Fans bunked to office, classes watch us play: Vidit Gujrathi
During the finals, I felt my heartbeat rising, so I tapped my left shoulder twice. It’s a trick to reduce anxiety,” says Vidit Gujrathi, captain of the Indian chess team that won gold at the recently concluded Online Chess Olympiad 2020, jointly with Russia. “Olympiad is one of the toughest chess events with a participation of 163 countries, and to win a gold medal feels amazing! This time, chess got a lot of attention due to the pandemic. It was unbelievable to see 68,000 people watching us live in the finals. So many fans were rooting for us. They cancelled their plans, bunked office and classes to watch us,” says 25-yearold Gujrathi.
For the first time, the team played online — due to the pandemic — and it was certainly a different experience. “The best thing about online tournament is that I can stay home, eat home-cooked food and sleep on my comfy bed, which I miss when travelling for physical tournaments,” says Gujrathi, adding, “On a serious note, chess has found its niche somewhere between sports and e-sports in the online setup. Undoubtedly, the online chess setup saw more followers. So, I feel the future of chess, at least as a medium of entertainment, is online. ”
Due to the online setup, the team didn’t just practise individually, but did warm up sessions with some
junior players as well. Intra tournaments were organised to keep improving. Sharing his practice schedule, grandmaster Gujrathi says, “I learnt from my previous mistakes, and this time, as soon as the Olympiad was announced, I started following strict schedule. I was even practising while walking on the treadmill; I picked up that from monk-author Om Swami, who writes all his books while walking on the treadmill.”
Talking about the secret of his focus during the game, he shares, “I practise meditation, and take up various goals such as being mindful and calm. It helps me concentrate on an everyday basis; so when I see the opponent ruling the games, which happens a lot, I only remember what is in my control. This comes from practising mindfulness consistently.”