Vidit Gujrathi relaxed before Chess World Cup: Not taking too much pressure

India Today

05-05-2025

Vidit Gujrathi, one of India's top Grandmasters in recent years, visited Delhi Public School, Gautam Buddha Nagar, for a special chess tournament.The event—the All India Open Rapid and Blitz Tournament—featured over 100 young participants and offered prize money exceeding Rs 8 lakhs. Gujrathi attended the tournament along with his wife, Dr. Nidhi Kataria.In an exclusive conversation with India Today, chess's newest power couple reflected on their first-ever visit to Noida.advertisementVidit also shared his thoughts on Freestyle Chess, the growing divide between Freestyle and FIDE, and why he believes the criticism of Gukesh is premature.
Q.1) Vidit, firstly, I heard this is the first time you've come to Noida, you've come to DPS school where a special chess tournament has been organised by Apartment Times. What motivated you to come for this tournament? Vidit: I saw that a lot of kids were going to participate, and luckily, it fit into my schedule. This is my first time in Noida, and I'm really impressed with how the city looks. The infrastructure is excellent, and there are many high-rise buildings. It seems to be developing into a promising hub. I'm glad I got the chance to experience it firsthand.Q.2) There is this reel that is going on, very viral. What hurts most, losing a game or Nidhi telling you I don't want to be like Vidit losing on time? advertisementVidit: See, losing a game you somewhere expected that it can happen but this comeback from her was unexpected. So, definitely that hurt more because I didn't see it coming. I was not prepared.Q.3) Nidhi, what do you have to say? How did you come up with such an epic line? Nidhi: It was very impromptu. We were casually playing a game in Paris—and of course, he's a Grandmaster. I'm very new to chess and have only started learning recently. I just know the basic rules, so I was taking my time. In the last few games we've played over the past few months, he's actually been losing on time. The games were going well, but he'd end up running out of time—which I had pointed out to him in person. But that time, I said it out loud without realising the cameras were rolling. They captured the moment, edited it, and put it out there.Q.4) Over the past 3–4 months, you've had your queen with you. But during that break, did it help refresh your mind? When you arrived in Paris, were you mentally prepared for what's shaping up to be a very challenging year, especially with the Candidates qualification once again on the line—like how you qualified through the Grand Swiss? With the World Cup in India, along with several other tournaments at home, how do you plan to cope with everything in 2025? advertisementVidit: I'm going to take it easy because putting too much pressure on myself has never really helped. I'm not planning too far ahead—especially when it comes to the World Cup. My focus is just on the next event and what I can do in the moment. Overall, I'm trying to take a more relaxed, easygoing approach this year and see how that works out.Usually, I'm quite tense—always super focused and trying to stay on schedule—but this time, I'm deliberately stepping back a bit. Let's see if that shift helps.Q.5) Vidit, your comeback in Paris was, unfortunately, a tough one. Was it the format that you struggled to adjust to, or was it a matter of rustiness after taking a break of three to four months? Also, do you think we—both as Indian players and viewers—are still struggling to adapt to Freestyle Chess? Is there perhaps a mental block when it comes to embracing this new format?Vidit: No, I actually enjoy Freestyle Chess a lot. When I look at the games objectively, I had several good positions—I was even winning against Magnus Carlsen at one point—and I had a few other promising games as well. I really like the Freestyle format because you don't have to prepare extensively at home. You can just show up at the board and think on the spot, which brings a fresh kind of energy.advertisementThe main reason things didn't go well in Paris was fatigue. Right after the wedding, we flew out the very next day, so there was no time to recover—emotionally or physically. Indian weddings go on for days, and you hardly get any proper sleep. There are so many emotions involved, too. So I was just physically exhausted and hadn't fully recovered by the time the games began. I even felt sleepy during some of the rounds.If I had even a week's break in between, I think I would've been much better rested. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with the format—I genuinely enjoyed playing in it.Q.6) Nidhi, what was it like for you during that time? You've already been on two honeymoons—Paris and the Maldives—so how has the experience been, adjusting to the life of a Grandmaster's partner? I know from speaking to others that it can take time—like in the case of Aruna, Vishy Anand's wife—to truly understand the chess world.advertisementYou were seen playing some chess openings and which one is your favourite? And on a more personal note, after Vidit comes back from a long and exhausting game, how do you both unwind? How has your daily routine evolved since stepping into this new chapter of life with him?Nidhi: It's still very new for me. After our marriage, we've traveled to three countries. The first was Paris, where Vidit had a tournament. In the initial few days, I stayed at the venue to get a sense of how everything works, since it was my first time attending a chess tournament. After that, I spent a day or two exploring Paris solo while he was playing, and then we spent some time together before heading to Germany and the Maldives for a proper vacation.So far, it's been just one tournament I've attended with him, where he was playing for a few days, and then it turned into a vacation for us. But with the upcoming tournaments, I'm sure I'll have a clearer understanding of how things work and what the routine is like.advertisementQ.7) How well have you mastered the chess openings and how much has he taught you? Nidhi: He hasn't taught me the details, so I don't know what the openings are called. I'm just a beginner, playing casually on Chess.com without much thought behind it—just enjoying the game. Of course, there are wins and losses along the way."Q.8) A lot has been said about Gukesh not being a deserving champion. There's also the ongoing tussle between FIDE and Freestyle Chess. Do you think these comments and the war between FIDE and Freestyle are unnecessary? And what's your take on the criticism directed at a number of Indian players—particularly the claim that they're not true world champions? When it comes to the FIDE vs Freestyle debate, which side do you take, and what's your perspective on all of this?Vidit: I think these two issues are quite different. As for Gukesh, it's too soon to judge. He's just achieved the world championship title, and he had a strong performance at Wijk Aan Zee. Classical chess is clearly his strength, and I think the upcoming Norway Chess in May will be a good test for him. It's well known that Gukesh hasn't paid as much attention to other formats, and it takes time for him to adjust. So, he probably still needs more time to adapt to Freestyle and other formats. But I'm sure he wants to excel in all of them because, to be a true world champion, being proficient across all formats is expected. I'm confident he's highly motivated to improve in that area.As for the FIDE vs. Freestyle war, I haven't delved into the details much, but any conflict that doesn't contribute to the sport's growth isn't ideal. I hope they can come to an agreement because I don't think it has to be about choosing between classical chess and Freestyle chess. Both can coexist, and if they can figure out how to make that work, it would be great for the sport.Trending Reel