Pune: Chess Olympian Sandipan Chanda , who was V Anand ’s second and now works as trainer at his academy in Chennai, has given thumbs up for Freestyle chess . But with a caveat. “One does not need to prepare openings and that’s a very attractive part about it,” said Chanda, 41, during the Maharashtra Open GM tournament recently.
“So, for top players, it can really be very interesting. Because after all, chess is supposed to be fun. It is supposed to be a game and not supposed to be like work (prep) — like you have to study and then reproduce at the board. That way Freestyle makes it much easier.”
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Chanda, who trains R Vaishali , doesn’t quite agree with the statement that chess suffers from drawn games only because of frequent display of opening theory. He said humans still have not cracked normal chess as today’s top engine would hold a top player to a draw even if it starts with two pawns less. “Normal classical chess still has a way to go. It really has many years left, provided enough people believe in that.”
Chanda also argues that if the fans cannot comprehend and fully enjoy the live games of normal chess, and if the sport itself is deemed not spectator friendly, how are the fans going to get truly connected while following Freestyle games?
“I feel Freestyle chess is giving more fascination to those players and people who already know a lot about standard classical chess. So that way I have my doubts about Freestyle sustaining on its own as a stand-alone format,” he said.
“It is not that we (humans) have generally become so strong in normal chess that almost all top games end in draws with precise play. So, I understand the problem, but I don’t think that it really has to stop yet.”
Chanda lauded Magnus Carlsen for taking the Freestyle experiment further with a series of events and playing in the Grenke Open in Germany. “He is bringing in investors, he’s taking initiative, he’s doing stuff,” said Chanda.
“So, for top players, it can really be very interesting. Because after all, chess is supposed to be fun. It is supposed to be a game and not supposed to be like work (prep) — like you have to study and then reproduce at the board. That way Freestyle makes it much easier.”
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
Chanda, who trains R Vaishali , doesn’t quite agree with the statement that chess suffers from drawn games only because of frequent display of opening theory. He said humans still have not cracked normal chess as today’s top engine would hold a top player to a draw even if it starts with two pawns less. “Normal classical chess still has a way to go. It really has many years left, provided enough people believe in that.”
Chanda also argues that if the fans cannot comprehend and fully enjoy the live games of normal chess, and if the sport itself is deemed not spectator friendly, how are the fans going to get truly connected while following Freestyle games?
“I feel Freestyle chess is giving more fascination to those players and people who already know a lot about standard classical chess. So that way I have my doubts about Freestyle sustaining on its own as a stand-alone format,” he said.
“It is not that we (humans) have generally become so strong in normal chess that almost all top games end in draws with precise play. So, I understand the problem, but I don’t think that it really has to stop yet.”
Chanda lauded Magnus Carlsen for taking the Freestyle experiment further with a series of events and playing in the Grenke Open in Germany. “He is bringing in investors, he’s taking initiative, he’s doing stuff,” said Chanda.
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