GCL is going to be tougher than the Olympiad: Koneru Humpy

The very mention of franchise sport springs to mind visuals of ball games, celebratory high-fives from players with jerseys and cheering crowds in large grandstands.

It almost seems preposterous to associate those elements with a sport like chess, where a battle of the brains unfolds in the quiet of an indoor hall.

And yet, the Global Chess League has been able to fit into the franchise mode, much like several others.

“Last year, we wanted to do some sort of sign after every match, and we were waiting to do it after a win. Small things like this give us that joy of playing the (team) sport,” said a beaming Koneru Humpy.

Speaking to The Bridge, the Padma Shri awardee, currently on a two-month break, is bullish about the tournament.

‘A spectator friendly event’

Humpy feels that the format being spectator friendly helps drawing eyeballs to the event.

“It has one game per day and is held in the evenings. The public can return from work and watch live. Also, there are lots of recordings of how teams spend their time and other activities and that will keep spectators engaged,” she reflected.

Humpy emphasized that the GCL’s unique format, a 20-minute time control feature without increments, presents a significant challenge that could contribute to more decisive games.

“We’re not used to playing without the increment, so it will be quite tricky,” she remarked.

For a sport where players traditionally engaged in a singular head-to-head battle to now represent a franchise in an unlikely team-sport would seem like a radical shift.

But Koneru thinks otherwise.

“It’s common for sportspersons to play team events. We play events where we gel-up with someone very strange. We won’t even know their name but for the next ten days we’ll be together and start communicating. The chess speaks a lot between us and that makes people connected,” she said, with a smile.

The rise of chess in India

Humpy attributed the pandemic era as a period that benefited younger players like Raunak Sadhwani, R Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi, who gained extensive experience through online tournaments.

“I think they gained a lot of tactical experience during that time, dedicating more hours to chess which has clearly paid off with positive results.”

Additionally, Humpy highlighted the significant improvement in training opportunities for the current crop of players.

“Everyone is getting the best training nowadays. Players can access foreign grandmasters for coaching.”

She also noted the remarkable growth in the number of Indian grandmasters.

“When I became a Woman Grandmaster, there were only a few in the country, in single digits. Now, the number has grown significantly, reflecting the overall improvement in Indian chess.”

Reflecting on her time as a young player, Humpy observed how the players today are mastering openings thanks to online repositories.

“Back in the day, we would prepare an opening to try and catch our opponent off guard, but that's hardly possible now. Players are well-prepared, and the challenge lies more in the middle and endgame.”

She highlighted Magnus Carlsen’s strength in openings and mentioned Viswanathan Anand, praising his continued excellence in the sport.

“Vishy Sir is doing fantastic, even in semi-retirement. He puts up a tough fight in tournaments, and he performed very well in the last season of the GCL.”

Near-term goals

At the recent Norway Chess tournament, Humpy faced some challenging matches, resulting in the loss of multiple rating points.

She is now looking to set the record straight.

“I aim to bounce back at the Grand Prix in Kazakhstan and the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz tournament. Balancing tournaments while staying competitive is challenging, but it’s part of the journey,” she said.

Despite being on a break now, Humpy is keeping a keen eye on the ongoing Chess Olympiad and said, “We have solid players across all boards, despite setbacks on board one, with Divya Deshmukh and Vaishali R stepping up when needed, our overall strength is clear.”

While she is charting her own comeback course, she is well aware of the growing popularity of the sport in the country and had a quick passing word of advice to young aspirants.

“Stay positive regardless of your results. Even if you face setbacks in a tournament, remember it's not the end of the world. Put your heart into the sport, work hard, and maintain a positive outlook,” she concluded.