Alireza Firouzja, the giant-killer who has scalped Carlsen, Nakamura and Anand in the last week

After bringing down erstwhile satellite champions Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen too World No 2 Hikaru Nakamura successful erstwhile encounters, Firouzja got the amended of elder French compatriot Maxime Vachier-Lagrave doubly successful 2 days successful the 2nd variation of the GCL. Only Anish Giri has been capable to clasp the Iran-born French prima to a draw. Since that draw, the 21-year-old has defeated everyone who has faced him.

Playing connected the icon committee for the Kings franchise, helium took down Vachier-Lagrave successful a sharp, tactical crippled which ended successful 42 moves aft Vachier-Lagrave chose to resign with a checkmate appearing inevitable. Firouzja cornered Vachier-Lagrave’s claustrophobic king connected the record with a bishop, a queen, a knight and an advancing pawn.

“I similar crisp positions connected the board. In general, top-level players are bully astatine everything. Generally, my champion tactical games person been successful the much tactical positions,” Firouzja, who is 1 of the astir attacking players successful the sport, told The Indian Express successful an interview.

When asked what helium likes astir the sport, helium said: “When I started out, I liked the information that it was an idiosyncratic sport, truthful you had a batch connected your hands. You could power things. That was what made it antithetic from different sports similar football. I liked that a lot. Other than that I was precise bully astatine it from the start. That helped a lot… Right now, I bask the information that I tin question each implicit the satellite oregon I tin play from location adjacent successful apical tournaments. For instance, Magnus and I faced each different aggregate times lone successful online tournaments. It’s precise bully practice. It’s a precise bully mix.”

Playing connected the icon committee for the Kings franchise, Firouzja took down Vachier-Lagrave successful a sharp, tactical crippled which ended successful 42 moves. (GCL)

While helium skipped the Chess Olympiad successful Budapest, helium said helium was peculiarly enjoying playing successful a squad atmosphere.

“I ever bask squad formats. I enjoyed it erstwhile I played astatine the European Championships erstwhile I ended successful 2nd spot with France. I ever play good successful squad events due to the fact that I emotion the atmosphere. Here successful GCL arsenic well, we person a precise bully team,” helium said earlier adding: “The faster formats are overmuch much amusive to play in. But it’s besides important to person equilibrium betwixt the formats. I person to beryllium bully astatine everything. But I signifier playing successful the faster clip controls a lot.”

Firouzja’s endowment has ever been undeniable. A grandmaster astatine the property of 14, helium had breached Magnus Carlsen’s grounds for the youngest subordinate ever to transverse the 2800 standing barrier. Five-time satellite champion Carlsen, earlier helium chose to forfeit his crown, had adjacent declared: “If idiosyncratic different than Firouzja wins the Candidates Tournament, it is improbable that I volition play the adjacent satellite title match.”

Did a declaration similar that from 1 of the top players successful past enactment unit connected him?

“I don’t spot wherefore it should enactment unit connected maine to perceive that helium sees maine arsenic a susceptible hostile for himself,” helium smiles. “I effort to ever amusement that I’m 1 of the champion players successful the world. There’s nary pressure.”

While Firouzja was playing successful his 2nd Candidates tourney successful Toronto earlier this year, it was a archetypal timer, Gukesh, who won the prestigious lawsuit successful his archetypal attempt.

“Gukesh’s triumph (at the Candidates) was precise impressive. He played precise bully chess. He has a precise bully squad down him. Him winning was not that overmuch of a surprise. Everybody was precise beardown successful the Candidates truthful anybody could person won it. But of course, helium played a large event,” said the Frenchman.

Did Gukesh winning the Candidates marque him consciousness similar the adjacent generation’s clip has come?

“Him winning didn’t springiness maine a antithetic motivation. Of people it is bully to spot that caller faces are coming. The generation’s changing. The Indian players person monolithic support. And they’re winning everything. For definite India is simply a superpower successful the satellite of chess. The Indians person a precise bully structure, with Viswanathan Anand and everybody being involved. The Indian players cognize the way to victory.”

(The writer is successful London astatine the invitation of Tech Mahindra)