Chess: the Kingly Sport

It’s an impressive feat, winning the title of the world chess champion. Gukesh D. is officially the 18th world chess champion. OK, the frenzy surrounding this contest between the 18-year-old Indian and his 32-year-old Chinese opponent Ding Liren may not have surpassed the one surrounding the epic Spassky-Fischer clash of 1972, yet it garnered massive attention as the contestants engaged in a fierce battle that went down to the wire— Yes, it was the fourteenth match that decided the winner. What a proud moment for India! Gukesh pulled off a surprise win in the final match to clinch the series, thereby making himself worthy of the prestigious title of the world chess champion.

It’s hard to not like Ding, who with his ever-calm demeanour and disarming and furtive smiles, proved to be a very formidable opponent. He is no stranger to such contests, being the former world champion himself. Displaying classy sportsmanship he relinquished the title to his worthy opponent with grace. Discounting that one moment toward the nail-biting end of the last game when he knew he’d seriously blundered and was visibly ruffled, Ding tried his best to maintain sangfroid in the most trying moments. Looking back on his previous brilliance when he was the nightmare of many a chess player and now seeing him struggle with his form but still battle it out to the end without succumbing to the inevitable pressure brought to mind Kipling’s famous lines: “If you can meet with triumph and disaster; and treat those two impostors just the same.” Amazingly, Gukesh at such a young age showed the maturity and confidence of a pro, both at the board and otherwise.

There has already been enough coverage regarding this big news, which is of course justified. My main purpose for writing this article is to highlight the fact that chess is rather a neglected sport (at least here) when in fact India is making great strides in it. Schools should include it in the extra curriculum and let students hone their chess skills. Because chess is a cerebral sport, the deep thought process and strategising it entails sharpening one’s thinking skills which could be harnessed in other areas of life. Solving tactical positions and analyzing complex patterns on the board could help students think laterally and come up with new ideas. Cultivating this skill might spill over into their academic life and foster their inquisitiveness and refresh their perspectives. And you never know that the introverted and shy boy at the back of class whom the teacher might write off as a no-account could be the next world chess champion.

Suhail Khan is a civil engineer.