Levon Aronian also consented to visit, and despite the fact that some of them had the choice to play in the Bundesliga, Alexandr Predke, Pavel Eljanov, and Sanan Sjugirov all made the trip.
The Chennai Grand Masters chess organizers faced a crucial decision a few months ago when they convened, still far from organizing the competition. They were doubtful that any of the best players would even faintly express interest in participating in a tournament, given how full the chess calendar is already, how many of the elite players are staying in cozy Europe, and how focused most of the top players are on the World Rapid and Blitz event.
Pulling elite players for an invitational event was the largest issue, with the London Chess Classic and the World Rapid and Blitz event sandwiched between the stated window.
Even though this tournament had the highest ranking in India (2711), it was a stand-alone event and the first of its sort in the nation. Unlike the Tata Steel Chess event in Kolkata or any other Fide tournament on the circuit, it had no history or tradition attached to it. When GM Srinath Narayanan, a member of the Chennai Grand Masters organizing team, went out to the lot, he reports that the response was tremendous.
“I believe that people’s positive perceptions about going to India and participating in the competition were influenced by the Olympiad’s success the previous year. As a result, we got generally positive responses from the players when we reached out to them about coming over and participating in the event. Then, in recent years, India has emerged as a chess powerhouse. It is the developing eco-system and the infrastructure that are attracting the players. Everyone is aware of India, and they have been anticipating a major event of this caliber, Srinath informs the news outlets.
Candidates like D Gukesh, Ajrun Erigaisi, and Parham Maghsoodloo didn’t hesitate to commit because this tournament gives them the opportunity to add a few ELO points that they are vying for.
Levon Aronian also consented to visit, and despite the fact that some of them had the choice to play in the Bundesliga, Alexandr Predke, Pavel Eljanov, and Sanan Sjugirov all made the trip.
There are some formidable competitors in this competition. Playing against our top players at the greatest place on earth is an amazing experience. Additionally, this is one of the final competitions on the schedule for this year, which adds an additional factor. It didn’t take much persuasion because, in Srinath’s opinion, the place and the type of competition you are playing are what matter most.
Due to the tight schedule, several players could not arrive in the city until the night of the event, and throughout the first round, several of them were still complaining about sleep deprivation and jet lag. Particularly, Aronian, who drew beside Gukesh, claimed to have slept for just five hours since arriving in Chennai on Thursday. “It was close, with only about 40 days to organize this event. Although the concept had been around for a while, actual plans hadn’t been finalized until around two months ago. However, I believe that with the guys we have on board, we are off to a strong start, says Srinath.
The fact that the Tamil Nadu government expressed interest in hosting the competition right away was very helpful in organizing the competition on short notice. It is claimed that the state administration is trying to make this an annual event after successfully hosting the Olympiad the previous year, especially given the popularity of the sport in this area. We spent much of last year’s Olympiad stationed at Mahabalipuram, so I didn’t get to appreciate Chennai. However, I knew this city had a rich history of chess, so I didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation,” Aronian remarked.
