'Mango, Paneer ...': Not just chess on Russian GM's mind as GCL makes India debut

NEW DELHI: Russia wears its past similar an heirloom, thing intolerable to ignore. Chess, naturally, is 1 of its proudest legacies.India, different civilisation rooted successful heavy traditions, has spent the past fewer decades carving retired its ain spot connected the planetary chess map, producing prodigies and sharing podiums astatine a gait that adjacent the aged defender present acknowledges.

Yes, Russia, antecedently portion of the USSR, whitethorn inactive person much satellite champions, but erstwhile Russian Grandmaster Volodar Murzin speaks of India, helium keeps the crippled of 64 squares aside. Instead, his caput jumps to thing acold much delicious, thing acold much edible.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!For 19-year-old Murzin, India begins with mangoes, paneer, and sugarcane juice, the trio that has intelligibly check-mated his sensation buds.“I've played successful India galore times before,” Murzin told TimesofIndia.com from his location successful Russia during an exclusive interaction. “When I was successful India, I ate a batch of mangoes, drank sugarcane juice, and I similar Indian paneer.”And what astir spice?"I similar spicy food. Yeah. For me, this is not a problem. The Indian paneer is precise tasty."As India prepares to big the Global Chess League (GCL) for the archetypal clip astatine the iconic Royal Opera House successful Mumbai from December 14 to 23, Murzin, the 2024 FIDE Rapid champion, volition articulation the fray arsenic 1 of the sharpest young minds.

Retained by the American Gambits, Murzin is rather affirmative astir the 3rd season.“I similar this benignant of tournament,” helium added. “I ever similar squad competitions… you tin speech with beardown players successful your team.”

Featuring Hikaru Nakamura, Richard Rapport, Vladislav Artemiev, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Teodora Injac, and Volodar Murzin, American Gambits person 1 of the strongest line-ups successful the league this season.Although Murzin hasn’t spoken to his superstar teammates yet astir the upcoming season, helium feels connection won't beryllium an issue.“I cognize everyone successful my team. I person bully connection with each of them,” helium told this website.“Of people we privation to win… but we conscionable request to play and not deliberation astir that,” helium added, sounding similar a seasoned who has seen capable unit for his age.When asked astir his wide acquisition since lifting the World Rapid rubric past year, Murzin admits the crown changed thing within.“I conscionable became much confident,” the teen added. “It volition beryllium easier to play present due to the fact that I consciousness much comfortable.”But 2025 hasn’t been perfect. “It was not a bully twelvemonth for me… I didn't play precise well. I conscionable request a small spot much time,” helium explained.Yet his ambition is sharp. He wants to amended his classical chess: “Sometimes I tin deliberation astir 15 minutes… if I commencement to play faster, I deliberation I volition go a apical subordinate for sure.”Ask him astir Candidates 2026, and helium feels that the experienced ones successful the circuit are somewhat much favourites: “Caruana has bully chances. He’s successful bully shape, precise strong. Anish Giri too”

With Doha hosting the World Rapid & Blitz Championships from December 25 to 31, Murzin is alert of the imaginable challenge: "There are a batch of beardown players, and it's precise absorbing to play against them."However, helium doesn’t shy distant from naming the opponents he’d emotion to face: Arjun Erigaisi and Hans Niemann.“Erigaisi has an absorbing style… he’s similar an intuitive player,” Murzin added. “And Hans too, precise absorbing style.”But earlier each these, the aboriginal of Russian chess is coming to Mumbai for the GCL and possibly for dessert-worthy mangoes and protein-packed paneer.ALSO READ: From 'dying from spice' to 'iPhone revolt' and 'Gukesh mode': Dutch No.1 Anish Giri opens container of not-quite-chess tales | Exclusive