CHENNAI : Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa was delighted to be part of the Indian team that won the online Olympiad recently. He felt this success will boost his confidence and said that he enjoyed the wonderful opportunity to play alongside living legend Viswanathan Anand. Excerpts:
How was it being part of the team?
I was very happy and thrilled to be part of Indian team and play my first Olympiad along with Anand sir and others.
You scored 5.5/7, how happy were you with your display?
I was very satisfied with my performance and proud to have contributed to our team!
How was the experience of playing alongside Viswanathan Anand?
It’s a great feeling to play in the same team as Anand sir, cannot express it in words!
How happy were you when Humpy won an Armaggedon game to put India in the final?
Before the game, we were tensed, but when we saw Humpy mam in Zoom...cool and composed, we were all confident that Humpy mam will get us through finals.
Did you prepare with any one of your teammates during the meet?
Yes, I worked with Aravindh for the finals.
How was the experience of playing under captain Vidit Gujrathi?
He is a very cool captain. It is not easy to be captain and also play in such a tournament.
How was N Srinath’s role as non-playing vice-captain?
I usually talk to Srinath anna (brother) if I have any issue and he immediately sees what the issue is and tries to sort it out. Both captain Vidit and vice captain Srinath anna did a great job.
This experience must have been big boost for you...?
It has given me lot of confidence. It will certainly help me perform better in the coming tournaments.