PUNE: Grandmaster and India's Olympiad chess coach Swapnil Dhopade tries to convey the truth as he sees it. And there is no repenting on it.
"Today's chess is not just about accuracy. It is about practical decision making," said 32-year-old Dhopade who managed the Chingari Golf Titans team in the recent Global Chess League in Dubai. "Even if you play dubious moves fast, and make decisions faster in general, and put your opponents under pressure, it is completely fine."
Welcome to the era of online and chess of short time controls, its rewards and probable pitfalls.
On the long-term impact of online and blitz events getting more prize money than for over-the-board classical events, Dhopade said, "Chess will grow more online in terms of prize money and viewership. Offline will be for titles like GMs, WGMs etc.
"At the same time, chess is traditionally played offline and it's impossible to completely eradicate it. And don't forget that over-the-board chess is far more rewarding in terms of enjoyment and titles. If other things are kept equal (prize money and ease of playing), most good chess players will still prefer offline mode."
Dhopade also gave an insight about how coaches' approach is changing.
"When we (as students) could not find a solution to a chess problem, we were forced to find a solution on our own. But now, it's changing a bit. Coaches are evolving. Previously, I would coarse my student to find the best move in a given position even if they are past 20 minutes," he said. "But nowadays I give them exercises which are tough but solvable in a quick time. I encourage them to make the decision as quickly as they can even if they are wrong. That way I also encourage them to make mistakes."
What about chess' important ingredient then - the accuracy?
"Earlier, people treated chess as a mathematical equation and wanted to solve it accurately. But now they are getting closer in realising that they have to make faster decisions.... and they have to be completely fine with it whether they are right or wrong. The psychological and practical aspects of chess are taking over the demand for perfection."
Worth to note that the advent of strong computer engines (readymade answer to the viewers at a click of a button) have now put a question mark about the champions' aura and their supposed flawless play anyway.
"I used to tell my students that you should not play too many online, blitz and bullet games because that will hamper your chess progress," said Dhopade "But the rise of Nihal Sarin is already contradicting this principle. Players are evolving and collaborating with new technology. Much of the old wisdom is getting outdated."
