India's first chess features print magazine published quarterly from Lucknow since 2004 by Aspire Welfare Society.
Showing posts with label Lucknow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lucknow. Show all posts

Friday, July 25, 2025

Harshit Leads Lucknow's Youth Chess Brigade

Lucknow has always had a legacy of strong chess players. The older generation of Saeed Ahmad, Arif Ali, Junaid Ahmad, Pawan Batham and Devendra Bajpai have now passed on the baton to the next generation for rating tournaments.

Leading Lucknow's young chess brigade is Harshit Amarnani of the Chess Club Black & White. Harshit has been the lone chess star on the international scene from the city and recently won the u2200 Section at the Isola del Sole, Grado, Italy International Open. This catapulted his Fide published rating to 2143 - the highest for the city. 

Here's an inspiring an insightful interview with the 21-year-old chess star of Lucknow.

1. You've been playing professional chess for over a decade now. How has the sport changed over the years?

With the advancement in chess engines and software, as well as the rise of new variants, chess keeps evolving in its own way every few months — and those small shifts build into noticeable change over the years. Take Freestyle Chess or Chess960, for example: they've been quietly growing in popularity and then suddenly, there's a boom. In general, with powerful engines available to everyone, opening preparation has become way tougher. Players keep finding solutions to every idea, often playing in unorthodox ways that defy older principles.  

2. How do you deal with losing? How do you derive motivation for studying and playing so hard?

Losing is tough — especially when you’ve played a solid game with no obvious mistakes but your opponent just plays better. When both sides are accurate, but theirs is slightly more precise, that stings. It’s not easy to accept being outplayed, but it’s part of the game. At the end of the day, I have to be my biggest supporter and keep believing that I can outwork and outplay them in the future. Motivation helps, but I don’t rely on it to train. It's not always there, and honestly, I don't think it needs to be. What needs to be done, needs to be done — that’s how I approach it.  

3. What has been your chess preparation schedule over the years?

I think opening depth and understanding have started playing a bigger role in the past 2–3 years compared to earlier. That said, middlegame strategy and endgame knowledge are just as important, if not more. My schedule’s always varied — I focus on all aspects of the game, but from time to time I spotlight one area more than the others.  

4. Do you think physical fitness has a role to play in chess, and how do you deal with in-game pressure?

Definitely. Physical fitness helps build the stamina needed for classical chess, where a game can stretch beyond 5 hours. Since chess is mentally exhausting, physical activity refreshes the mind and creates some balance. As for pressure, I think every chess player faces it to some degree — and it's not easy to manage. It affects how we think and the quality of our decisions. I’m no exception. I just try to stay focused on the board, find the best squares for my pieces, and do everything I can to make the most of the position.  

5. What kind of chess preparation is required for rating tournaments?

If you’re starting out, a basic understanding of openings and key endgames is important. Tactics also play a huge role — having an eye for tactical patterns is a strong asset that can help push your rating forward. Of course, as you move up and the competition gets stronger, the preparation becomes more nuanced. Openings need to be prepared in greater depth with the repertoire widened to be able to play every type of position. Middlegames start to get a bit more complicated with emphasis moving from just material considerations to positional ones(spatial, temporal, psychological etc). It’s a boundless sea of learning, and we’re just glad to be swimming in it.

6. Any advice for kids starting out to play rating tournaments?

Just focus on playing your best and enjoying the game, no matter the result — the rest will follow. I think it is really important to enjoy that feeling of sitting at the chess board in a competitive environment before the game. As for preparation, the basics I mentioned earlier are probably a good starting point.

7. How did you take the decision to step from amateur school tournaments into the world of rating ones, and what was the role of your family?

It started quite gradually since there were rating tournaments in my city, so the shift didn’t feel too different at first. As I improved and began traveling for events, I had to weigh my options a bit more — but I always knew this was something I wanted to pursue. Sure, there were doubts, like with anything, but talking it through with my coaches and parents helped clarify the path. 

8. With all the travelling and training required, how do you manage your finances?

So far, the costs of tournaments and training have been covered by my family — especially my parents — and I’m extremely grateful for their support.

9. Future plans?

My tournament schedule isn’t fixed yet, but I do plan on playing more this year than I have in the last few. The ultimate goal is to keep learning and improving to become the best I can be — with each title just being a step along that journey.

10. Other hobbies apart from chess? Favourite movies? Books?

I’m a big fan of sport — I try to play table tennis and lawn tennis frequently. Cricket is something I follow more than I play. I also have an interest in financial markets, so I read up on that whenever I get the chance. I don’t watch a lot of shows or movies, but The Big Bang Theory is one I really enjoy.

11. Do you feel you made certain sacrifices as a child or your childhood was different from your classmates because of your focus on chess?

My childhood was definitely a bit different — I had to balance chess alongside school, so I probably didn’t have as much free time as others. It wasn’t always pleasant to miss events or outings because of training or travel. But it never felt like a sacrifice. I was doing something I genuinely wanted to do, so I didn’t feel like I was giving anything up.

— Chess Club Black & White wishes Harshit, his family and his coaches all the best for the chess adventures ahead. Mentored by: Dr Junaid Ahmad, Arif Ali (Lucknow), WIM Mrunalini Kunte (Pune) and Dimitris Farmakis (Athens). 

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Stunning Chess Novella: Lucknow's Romantic, Historical Legacy of Chess

Chess Club Black & White's Zainab Raza Undulusi caught up with Fide International Arbiter Naveen Karthikeyan to chat about his latest part-fiction, part-historical novella, 2. Zih-e-Lucknow#. Since we last met him two years ago, the twenty-something has not changed. He is still reclusive, still extremely shy and still in love with chess. That love has, however, grown!

Q: So, this is your fourth book and you've covered pretty much four different genres through chess — philosophy, children, fiction and history. What's the strategy?
A: Actually this is my fifth book. The first never got written that I began with in 2020! So much for planning. Just like for the rest of the world, everything has been tumultuous since Covid happened. I ended up in cities I had not thought of and in empty rooms talking to myself. I'm no guru or writer. The books happened as therapy in solitude.

Q: Your latest book has a huge and fascinating canvas. What is it about? Chess, history, love, Lucknow, kids, food, youngsters, humour... Senior citizens, culture...?
A: All. It's all linked through chess people! "Zih" happened specifically because of the chess players I met in Lucknow thanks to my contact with Chess Club Black & White (CCBW). I was surprised to hear about the deep cultural connection that Lucknow has with chess. It just had to be told. I still feel more could be written.

Q: How did you build the narrative? Are the characters real?
A: No author can be totally delinked from his human experience. That said, somewhere in the book, I lost track of all the characters. The fictional, historical, and the imaginary, all became too real. I enjoyed the process. I hope my readers do too. I sought permission from the real people to put them in the book as they are. It was essential to Karthik's journey. Initially, though, I had set out to only create a kind of historical record of chess players in Lucknow. My only intention was to make a website listing the names and a little about them. I just lost control. The book happened. Then, the surprising part is, it all also connects to India's Freedom Struggle. I found that super special and felt every chess player should know about this link.

Q: Both your novellas have women protagonists. Is there a reason for that? Is this a sequel?
A: Only one. Leila is one woman protagonist. In Zih, Karthik and Nawab Wajid Ali Shah are the male protagonists in the two separate timelines. The two books are not related. The numbering is just an idea based on chess notation.

Q: The bridging of 1856 and 2020 timelines — How did that happen?
A: Chess is so much a part of the Lucknow consciousness. Mention the word "shatranj (chess)" to a random stranger on the streets, and even if they have never touched a real chess set, they will immediately remark about Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Premchand's iconic short story and the great Satyajit Ray film based on that. For me, the quirky personal connect happened when I found out that the Nawab was exactly my age when the British took over the Kingdom of Awadh in 1856. Then, back to the present, most of the children were whom I had met online during the lockdown. By some mysterious grace the characters and the novella just came to be.



Q: And, the Urdu poetry?
A: what can I say. That's not just about Urdu. You see, it's about the Lucknow air. The thing is either Lucknow makes everything romantic for you from having tea to meeting people or, it rejects you totally. Lucknow is a living city that embraces you with its passion if you are brave enough. Urdu is part of that passion. This I really cannot explain. (Smiles) Read my book, go to Lucknow and play a CCBW tournament!

Q: Both your novellas — 1. Leila# and 2. Zih-e-Lucknow# have free-spirited characters and you examine love, marriage and relationships in the non-traditional way. You project that love and relationships are not for keeps. Is that your observation of what is happening today?
A: I wouldn't say that's the correct interpretation. (Smiles). I do agree that I have witnessed a lot of fragile relationships around me. After all, relationships and career seem to be the focus in everyone's teens and twenties. However, what I want to say is, true love and committed relationships exist rarely because everyone's confusing physical or material attraction as love. I've tried to reach some kind of a definition for what is true love. I'm not sure I've succeeded. As my mentors say, I need to explore and study more and read more and I don't have any time to waste. I'm only a student. I need to work harder.

Q: Your mentors?
A: One is surely influenced by the people one meets. These can be through books we read, movies we watch or real people. International Master Akshat Khamparia, from Indore, is my teacher on and off the chessboard. Not only did he get me started on my Fide International Arbiter title, but his clarity of vision as an organiser is truly inspiring. No one can lead a team of polar opposite people as dynamically as he does. His Indore GM Open is going to be one of the great tournaments in the years to come like Moscow, London, Havana, St Louis, Hastings etc. His chess reflects that sparkling clarity as well. Then, GM Jonathan Rowson's books have had a profound impact upon me. GM Rowson's 100-year-project, Perspectiva, which is a collective of scholars, artists and activists working on "the pickle" through insight, praxis, realisation, and emergence is mind-boggling for me. I struggle to understand it but he's my modern philosophy hero. I hope I can be somewhat like him in the years to come both in chess and in thought. But, right now, I just have to study.

Q: And, cook?

A: (Laughs) Yes, as I say, in all my books. I think I was born to be a chef. The last letter just turned from "f," to a double "s" somehow. I do want to explore every single cuisine of the world. Again, I feel, I could have written more about the food in Lucknow.

Q: So, what next?
A: Hopefully, more studying, more writing, more chess, more meditation and more cooking.

*The book is available online for purchase in hard copy at all leading book stores for Rs 500. Ebook version coming soon. (Amazon, Flipkart, Clever Fox Publishing. Author website has an additional discount.)

Previous interview of the author. 
All books by the author:
— 18x64: Chess Class with Bhagavad Gita Shlokas
— Just eight pawns: A short story book for children - of all ages
— 1. Leila#
— 2. Zih-e-Lucknow#

.


.
.
.
 
Design by Free WordPress Themes | Bloggerized by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Themes | Press Release Distribution