Having broken a winless streak with the Delhi International Open Grandmasters (GMs) Chess title, a gung-ho 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 won a record fourth Delhi Open— the maximum any player has achieved in 21 editions of the tournament.
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. He did that in great style, and at one of his favourite venues — Delhi. 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, an aggressive player, 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, with his wife Aditi and six-month-old daughter Vedda watching from the sidelines.
Also Read: A lot still left in the tank: Delhi Chess Open winner Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta
After the tournament, the Noida-based Gupta spoke exclusively to Patriot on various issues.
Excerpts:
You have won your fourth Delhi International Open GMs chess title. Is Delhi becoming your most favourite venue or has it already become one?
I don’t know about the favourite venue, but I did play some of my best events in Delhi, like I made my International Master norms, my GM norms here. I did win a few events here. Yeah, I do enjoy playing here.
What do you like in Delhi and why do you think you win here so often?
I don’t know; I haven’t thought about it. 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.
But four Delhi Open titles in 21 years are by any yardstick no mean achievement.
But I must have played at least for 15 years…
Like cricketer Rahul Dravid once said about himself: ‘I’m more a failure than a success.’ So, if you have won four times out of 15, it’s a very good win percentage.
I mean if you are a successful sportsperson that means you have won like 5% to 10% of the times you have participated — which is a very low number.
So, how are you feeling — relieved or happy after winning, because you lost quite a few tournaments in succession lately?
It was more like being relieved — that I could still play chess, because the last one or one-and-a-half month was really bad for me professionally. I lost about 70 ELO points in the last three-four events. In these events, everything I was trying to do was just backfiring and somehow I could not really understand what was going on. But coming back here in Delhi, and probably spending time with family, did wonders.
On a lighter note, was the little one [daughter Vedda] distracting you in the last three-four tournaments?
No, no, actually (laughs). Maybe I was missing her; I don’t know. She was not with me as her passport was going to come in another week or so. So, I could not take her. But here in Delhi she was with us — my wife and me. And she probably helped me focus more on the game. When she’s around, I know that 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. So, when she sleeps, I know that this is the time I should work and fully focus on it. So, yeah, it helped and it was a good distraction after the games to help me switch off.
Do you really think or have realised that having the family around helps you concentrate more or do thoughts about Vedda come to mind while playing games?
During the game, it doesn’t really matter, but to switch off it helps a lot. Your mind needs to switch off because otherwise you get tired by the end of a tournament. So, that really helps because it just takes your mind away from the game, being with the daughter, being with the family.
You have won so many varied titles — multiple Commonwealth Championship titles (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019), World Junior Championship (2008), Hoogeveen Open (2015), Reykjavik Open (2015), besides the 2012 Chess Olympiad silver. Is there anything left to achieve for you? Or, are you aiming for anything quietly?
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 also I enjoy playing chess, competing in tournaments. So, yeah, the motivation is always there.
How do you look at this competition between ELO points and winning titles, something that goes on in your mind?
Tomorrow you are not going to remember me by what my rating was, right? But you will remember that I have won a title in Delhi or the Commonwealth title. You will be remembered only by the number of titles you win, right? Nobody remembers who finishes second. You will remember that I have won; have come first. So, this mentality is always there.
Do you think that you still haven’t reached the peak of your career?
Maybe, maybe…I don’t know. But it also varies how you define a ‘peak’, because sometimes it’s rating, sometimes it’s titles. So, it varies how you look at it. By rating, yes, maybe I can reach my peak. But, again, my priority is not that. My priority is always to win a tournament. And to get a higher rating, you need to be consistently playing at a certain level, which can also induce taking less risk. And that is not my forte; I always like taking risks and going for wins rather than making draws.
Unlike the 10th and final round here at the Delhi Open…
But I had already secured the title here. So, I was going to win the title. Making a draw or playing for a win didn’t matter.
So, in terms of rating, you feel that you can still reach your best (2538 in Standard category in June 2025), despite being 35.
Yes.
So far, which has been your most memorable title win, one that gave you the most satisfaction?
I like to live in the present, so I don’t want to go back so much to the past. I would say this one [Delhi International Open] because now I feel more relieved.
Do you say this because it has broken the jinx of losing in successive tournaments or is there any other reason?
It has given me a lot of confidence. And in the last one or two months, I was not sure of myself. And, I don’t like to contemplate too much in the past; whatever has happened has happened. You learn from your mistakes, but that’s about it. No point thinking about it over and over.
And what is your next competition or next few competitions?
I’m not really sure because I’ve played six events in the last two months. So, right now I’m taking a break for a week and then I’ll start navigating again.
Does excelling at chess also have to do something with age, like sports like football, cricket, hockey etc?
I don’t think physically it is so much different. But when you get older then obviously your reflections, your calculation all slow down a bit. I think it’s more mentally, because when you are young, you are just thinking about chess. But now there are many things. At this age you can’t only think about one thing — everything about your family, the finances, and this and that. There are so many different things. But when you are, say, 16, 18, 20 even, you don’t care about all this. Your only focus is towards one thing. So, that helps.
How do you keep yourself fit? Do you do a lot of cycling, running, road running, etc, or probably gym?
I’ll tell you a story. About five or six years ago, in one of the tournaments that I played, they used a heart rate watch to measure how much calories you are burning during the game. And you won’t believe it, I burned about 1,500 calories for a six-seven hours game. So, yes, although we sit and play, it takes a lot out of you.
Who took that measurement?
Website chess.com had organised that tournament in the Isle of Man in 2018 or 2019, I don’t remember exactly. It was done by the organisers. It was the first time I took that test. I could see other people when they were wearing it and I saw the result. I was like: how is it possible? And one of the days they asked me: ‘do you want to try it?’ And then my heart rate was going off the roof during the game. Probably it was because of caffeine also. I was drinking three or four cups of coffee during the seven-hour game. That makes some sense because of my heart rate.
Do you believe in these results completely?
Yeah, because now we all wear like all these [smart] watches with which you can track your heart rate. So, I could understand, ‘okay, there is a good chance that it was true’. I don’t think I must have burned so many calories, but at least my heart rate was going up.
How do you keep yourself fit?
Recently, I haven’t been really fit, but I do like to go for a walk to keep fresh to get more oxygen flowing.
You don’t do cycling or maybe gym or running?
From time to time, but it’s not regular. I cannot say like I am doing it every day. But, yes, I do go for walks every day.
Do you do any other mental exercise or yoga etc.?
Again, it’s not like I am very regular. Sometimes I do, sometimes meditate, sometimes I don’t. Once in a while, yes, it helps to do, but I am just not regular for about the last one year.
What is your favourite attire when you play games, tournaments?
Actually, there is no preference, to be honest; whatever is comfortable, I guess.
Any favourite colour?
Nothing as such. I’ll tell you what I don’t like. Sometimes they force you to wear some stuff, something like a uniform. I don’t like that because you have to do it constantly; every day, you have to do it. I don’t mind wearing it for one day, but I don’t like wearing it for nine-ten days. As it is, I don’t have any preference.
