NAGPUR: The city's second grandmaster Sankalp Gupta is brimming with joy after India's crowning glory at the Chess Olympiad which concluded in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday. As the city celebrates 18-year-old golden girl Divya Deshmukh, few among Nagpur's chess aficionados are aware of 21-year-old Sankalp's pivotal behind-the-scenes contribution to India's thumping success.
Sankalp, along with Delhi's 27-year-old GM Vaibhav Suri, served as essential seconds for Indian men's team in the Open section. In chess, a second or trainer is a professional player who assists higher-rated masters in their preparation for tournaments, akin to an assistant coach in other sports. Both Sankalp and Suri were part of the eight-member Indian men's team at the Olympiad.