, it was his uncharacteristic caution that did the job. Possibly influenced by losing 70 Elo points in recent weeks, he adopted a more conservative approach against IM Aronyak Ghosh. With second-placed GM Aditya Samant breathing down his neck, Gupta faced a vital choice: play safe with a draw or risk his podium finish by pushing for victory. Opting for pragmatism over risk, Gupta secured a quick draw through three-fold repetition in just five minutes against Ghosh. His 8.5-point finish meant Samant needed to win against top seed SL Narayanan in his last-round clash to force tiebreaks. This possibility, however, disappeared when Samant managed only a draw from almost a losing position. The Rajasthan GM's conventional approach paid dividends, netting him the Rs. 7 lakh top prize (substantial by Open events standards) and another cherished title. 'Having high ratings is useful as you get invitations to tournaments but winning tournaments are more important,' says Gupta after the win. 'Tomorrow you might not remember my peak rating was 2667 or how many times I breached 2700 but you'll remember I won these many Commonwealths, I won World Juniors, Delhi Open…' he adds. At 35, Gupta finds himself at a career crossroads where he is past his peak yet still competitive. His recent Delhi Open title brought relief after a gruelling stretch that began with April's Reykjavik Open, during which he lost nearly 70 Elo points. While his peak rating of 2667 (achieved in 2012) remains distant, with his current live rating hovering in the mid-2500s, these numbers mean a little to him. 'My upbringing was such that neither I nor anyone close to me ever fixated on ratings,' he says. 'If I'm playing a tournament, I'm only playing for the win. Perhaps that's the reason which forced me to play seven back-to-back Open events where I performed poorly just because I had to win one,' he says. Gupta draws parallels between his seven back-to-back tournament schedule and a bullet chess game: 'It's very similar for any athlete I feel. You can compare it with playing bullet chess, you keep playing until you win one game. That's the mentality.' What has helped Gupta lately is his family. His six-month-old daughter and his wife, who accompanied him to the event, have allowed him to channel his energy more efficiently. He believes they keep him from procrastinating and help him prepare for matches more effectively, as he must now divide his time for his daughter as well. When asked to reflect on his career and what he might do differently in hindsight, he says, 'Hindsight is a wonderful thing. There are many things I wouldn't have done—like playing all those open events back-to-back, which cost me 70 rating points. But looking back, I wouldn't say I'm unhappy with how my career has progressed.' Behind champion Gupta, five players tied for second place with eight points each. This group included Belarus' Mihail Nikitenko and Vietnam's Nguyen Duc Hoa — both recording the most wins in the tournament — along with India's GM Diptayan Ghosh, Aronyak Ghosh, and Aditya Samant. Nikitenko claimed second place through superior tiebreaks, while second-seeded Diptayan Ghosh secured third position. Category C witnessed a two-way tie between Tamil Nadu's Dinesh Kumar H and local lad Naitik Sethi, both finishing with an impressive 9.0/10 score. Dinesh claimed the top prize of Rs 4 lakh thanks to better tiebreaks, while Sethi took home Rs 3 lakh for second place. Another Tamil Nadu player, Sibi M, finished third and won Rs. 2 lakh. 1. GM Abhijeet Gupta (India) – 8.5 Pts 2. GM Mihail Nikitenko (Belarus) – 8 Pts 3. GM Diptayan Ghosh (India) – 8 Pts 4. IM Aronyak Ghosh (India) – 8 Pts 5. GM Aditya S Samant (India) – 8 Pts 6. GM Duc Hoa Nguyen (Vietnam) – 8 Pts 7. GM SL Narayanan (India) – 7.5 Pts 8. GM Mamikon Gharibyan (Armenia) – 7.5 Pts 9. GM Manuel Petrosyan (Armenia) – 7.5 Pts 10. GM Luka Paichadze (Georgia) – 7.5 Pts
Indian Express
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
From staging a wedding to hosting Delhi Chess Open, how venue was readied overnight
The Delhi Chess Association (DCA) was on tenterhooks as the venue for India's largest chess event – the Delhi International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament, featuring one of the largest gatherings in the sport (2,400 players) – was hosting a wedding that continued well past midnight on Friday, the eve of the first round. However, once the DCA was granted access to the playing hall – at 1:30 AM on Saturday – volunteers worked through the night to ensure an on-time start at 9:30 AM at Chhatarpur's Tivoli Gardens Resort in southwest Delhi. Everything fell into place, just like at an Indian wedding. With 32,000 chess pieces, 1,000 boards, as many clocks, stacks of scoresheets, thousands of pens, an army of volunteers and arbiters, the open event is by no means a small affair. 'You have to consider the financial aspect,' says Gopakumar Sudhakaran, the man behind the staging of the event. 'Securing a hall in one of Delhi's finest resorts isn't cheap. Even one extra day would've blown the budget. From the outside, it may seem like a lack of planning, but we knew we'd pull it off.' 'Once we got the hall, volunteers scrambled to set up backdrop panels, sponsor branding, and additional lighting — the existing set-up wasn't enough. Then came arranging tables, chairs, chess boards, pieces, and scoresheets — all coordinated by the DCA,' Sudhakaran tells The Indian Express. After the record-breaking 17th edition of Delhi Open, which featured 2,800 players, this year's event marks a resurgence in participation post-pandemic, following last year's turnout of less than 1,000 players. The players, divided into three categories based on ratings, are mostly accompanied by parents and other family members, creating a massive human footprint for the seven-day Delhi GM Open. Yet, when the first round began sharply at 9:30 AM, right on time, everything was in place. Inside the playing venue — two separate halls for Category A and B — the chaos was oddly synchronised. A long queue of players split the smaller hall — where top players like SL Narayanan, Abhijeet Gupta, Levan Pantsulaia, and Manuel Petrosyan were competing — into two equal halves, as they shuffled between the facilities, coffee stalls and water stations. The arbiters, unperturbed by the chatter, efficiently assisted players ranging in age from 7 to 80. But what does it take to host an open chess event in India? 'A lot of things,' says Sudhakaran. How hard could it be to manage a group of players in an indoor sport, compared to handling a large-scale outdoor sporting event? A familiar name on the chess circuit, Sudhakaran wears multiple hats at open and invitational events, not just across India, but globally. The first Indian appointed as Deputy Chief Arbiter at the 44th Chess Olympiad and a fair-play officer at multiple World Championships – including the 2023 title clash between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren – he brings vast experience to the table. 'Unlike invitational events, which are smaller, we can't announce open tournament dates a year in advance,' Sudhakaran explains. 'We must account for numerous factors. To accommodate so many players, we need a large, suitable venue. That's where it all begins, selecting a space based on expected entries.' 'We estimated around 2,000 to 2,200 players for this event, considering past trends and ongoing tournaments in India,' he says. Sudhakaran was entrusted with ensuring the smooth conduct of the Delhi GM Open — a responsibility spanning everything from releasing event details and inviting players to negotiate appearance fees, booking flights, arranging stays, accommodating special requests, and even managing last-minute withdrawals (including refund demands for no-shows). 'Organising a tournament of this scale requires months of detailed planning, coordination, and complete dedication. It involves more than just managing logistics,' says Bharat Singh Chauhan, DCA president and chairman of the organising committee. Unlike Open events in Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai and Kottayam – which face fewer logistical challenges due to limited entries – the Delhi Open stands apart in scale and significance. The tournament has served as a historic milestone for many players, most notably when current World Champion D Gukesh earned his final GM norm here in 2019, becoming one of the youngest Grandmasters in the game. International Arbiter and former interim AICF Secretary Vipnesh Bhardwaj explains the tournament's appeal: 'Everyone waits for the Delhi Open — it's the most anticipated event for players. Delhi's geographical location makes it easily accessible, with all transport options available. Add to that good organisation, which takes care of everything, and of course, the legacy of the event.' According to Sudhakaran, when a tournament of this scale begins on schedule, half the battle is already won. So what's next on his priority list? 'A good night's sleep – first and foremost,' he chuckles.
