For GM M.R. Lalith Babu, it was a dream come true maiden appearance in the Chess Olympiad in Norway last week-end when >the Indian team created history by winning the first ever bronze medal for India in the team event.
The 21-year-old gifted player from Vijayawada is elated at his latest feat. “Honestly, when we left India for the Olympiad, all that we were hoping for was to give our best. It was a complete team work and credit should go to the seniors like Krishnan Sasikiran (who completed 100 games in Olympiad), Sethuraman for the way they made the entire team prepare for the everyday challenges,” he recalls in an exclusive chat with The Hindu during his transit halt here on way to Abu Dhabi for the International Grandmasters tournament starting from August 22.
“Honestly, I was tensed initially because of the kind of ambience and the extremely tough competition. But thanks to all the support by my teammates, I could slip into the groove quite quickly and focus on my game,” says Lalith who played in three of the 11 rounds his team played to clinch the historic bronze.
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“It was a very highly creditable performance as we had to beat some of the top players to finish with a medal. personally, I am glad that in the three rounds I played, I finished with a creditable score of 2.5,” reminds the chess champion who met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu late on Monday evening to seek support for his future endeavour.
We were not expecting a medal. But the intensity in the preparations was some kind of a new experience. There was so much of involvement and it was Sasi who played the lead role in this. Having worked with Anand earlier, he knew the demands at this level pretty well. The best part is the way he made the entire team comfortable and in the process ensured that team spirit was always high,” he says. “The medal was possible because of the excellent display by the likes of Adhibhan, Sethuraman, Parimarjan Negi, Lalith Babu and Sasikiran Krishnan," he added.
“Frankly, only when we beat Armenia in the ninth round did we realise that we were in with a realistic chance of winning a medal. But, we had to wait till the final round and only our big win against Uzbekistan assured us of this bronze,” says Lalith.
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Lalith, with an ELO 2570, says that India lost just two of the 44 games played is a terrific reflection of the consistency the team has shown right through the Olympiad.
Would the presence of five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand and GM Pentyala Harikrishna made a bigger difference in Olympiad? “Certainly. But again, Anand is busy preparing for the world championship match against Magnus Carlsson,” says Lalith.
When not playing, Lalith was busy in assisting the senior Krishnan Sasikiran. “It was an unforgettable experience and eventually to finish third amongst 171 countries that took part should be a great achievement by any means,” he pointed out.