Gelfand backing for chess stalwart D Gukesh

GM Boris Gelfand. Pic/Getty Images

Boris Gelfand, 56, has worn many hats with ease. A formidable chess player who was ranked in the Top 30 for 27 years, World No. 3 behind Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov in 1990, a World Cup winner, a World Championship challenger to Viswanathan Anand in 2013, author of acknowledged and admired chess books/manuals on decision making in chess (positional, dynamic, technical), a top trainer and one of the genial personalities in the chess world - he has done it all.

Indian GM D Gukesh plays against compatriot GM R Praggnanandhaa at the FIDE Candidates 2024 tournament in Toronto on April 14, 2024. Pic/PTI

Interestingly, Israel's Gelfand had also trained the Indian team which bagged the bronze medal at the Chennai Olympiad in 2022 and went on to bag a rare golden double at the recently concluded 2024 Budapest Olympiad. Incidentally, Gelfand had worked with talents like D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandha and R Vaishali in 2020, when they were promising prodigies, yet to make their mark amongst the elite. In an exclusive chat with mid-day, Gelfand shares a few insights on the game of chess and India's current strength.

Edited excerpts from an interview.

How do you view India's golden double at the Budapest Olympiad?
It was an amazing achievement and probably the beginning of a new era of Indian domination in the chess world.

You have worked with most of the Indian youngsters. How have they shaped?
When I came to India in January 2020 for the Microsense Kramnik-Gelfand camp, I met a group of extremely talented players. It was clear that they would become top players, but Gukesh, Pragg, Arjun and Vaishali exceeded all expectations and reached the top of the chess world quicker than we had anticipated or envisaged.

Who impressed you the most during the training stint before the Chennai Olympiad in 2022?
All of them showed different qualities. Gukesh has impressed me with his ability to calculate very deeply. Vidit has shown that his potential is much higher than his results. I was happy to see him qualify for the Candidates in 2023. Arjun has shown that his creativity has reached new heights. Humpy proved that her level was incredibly high despite the fact that she hadn't played chess for a long time.

Different playing styles warrant different approaches. How crucial is it to develop a training plan to retain individual style?
I think it is vital for aspiring chess players to develop one's strong sides and individual style of play. On the other hand, it is also important to work on one's weaknesses, develop and fortify it so it wouldn't be easy for the opponent to target the weak points.

You have been mentoring young talents. Is it easy and quick for you to spot the prodigies from their natural styles?
I think I'm able to see the weak and the strong sides of chess players and help to develop them in the right direction. But the most important thing is the ability to work hard and overcome the difficulties.

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Gukesh, Pragg, Arjun, Abdusattarov Nodirbek, Firouzja Alireza, Vincent Keymer… how would you rank them?
There is no doubt that this generation will be at the top of the chess world for many more years.

What about girl prodigies? Anyone who has impressed you?
Indian girls are also going up and showing good progress. Vaishali and Divya are approaching the top of the ranking list and I hope that Savitha will join them soon.

How do you see the Gukesh v Ding Liren World Championship going?
For the moment, Gukesh is the favourite, but a lot depends on the ability of Ding Liren to get back to his best form.

What would your advice be to Gukesh?
Keep calm , be confident and play your best chess!

Three decades at the top… how did you equip yourself for that?
I just enjoyed playing chess and working on chess. The rest is history.

Positional, Dynamic or technical? What is your preference?
There is no need to choose. Everything is important.

You and Anand have been good friends. Was it difficult to play him in the World Championship? Is it possible to keep your professional and personal equations in balance at a long tournament like the Championship?
I was happy that I could concentrate on the game in a good mental frame [of mind] and not to expect any unpleasant "surprises" from my opponent outside the board. Of course, it was an honour to challenge the great champion and I was happy to come so close to beating him.