'Would've quit chess, if not for Goa': Story of legend putting Anand's record in danger

NEW DELHI: In the agelong and storied past of the Chess World Cup, lone 2 players person managed to assistance the trophy twice. India’s precise ain five-time World Champion Vishwanathan Anand is 1 of them.

The different is Levon Aronian, 1 of the astir admired and effortlessly eloquent Grandmasters around.With Goa hosting the FIDE World Cup, it is the second who seems poised to publication his sanction deeper into chess history.

On Wednesday, Aronian stormed into the pre-quarterfinals with a convincing 1.5–0.5 triumph implicit Poland's Radoslaw Wojtaszek successful the 4th round.Playing achromatic successful the instrumentality game, the 43-year-old comfortably held the Polish Grandmaster to a draw, meaning that his triumph with the achromatic pieces earlier successful the circular enactment him 1 measurement person to the 3rd World Cup title.Still, amid the rising expectations of chess fans, Aronian stays firmly grounded."I'm conscionable playing, not truly mounting immoderate goals. I'm conscionable blessed to beryllium backmost here," Aronian told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction. "When I heard it (FIDE World Cup 2025) would beryllium successful Goa, of course, that was a immense happiness for maine personally."The root of that happiness, however, goes backmost much than 2 decades.23 years backmost successful 2002, the FIDE World Junior Championships came to Goa’s shores.

And successful the Open category, it was a 20-year-old Aronian who walked distant with the title.With his glasses on, Aronian, dressed successful a achromatic full-sleeve T-shirt and airy bluish denims, lifted the cupful arsenic precocious arsenic helium could, marking what helium present calls the revival of his career."It was my past Under-20 tournament, and I retrieve reasoning that if I hadn’t won it, I astir apt would’ve discontinue chess by now. I was expected to commencement studying, truthful it was a truly important lawsuit for me," Aronian recalled with a wide grin connected his face.

"When I won, I got truthful overwhelmed that I decided to portion a lot, to observe with immoderate of the different players there. It ended up being a truly amusive nighttime with my friends. I went to slumber aft mounting the alarm," helium continued."The adjacent morning, I woke up 3 hours aft my formation was expected to leave! I packed my things successful a immense rush. I reached the airport, and they told me, “We're sorry, sir, your formation has been delayed by six hours."So yes, I was fortunate not lone with my play and winning the tournament, but with everything that happened successful Goa!"Aronian, who present represents the United States aft switching from Armenia successful 2021, seems to person rediscovered his bushed this year. A top-three decorativeness astatine the ongoing World Cup would warrant him a spot successful adjacent year’s Candidates Tournament, acceptable to beryllium held successful Cyprus.And if past kisses Aronian's feet connected Goan soil, 1 is happening is for sure: helium volition marque definite that catching his formation isn’t near to luck.