How rejection from cricket made Vidit Gujrathi pursue chess

A self-proclaimed 'accidental chess player', India's Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi says he thought of sports as a more stable career option after watching his doctor parents being called to work at odd hours -- an 'error of judgement' which he claims has ultimately worked out well for him.

The 29-year-old from Nashik will be turning up for Mumba Masters in the second season of the Global Chess League, a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, from October 3 to 12 in London.

Gujrathi was around six when he was advised to put his ambition of playing cricket on hold till he was older by a local club. He decided to pursue chess instead as he was already familiar with the sport after spending considerable time playing with his father.

"I saw it as a good opportunity to learn and beat him. It was a complete accident, but a happy one," Gujrathi said.

Having seen his doctor parents work at odd hours due to late-night emergencies, Gujrathi said he wanted a relatively easy-going life and thought of sports as the right option.

"I did not realise then that sports can be more volatile. I made a judgment error, but it worked out well," he quipped, referring to long hours he has to devote to training.

In 2017, he became the fourth Indian after Viswanathan Anand, Krishnan Sasikiran, and Pentala Harikrishna, to cross the 2700 Elo rating.

Gujrathi, who still holds a rating of over 2700, was among three Indians who competed in this year's Candidates Tournament, an eight-man competition held to determine the Challenger for the World Chess Championship slated for November.

He did log some impressive results but could not win the tournament.

Talking about the upcoming league and his team Mumba Masters, Gujrathi said, "Definitely, our eyes are on the trophy this year. But I wish to improve my performance."

Mumba Masters retained most of their squad from the first season, with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave returning as the Icon Player while Gujrathi and Alexander Grischuk came back as Superstar Men players.

Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli have joined once again as Superstar Women, with Raunak Sadhwani as the Prodigy for the franchise in the second season.

"Last year, we got along well with each other, and the team had a great atmosphere. We will be there for around a couple of weeks, and hence, it is important to also have a good time," Gujrathi said.