Pranav Venkatesh's grand move: World junior crown to hometown chess debut
Winning the World Junior title was a huge achievement for me. I was the second seed, and the field had many strong players, so I focused on giving my best. In that tournament, I felt I played really well, with strong preparation, solid physical work, and everything falling into place. One of the biggest rewards from becoming World Junior Champion was the opportunity to play a match in the Grand Swiss, which ultimately helped me qualify for the event.Q.) You initially weren't set to play in the Grand Swiss due to a drop in ranking points, but later got in through a wildcard. How did that come about?The rating list used for the Grand Swiss selection had dropped. Earlier, my rating was 2620, which should have been enough to qualify comfortably, but after a poor month, my rating fell, and I thought I wouldn't make it by rating. Then I received an email from the Asian Chess Federation about a regional wildcard from Asia. They wanted to organize a match between the 2024 and 2025 World Junior Champions. I was thrilled at that point because it gave me another chance to qualify for the Grand Swiss.Q.) With you becoming World Junior Champion and Divya Deshmukh winning the World Cup, are you now dreaming about the Candidates?That thought is always there, but for now, I'm focused on Chennai, followed by the Fujairah tournament. Both are very strong events, with players rated above 2600. After that comes the Grand Swiss, which is, of course, extremely competitive. For now, my priority is to focus on these two upcoming tournaments, play well, and see how things go—without putting too much pressure on myself.Q.) Is this your first major tournament in Chennai, your hometown, with all the local hopes on you?This is my first super tournament with all the top players, and I'm very happy that it's happening in my hometown, Chennai. I know many of the places here, so it doesn't feel like I'm traveling much. Playing at home makes me really happy, and I hope to perform well.advertisementQ.) After you won the World Junior Championship, did fellow Chennai player Gukesh interact with you or share any tips?We didn't have much time to meet since he was playing a lot of tournaments, and I had some as well. So, we didn't really get a chance to talk or see each other at any event.Q.) Pranav, what is your favourite opening?I think it's 1.e4 — either the Ruy Lopez or the Italian. Since the start of my chess career, I've played 1.e4. Somehow, I feel 1.e4 is more aggressive than 1.d4, and since I'm an aggressive player, I prefer 1.e4.Q.) You mentioned the Grand Swiss has a different time control. How do you mentally prepare to balance attack and defense within the given time, especially as a young player?I think it's mainly about managing your time well in the shorter formats, like 90 minutes plus 30 seconds increment, without any extra time after 40 moves, or even the Grand Swiss time control. If you can handle your time effectively in the 90+30 format, the longer time controls shouldn't be a problem since you get more time there.advertisementIt's also about putting pressure on your opponent—if you apply pressure early on, even with 100 minutes for 40 moves, your opponent can end up in time trouble and make mistakes. So, if you play well in the shorter formats like 90+30, you can perform well in the longer ones too.Q.) If not for chess, what career would you have pursued, and what's your favourite subject at school?I study at Vellamal, and the school has been very supportive of my chess. But honestly, I wasn't very interested in studies even before chess. Maybe I would have chosen another sport like cricket instead.- Ends
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New Indian Express
28 minutes ago
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Coach reveals how Praggnanandhaa dealt with tough times as Gukesh raced ahead
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