My love affair with 64 squares :)
After 4 long years, I had a chance to participate in a corporate chess tournament and the experience took me down the memory lane.. Come along if you have time to spare and are looking for some savvy details on how it all started and about my love story with the checkerboard :)
NB: A drink might be handy ;)
I was introduced to the game when I was about 10. My skills on the board began to evolve when my friend Barani started playing with me every single day during lunch breaks and in the evenings after school. I was never an even competitor but he’d still put up with my novice moves. we played Blitz (a 5-min game)
I participated in many chess tournaments with him during our school days but never won. He used to win many prizes and would definitely finish among the top 3 in every tournament. It didn’t make me hate the game, but instead it began to bring out the best in me. Just when I was getting into the groove, academics began to gain priority and our daily dose of games was long forgotten..
I had a chance to renew my interest after joining Adventnet (erstwhile Zoho :)) I found quite a few Chess enthusiasts there. I started playing - more like testing out and adopting new strategies. Within a month ARC (AdventNet Recreation Club) announced a Chess tournament — Normal and Blitz Chess. I was more excited about Blitz Chess and brushed up the openings, techniques and tactics.. Aaaannnddd.. I managed a Second place in Normal Chess and won the title in Blitz Chess.. This was my first win in any tournament.
And in the following years, I started winning almost every internal tournament in Zoho.
Besides internal tournaments, we used to participate in Corporate Olympiads that happened every year. I represented Zoho for five years straight from 2010–2014. I looked forward to these tournaments not only because I got a chance to play against others from different companies, but also for a pet peeve of mine ~ the staircase photo ;)
Typically these tournaments have 6 rounds. I usually won 4 games out of 6 every year. Most of my defeats were against FIDE rated players. Playing with rated opponents was always tricky for me. I put myself under enormous pressure and the inevitable mental block raised it’s ugly head each time I played against rated ones.
Every single year, after attending general tournaments, I dreamt of participating in FIDE rated tournaments to get an elusive FIDE rating.. but the dream had to wait due to various reasons — work pressure, personal life, fear of losing, lack of preparation etc., but the real culprit was my laziness :D
In late 2014, I finally gathered courage to participate in a FIDE rated tournament. I registered for a tournament conducted by KCF (Kings Chess Federation) in Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. The venue gave me a much needed mental boost.. you guessed it.. another staircase photo-op ;)
The 3-day tournament exceeded my expectations. I managed 6 points out of 9 games and finished 11th in Unrated players category. The first 10 players got prizes and I missed out an award by a whisker.
Since it was an open tournament, I got a chance to play against 6 yr old and a 60 yr old :)
By Dec 2014, I became a FIDE rated player. Somehow a mental block had been taken down and I felt confident enough to play against rated players in upcoming corporate tournaments. The participation in the rated tournament made me realize that I was my own obstacle and showed me my capability of doing something better.
My life changed when I decided to quit Zoho in Feb 2015 and venture into my startup — Zarget. My priorities changed. Running a startup was like playing chess in real-life. The roller coaster ride kept me busy all the time so I had little time left for anything else :)
After Zarget was acquired by Freshworks, I got an opportunity to represent the company for the corporate olympiad. I went without much expectations but was confident that I could give it my best be it against rated/un-rated players.
Unlike the last 5 tournaments, this time, I garnered 5 points by winning 5 out 6 games. Top 3 players got 5.5 points each, and the next 4 players got 5 points. The one game that I lost ended up being the turning point. The winner of our game went on to win the title but I ended up in 6th position because of Buchholz and Sonneborn Berger rules.
Buchholz is to Chess what Duckworth Lewis is to cricket. I was lucky like SA ;) Purinjirukkkum nnu nenaikkaren ;) Though I missed out on the medal, I was happy to beat rated players in two games. I also beat a player who was the tournament favorite (with FIDE rating of 1980) with an excellent trap.
And ofcourse the staircase picture added to the collection after 4 yrs gap ;)
Besides these tournaments, I enhance my skills at chess.com. One of the main reasons that I like chess.com so much is the kick I get from looking at a huge unbroken winning streak and seeing my rating going up. I was around 1800 rating points a few months back and subscribed for paid membership to improve my tactics. I started solving atleast 10 tactics a day before I hit the bed. I started seeing drastic improvements in my approach towards the game. And today, when I crossed 2000 rating.. I jumped up and down literally and my daughter was like appppa ennna aachu pa :)
2000 rating in chess.com is memorable milestone for me and I did brag my wife about how I got there.. I explained so much but she barely understood ;) Also called a few of my friends to share the excitement.. yes.. I’m that crazy :) I’m sure I’ll attend many such tournaments in the coming years and learning a lot more.
Started training Anju as well and the happiness that I get when she says “Appa naan bishop maathiri run panren.. rook maathiri run panren” is unparalleled.. One day, I’m sure Anju and I would attend tournaments together and we will also take a staircase picture together. :)
#ThatDayIsNotTooFaar :)
