Few have seen Indian chess up close from so many quarters. Dibyendu Barua has added another feather to his cap. The Grandmaster is going to be Tournament Director at the Tata Steel Open India in Kolkata from January 7-11.
This responsibility in one of the top rapid and blitz chess competitions in the world is a prestigious assignment. Other than being a player and a coach who runs an academy, Barua is a vice-president of the All India Chess Federation, apart from being president of the West Bengal state chess body.
“Those and this are different kettles of fish,” Barua told RevSportz. “I was surprised when approached and it took me time to make up my mind. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to handle this. It’s a rare opportunity, to do this in an event featuring so many renowned players. I’m excited and tense.”
The Tournament Director’s task is to ensure smooth conduct of the competition. This includes supervising on-floor activities, making sure fair play norms are followed, there are no disputes and settling them if there are any. Liaising between the players and media is a part of his job. “There are more and I’m still learning about them,” said Barua, who worked with Tata Steel from 1985-2017, and feels that’s one reason he said ‘yes’ when the proposal came.
In the previous six editions – which saw Magnus Carlsen participate twice – Jeroen van den Berg of the Netherlands was the Tournament Director. One of the most recognisable faces of the Kolkata event, Van den Berg is seen in this role at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk Aan Zee also.
“I’ve been in touch with the arbiters for this event,” said Barua. The 59-year-old reckons ensuring fair play is a new challenge for chess administrators and officials. “There will be two officials specifically for this purpose. All measures have to be taken so that there is nothing unwanted. Corruption is a concern in chess and having a fool proof system in place is one of my responsibilities.”
Barua is saddened like everybody else that D Gukesh pulled out at the last minute. But missing the world champion in action is not the only reason. Like other years, the state chess association will conduct tournaments for juniors at the venue on match days. Over 900 players in several categories will participate. “It’s a blow for them,” he said. “That hurts more.”
The competition still promises plenty, with Viswanathan Anand taking on the generation he inspired. Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin, Vidit Gujrathi and Aravindh Chithambaram are all from that lot. In a different role, but still close to the action will be Barua, who saw how the Anand effect worked from close quarters, as the player who became the second Grandmaster from India after the legend.
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