KOLKATA: Surya Sekhar Ganguly warmed up for the upcoming Chess Olympiad in style by claiming the Chess960 Rapid Open at 55th Biel Chess Festival in Switzerland on Monday. The Grandmaster enjoyed beginner's luck as he clinched the title playing this format for the first time.
"Believe me, forget a tournament, I had never played the Random format ever before except perhaps casually while passing time during some training sessions. Many played the game online during the pandemic time. But I didn't even play that," Ganguly told TOI from Biel on the morning after his triumph. The Kolkata boy, who always prefers the classical format, had to consult the arbiter often during this seven-round tournament. "I used to get things clear from the arbiter as I am not very conversant with the rules of this game and made sure I am not playing an illegal move," he added.
