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Journalism of Courage
She may spend hours each day contemplating her knight8217;s best manoeuvres on the 64 squares of a chessboard but her world is certainly not a staid black and white.
He may prefer to jog his grey cells by surrounding himself with books when not marshalling pawns and bishops but JK Rowling smiles pretty at the top of that reading list.
Kateryna Lahno and Parimarjan Negi. At 17, she is the world8217;s youngest woman Grandmaster. At 13, he is the world8217;s youngest Grandmaster.
Last week, the two were engaged in a series of fascinating rapid matches in New Delhi during the Amity Grandmasters Challenge. SHREYA CHAKRAVERTTY tries to read the minds of two young champions.
TAKE that board away and they appear quite different. The boy is a little unsure, if not shy, about handling so much attention. But the young lady from the East Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk 8212; probably better known for its tradition of chess than its many industries 8212; does not mind the response her achievements and looks attract.
From seasoned chess enthusiasts to hangers-on at the tournament, everybody wants to know what Kateryna Lahno is all about. Unusual stuff, one would say, for this game. After all, chess is boring, they say. How much fun can it be to focus on a board for hours on and think only about the correct Sicilian opening? But one look at Kateryna, and you will know the game has probably found its own Maria Sharapova.
8220;I can tell you, she is not at all like what people assume chess players to be,8221; smiles her Russian coach, Ruslan Scherbakov. Not one to shy away from a quick picture, she obliges the shutterbugs till they get that perfect angle, till the stylish coiffure and fashionable accessories are freeze-framed just right. No, she hasn8217;t got any movie offers or endorsement contracts just yet, but, as she laughs, 8220;I8217;m still waiting8221;.
The Sharapova effect 8212; a rare combination of success and beauty 8212; would already have many takers among the marketing managers if Kateryna had a different address. But, as Scherbakov explains, Ukraine is a country where football occupies the prime perch, much like in India where the sacred space of 22 yards is considered far more exciting than anything else in the world of sport. 8220;Chess players are not treated like celebrities in Ukraine,8221; he says.
But there is world outside Ukraine. Going by the attention Kateryna received when she stepped out in front of the Indian media, it8217;s just a matter of time before another global superstar is crowned.
Maybe the aura has more to do with the glam factor than her achievements as a chess player 8212; world under-10 champion, WGM at 12 years and four months breaking Judit Polgar8217;s record see box, the European individual women8217;s champion8230;
But Kateryna doesn8217;t seem bothered. She lives by the simple mantra: work hard, party harder and maintain the balance. The young champion must sit for hours in front of the black and white pieces, but to improve, she believes, one has to learn to get away from it all from time to time.
Like any other teenager, Kateryna likes to let her hair down on the dance floor, but there is a little problem at home. 8220;I enjoy dancing, but in my city, there are hardly any discotheques. When I travel outside for tournaments, though, the organisers usually throw a bash on the last day. That is an enjoyable time as you can forget about what happened in the matches, and just enjoy the moment. It8217;s very important to unwind. Listening to music is also relaxing; I mostly listen to Russian artistes.8221;
Ask her what she will remember most about her Indian experience, and her enthusiasm beats her shaky English: 8220;Oh, the saree! It was the first time I wore one and it is something I will never forget.8221; And then she adds: 8220;Also, the people are friendly.8221; For the record, she wore a black saree the day the tournament was launched. The
last day saw her in a bright orange lehenga, and she carried this off with aplomb as well.
Her coach reveals she was apprehensive about her first visit to the country, not sure what to expect in terms of the weather or the food. Thankfully, there was no Delhi-belly this time. 8220;I like Indian food, it is much better than I expected,8221; she grins. 8220;It is the first time I am coming here, and I don8217;t think it8217;s my last.8221;
No other game demonstrates the importance of the Greek ethics Mens Sana in Corpore Sano a sound mind in a sound body better than chess. Katryna exercises regularly 8212; swimming, tennis and long walks with her dog 8212; and, like most girls of her age, is careful about her appearance 8212; no, that leather does not go with that denim even if today8217;s match day.
And she has learnt early to handle the ups and downs. Her poise was evident as even after a particularly out-of-form display at the chessboard, she obliged dozens of demanding kids with autographs and smiles. But before you think she is the ultimate Miss Congeniality, remember not to simplify a champion8217;s mind. Katryna refused the offer of a draw in a blitz game against Viktor Kortchnoi.
She fought on. She was only 11.
THE boy who sat across the chessboard with her this entire week has travelled the same road to fame. But while Kateryna has learnt to be at peace with her star aura, Parimarjan Negi would rather be happy discussing the game, At 13, he is not entirely at home in front of the cameras just yet.
Also unlike Katryna, he didn8217;t have any chess tradition to fall back on. His parents can8217;t even play the game. But Parimarjan inherited their values: there is no alternative to focus and hard work.
No wonder that within an hour of a mentally exhausting chess match, he can be found replaying all the moves at home. Focussing on every instant, moving every piece around, just to see where he went wrong. Nothing has changed from the time he claimed his first title in the Delhi Under-12 meet when he was six after being introduced to the game at the age of four-and-a-half by a friend of his father8217;s.
It took him another seven years and this July, at 13 years, 4 months and 22 days, Negi became the second youngest Grandmaster ever, second only to Sergey Karjakin. He also broke Karnataka8217;s Pentala Harikrishna8217;s record see box achieved in 2001 for the youngest Grandmaster. Last July, Negi had become the youngest International Master ever with the third IM norm in Spain.
Early success also meant early sacrifices. The Negis do not have a television at their New Delhi home. And the wonder kid doesn8217;t mind. 8220;I feel it is important to practise even when a tournament is not on. In whatever free time I do get, I like to read. My favourite books are of the fantasy genre, particularly Harry Potter,8221; he says, the seriousness suddenly vanquished by a rare smile. 8220;I think the books are much better than the movies, not that I watch a lot of them. Other than that, I listen to a lot of music on my computer, mostly English.8221;
So for now, it8217;s chess, books and chess for the teenager, with a daily dose of yoga and jogging thrown in. Maybe his tight schedule will make him miss out on a few things 8212; he has no time for school, and little for family 8212; but he appears to have the strength to pull himself through. 8220;He is a small boy, he will grow. The more of the world he sees, the more he8217;ll branch out,8221; says Scherbakov.
But no exposure can possibly distract Negi whose astonishing concentration level was on display last month. Playing blindfolded and simultaneously against four opponents, the 13-year-old came up with an impressive 3-1 scoreline. No Indian Grandmaster took up such a challenge since Negi8217;s idol Vishwanathan Anand came up with an even better scoreline of 3.5-0.5 in Amsterdam in 1991.
As of now, everything seems to be in place for the wonder kid: The sponsors like Tata, Air-india, a battery of coaches like Evgeny Vladimirov, Vishal Sareen, the attitude 8220;I like to attack so I go for dynamic positions8221;, the inspiration the one and only Vishy Anand and the support at home senior Negi always accompanies the son to tournaments.
And, of course, the innocence. Asked about his favourite dish, Parimarjan voted for 8220;mother8217;s chicken and rice8221; with a broad smile.
A Grandmaster and mamma8217;s boy. Again, just can8217;t simplify a champion8217;s mind.
FOR THE RECORD
Judit Polgaacute;r: Born on July 23, 1976, the Hungarian became a Grandmaster in 1991 at the age of 15 years and 4 months, beating the previous record for youngest Grandmaster, set by 8220;Bobby8221; Fischer in 1958. By far the strongest female chessplayer in history, she is the only woman on FIDE8217;s Top 100 Players list, and has been ranked as high as number eight. She has defeated most of the world8217;s top players, including Garry Kasparov and Veselin Topalov.
Pentala Harikrishna: Born on May 10, 1986, in Andhra Pradesh, Harikrishna became the youngest grandmaster from India in August 2001 at the age of 15 years and 99 days. In November 2004, he won the World Junior Chess Championship. He is rated second amongst the top Indian players ranking next to Viswanathan Anand.
Viswanathan Anand: Born on December 11, 1969 in Chennai, Anand was the first Indian to win the World Junior Chess Championship in 1987. Next year, at the age of eighteen, he became India8217;s first Grandmaster. A former FIDE world champion, Anand is one of only four players in history to break the 2800 mark on the FIDE rating list and he has been among the top three ranked players in classical time control chess in the world continuously since 1994.
Sergey Karjakin: Born on January 12, 1990 in Ukraine, Karjakin became the youngest chess grandmaster in history at the age of 12 years and 7 months. He was the official second of fellow Ukrainian Ruslan Ponomariov during the 2002 FIDE World championship.
