Who could dominate world chess? The most promising country is India, says Alexander Grischuk

Comic relief: Grishchuk’s dry wit has a fan base of its own among chess lovers. ‘Sometimes you are in situations where you can either cry or laugh. And I would rather laugh,’ he says about his sense of humour. | Photo credit: Debasish Bhaduri

When talent recognises genius: Grischuk feels Viswanathan Anand is ‘one of the five greatest players of all time’, an exclusive list that also features Garry Kasparov, Magnus Carlsen, Bobby Fischer and Anatoly Karpov. | Photo credit: Getty Images

At the closing ceremony of the Tata Steel Chess India tournament in Kolkata last Saturday, Alexander Grischuk put on a Chicago Bulls cap shortly after receiving the winner’s trophy and cheque for the blitz event. “I had promised my son that I would wear this cap if I win something,” he said. “But I couldn’t win any in the last 10 tournaments.”