Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Singapore
Equarius Hotel is a luxurious property in Resorts World Sentosa. This was the centre of global attention for the last 18 days or so. This was the venue for the World Chess Championship match between Ding Liren and D Gukesh. It witnessed history, as the Indian defeated the Chinese defending champion in a dramatic final game to become the youngest-ever winner of the crown.
When I landed in Singapore to cover this match for RevSportz, there were butterflies in my stomach. Being primarily a cricket reporter all my life, I was at sea because this was by far the toughest assignment of my life. I had written on other sports, including chess. But to have reported on those and to be physically present at the World Chess Championship were different kettles of fish.
To say that I was nervous would be an understatement. I was terrified. My understanding of chess, at best, is below basic. I will be honest here and confess that on most occasions, I don’t comprehend how things on the board are unfolding. To be in a media room full of people who follow chess very closely, felt like being in a place where I don’t belong.
Then came that chain of draws after the third game. One, two, three, four… there were seven of them in a row. I was lost for words, literally. One draw or even two or three I could handle. But seven of them in succession meant I was struggling to write. Game was drawn, there was no result, neither side swon, the point was split — I had to find new ways of saying the same thing.
Thankfully, Gukesh won the 11th game, Ding won the 12th and the contest suddenly came alive. By this time, I was beginning to come to terms with it. As the match became exciting, everything started changing. There were a lot of activities around the match, spectator involvement became more intense and what was appearing to be a tedious affair got a fresh lease of life.
That Gukesh won the 14th and last game with black pieces under extraordinary circumstances and made history is a different matter. Everything that went around it was a unique experience. The lesson for me was to see how these two players kept pushing their limits and made this match interesting. There were ups and downs, dramatic moments, with climax and anti-climax.
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Ding’s tenacity to fight the opponent and the clock in almost every game was something that everyone, in any sphere of life, can learn from. He was getting outplayed at times and was behind on time in every game barring one or two. The way he came back was exemplary. This willingness to fight and not give in under pressure was a life lesson actually, a lot more than just watching a sport.
It was gratifying to see Gukesh acknowledge this after the match. He began his press conference by congratulating his opponent and said a number of times that he had learnt significantly by watching Ding fight. It’s not often that an 18-year-old can say these things about his rival after fighting a bitter battle with him over so many days.
When it comes to Gukesh, I was stunned by his zeal to persevere. He refused draw offers that any other player would have accepted. He kept pushing when there was no headway. He believed in himself and told himself that something will happen even from hopeless situations. Not that he was rewarded all the time, but it was this never-say-die approach that got him the big prize in the end.
It was absolutely unbelievable to see this kind of determination from a teenager who was up against the reigning champion. Even Viswanathan Anand was saying during the last game that black had no chance of winning. After the game, the legend conceded that this win was a reward for Gukesh’s chess as well as his attitude. It was a privilege of mine to see this happen in front of my eyes.
I must also say a few things about the response of the crowd. There were not many of them, about 150 may be. They were also watching patiently when the game was apparently heading towards a draw. As soon as they realised that Gukesh was winning, there was an eruption of joy. For a cricket reporter, it was a sight to behold when chess fans started dancing and jumping.
I go back enriched with a different experience. I won’t say that I am any wiser when it comes to understanding chess. But I have learnt how to handle things I am unfamiliar with. As a newsperson, I have grown over these weeks. It’s something to read history and something totally else to witness it. How historic this was for Indian chess or sports is another story to be told some other time.
Also Read: Self-belief and perseverance take Gukesh to the top of the mountain