Mumbai: Amid the spurt of Indian chess boasting the reigning world champion, the Women’s World Cup winner and sweeping both gold medals at the 2024 Olympiad, having no representation in the semi-finals of a home World Cup comes as a rather surprising void.
More so after the last World Cup in 2023, where four in the last eight were Indians. In Goa, Arjun Erigaisi exited as the lone quarter-finalist.
“It has been an underwhelming performance, especially with the kind of expectations that had been set from the previous World Cup,” said Srinath Narayanan, GM and coach of the 2024 Olympiad Indian team.
“Having said that, it is understandable that one of the tournaments didn’t quite go our way after having a few ups this year.”
That statement could also apply to one of the top three seeds leading the large pack of 24 Indians in the 206-player field. D Gukesh, Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa were all tipped to make deep runs, but the last-named perhaps had the least riding on this tournament that offered three Candidates spots.
On the back of solid performances this year and a big lead in the FIDE Circuit from which the leader enters the Candidates, Praggnanandhaa, the 2023 World Cup finalist, exited in Round 4.
“Not that he was not motivated to do well here, but still the motivation is not as high as it may have been if he had to qualify for the Candidates,” said Srinath.
Awaiting the Candidates winner next year, Gukesh also doesn’t have to worry about that, but what remains a touch worrisome for him is his downturn in classical after scaling the world title peak. It’s been a quiet year for Gukesh, and his third-round World Cup ouster has only extended the lull.
GM Pravin Thipsay observed a trend in Gukesh’s games of late that, he felt, has made the youngster drift away from being himself. Analysing a lack of “connect with the opening and the plan of that opening in his mind”, Thipsay said Gukesh would do well to “concentrate less on openings and make his own choices” on the board.
“I watched every game of his at the 2022 Olympiad (in Chennai). He was taking a lot of time in the openings and was playing positions of his own choice. In 2024, he changed his training team.
“Recently, from what I have observed, he is often playing the first few moves quickly. And then after the opening, he takes a lot of time. So I think he is preparing some openings that he has never played, which do not suit him, and, as a result, he gets into unknown positions where he does not know what to do,” said Thipsay.
Srinath reckoned Gukesh is going through “a bit of a transition phase”, and yet, losing to German Frederik Svane in classical was “most surprising” for him. The weight of being a world champion may still feel heavy for the 19-year-old.
“In general, it has been a difficult year for Gukesh after winning the world championship title,” said Srinath. “I imagine that he is still coming to terms with the baggage that the crown carries – the expectation, the pressure, the fan-following and everything else. Hopefully he is able to turn it around next year.”
Erigaisi too will have to carry the baggage of again failing to make it to the Candidates. The top-rated Indian in classical currently, he has fallen almost on the doorsteps of breaking in at two consecutive World Cups.
“I guess it’s partly bad luck – he had the toughest path to the semis (Wei Yi) here. But partly, it’s also that there are probably things he would need to work on to make himself stronger to be able to get there,” said Srinath.
“I had predicted Arjun to win (the World Cup),” said Thipsay, adding he was surprised that the usually adventurous Erigaisi settled for a quick draw with Yi with black. “He was missing his spark this time.”
That spark, for Thipsay, was missing from almost all the fancied prospects in Goa. Of the eight players rated 2750 or above, only Yi is in the semi-final.
Thipsay put the upsets down to the top players “restricting themselves” by largely playing only among themselves in invitation events, and focussing too much on opening preparations while “losing touch with other practical elements” like “over-the-board calculations” and “decision-making ability in unexpected positions”.
For Srinath, the two-game set of classical, as opposed to longer series of classical games in some other tournaments where “a stronger player would eventually prevail”, left higher chances for “random results”. “The two-game series of knockout matches is a bit like a one-set tennis match,” he said.
For a few Indians, though, the World Cup wasn’t without positives. With his Round of 16 entry, 39-year-old Pentala Harikrishna “did much better than expected” for Thipsay, for whom Diptayan Ghosh beating Ian Nepomniachtchi in Round 2 was also a highlight.
Junior world champion Pranav V (Round 4) was also one of the big positives for Srinath, and so was Karthik Venkataraman “punching way above his weight” by making it to Round 4.
