Accidental chess player Vidit Gujrathi says it's worked out well for him
New Delhi (PTI): A self-proclaimed accidental chess player, Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi says he thought of sports as a more "stable" career option after watching his doctor parents being called to work at odd hours, an "error of judgement" that has ultimately "worked out well" for him.
The 29-year-old from Nashik will be turning up for Mumba Masters in the second season of the Global Chess League, a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, from October 3 to 12 in London.
Gujrathi was around six when he was advised to put his ambition of playing cricket on hold till he was older by a local club. He decided to pursue chess instead as he was already familiar with the sport after spending considerable time playing with his father.
"I saw it as a good opportunity to learn and beat him. It was a complete accident, but a happy one," Gujrathi recalled in a press release issued by the event organisers.
Having seen his doctor parents work at odd hours due to late-night emergencies, Gujrathi said he wanted a relatively easy-going life and thought of sports as the right option.
"I did not realise then that sports can be more volatile. I made a judgment error, but it worked out well," he quipped, referring to long hours he has to devote to training.
In 2017, he became the fourth Indian after Viswanathan Anand, Krishnan Sasikiran, and Pentala Harikrishna, to cross the 2700 Elo rating.
Gujrathi, who still holds a rating of over 2700, was among three Indians who competed in this year's Candidates Tournament, an eight-man competition held to determine the Challenger for the World Chess Championship slated for November.
He did log some impressive results but could not win the tournament.
Talking about the upcoming league and his team Mumba Masters, Gujrathi said, "Definitely, our eyes are on the trophy this year. But I wish to improve my performance."
Mumba Masters retained most of their squad from the first season, with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave returning as the Icon Player while Gujrathi and Alexander Grischuk came back as Superstar Men players.
Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli have joined once again as Superstar Women, with Raunak Sadhwani as the Prodigy for the franchise in the second season.
"Last year, we got along well with each other, and the team had a great atmosphere. We will be there for around a couple of weeks, and hence, it is important to also have a good time," Gujrathi said.
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MP: Congress MLA's son booked for abetting woman's suicide
Bhopal, Sep 15: Madhya Pradesh police on Sunday registered a case against Pushpraj Singh Patel, son of Congress MLA Sena Mahesh Patel, for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 25-year-old woman, an official said.
The woman, identified as Damini Thakur from Alirajpur district, killed herself earlier this week unable to stand repeated threats issued by the accused who was forcing her to marry him, an official said.
The accused is the son of Congress MLA from Jobat constituency, Sena Mahesh Patel.
"The woman's family members complained that Pushpraj Singh Patel was forcing her to marry him," said Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajesh Vyas.
The accused had repeatedly threatened Thakur and her previous fiancés, causing disruptions in her engagements. In 2019, Patel’s threats led to the dissolution of Thakur's first engagement. A similar situation emerged in 2024 with her second engagement.
The woman was engaged to a man from Vadodara in 2019 but Patel repeatedly threatened her fiance and even attacked him, leading to the cancellation of the engagement, the SP said.
"She (Thakur) was engaged to a man from Vadodara in 2024, but Patel threatened her brother and fiance, which created apprehension about breaking the engagement, forcing the woman to commit suicide," Vyas said.
Police have registered a case under section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and are investigating the matter.
