CHENNAI: With activities coming to a halt due the coronavirus pandemic, the only sport one can play online is chess. With no clarity over when things will become normal again, more such tournaments will be held. The FIDE’s Online Nations Cup is scheduled from May 5 to 10.
Grandmaster B Adhiban thinks to succeed in online chess, one requires special talent and experience. “One has to practise and gain experience of playing online. At first, I struggled a lot in these events. I became good at it after constant practice. Now, I enjoy playing online. I feel relaxed and you can be very fast with this special option of premove,” said Adhiban, who took part in a fund-raising online simultaneous event featuring Viswanathan Anand and others recently.
The Chennai-based Adhiban, who is one of the five Indian players to cross the Elo rating mark of 2700 (current rating 2659), will be among the reserves in the Nations Cup. “This is the time when we can take over other sports, as everything else is in a standstill,” said the winner of the 2018 Reykjavik Open. In the Nations Cup, three men and one woman will compete in each round.
Unexpected results are common in online chess. World champion Magnus Carlsen lost to rising youngster Alireza Firouzja in the Banter Blitz Cup. “Somehow, in online events upsets happen often as people don’t get intimidated compared to when playing in front of the opposition in live chess. You need to maintain a good level till the end to prevent accidents. Having said that, between rounds you can relax with music which is not always possible during live events,’’ said Adhiban, explaining the charm of playing online.
In a recent online five-round blitz tournament of ChessBase, young GM R Praggnanandhaa finished second runner-up, behind Diptayan Ghosh and Arjun Erigaisi. He says it was a good experience. “I won the first and fifth rounds. I don’t have that much experience in playing online tournaments. Slowly catching up. You certainly need practice, not just game-wise but also in using the mouse swiftly,’’ said Praggnanandhaa.
Iran’s Firouzja has made rapid strides in the last year or so. He is the top-ranked junior in the world. Adhiban has beaten him in a blitz game.
“He (Alireza) is an inspiration for all of us. In one year he has managed to gain 70 points. I played with him twice, with one win and a loss in blitz. I haven’t played him in a classical game, but am looking forward to it. He is very talented and works on his game all the time, which makes him dangerous,’’ said Adhiban.
Anand in Indian team for Nations Cup
Viswanathan Anand will spearhead India’s challenge in the FIDE Chess.com Online Nations Cup. Vidit Gujrathi, P Harikrishna and Koneru Humpy are the other members of the team. B Adhiban and Dronavalli Harika are the reserve players. Russia, China, Europe, USA and Rest of the World are the other teams. Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik is expected to work with the Indian team as advisor.