A lot still left in the tank: Delhi Chess Open winner Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta

Having won the Delhi International Open Grandmasters (GMs) Chess title, Abhijeet Gupta says he still has a lot left in the tank, there is no dearth of motivation, and insists he continues to enjoy playing chess. The 35-year-old player broke a succession of defeats with this title, which is his record fourth at the tournament — the maximum any player has achieved in its 21 editions.

Gupta says the fire in his belly still burns, having won five Commonwealth Championship titles (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019), World Junior Championship (2008), Dubai Open (2011), Al Ain Classic (2013), Hoogeveen Open (2015), Reykjavik Open (2015), etc., besides the individual silver at the 2012 Chess Olympiad.

Still motivated

“Yes, I’m still trying to get back to where I was earlier – within top 100, top 80, top 70, ranking-wise. And I am trying to still compete with some of the best players. I am still highly motivated, and I enjoy playing chess and competing in tournaments. So, yeah, the motivation is always there,” Gupta told Patriot in an exclusive interview.

Delhi, incidentally, has been one of the most productive venues for Gupta, who lives close by in Noida. “I don’t know about the favourite venue, but I did play some of my best events in Delhi, like I made my IM [International Master] and GM norms here. I did win a few events here. Yeah, I do enjoy playing here,” he said.

Gupta, however, says he hasn’t thought about what particularly helps him excel when competing in Delhi. “It’s probably about the place, about the people around. Since I live in Noida, it’s like home. But there have been times when I haven’t played well in Delhi as well. So I don’t know… maybe it’s a coincidence,” he says with a smile.

Breaking the jinx

Gupta came into the Delhi Open low on morale, as he had lost six tournaments in a row. So, it became imperative for him to quickly break the jinx. “This title win has given me a lot of confidence. In the last one or two months, I was not sure of myself. And I don’t like to contemplate too much about the past; whatever has happened has happened; you learn from your mistakes. That’s about it. No point thinking about it over and over,” he says philosophically.

An aggressive player, Gupta did break the jinx in Delhi, and in great style. He remained unbeaten in Category A, winning seven matches and drawing three to secure 8.5 points out of 10 and finish on top — a worthy winner of the Rs 7 lakh first prize.

In the ninth and penultimate round, Gupta broke free from a clutch of players who were tied on points by registering a title-securing win over Belarusian GM Mihail Nikitenko. Then, he drew with IM Aronyak Ghosh in the 10th and final round to run away with the title. “I had already secured the title [by the end of the ninth],” he said about playing a quick draw in the 10th round. “So, I was going to win the title. Making a draw or playing for a win didn’t matter.”

Having broken the hoodoo, a much “relieved” Gupta has taken a week off from chess, as he has been on the road for almost two months, playing tournaments and losing. He is spending quality time with a “good distraction” — his six-month-old daughter Vedda. His wife Aditi and the daughter were with Gupta during the Delhi Open, and that seems to have helped him bag a much-needed title.

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“She [daughter] probably helped me focus more on the game in Delhi. When she’s around, I know I would have limited time, so I have to be focused on my preparation at her bedtime. Otherwise, I have to be with her all the time. When she goes to sleep, I know it is the time I should work and fully focus on my preparation. So, yeah, it helped, and it was a good distraction after the games to help me switch off,” he conceded.

The other reason for Gupta’s contentment is a stable job. He works with Bharat Petroleum as a senior manager and is indebted to them for allowing him to pursue his chess with freedom and travel to compete.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu’s Dinesh Kumar H won the Category C title with 9/10 points and Rs 4 lakh in prize money.