First things always come first and inevitably they last long. Can you ever forget the day when you learned to ride a bicycle/motor bike/car for the first time, the day when you went on your first hike/solo trip, the day when you appeared for the first interview, the day when you left your country for the first time, the first day of the first job, first love, first...... They are all unforgettable and etched in memory for a long long time. Last Sunday was such as unforgettable day for me as I won my first Chess* prize (3rd prize in a <1500elo>
Envelope with Prize money. A Moderate prize money (75 EUR) with a humongous value.
I am never going to trade this currency. Never, Never Ever!!!
With one GM and a few IMs on the top boards and plenty of serious players around, amateur participants like me are usual suspects during such tournaments but then they offer us an opportunity to improve further and with the prize money I received as a motivation proves nothing but it's only a start and there is a long long way to go...
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Envelope with Prize money. A Moderate prize money (75 EUR) with a humongous value.
I am never going to trade this currency. Never, Never Ever!!!
With one GM and a few IMs on the top boards and plenty of serious players around, amateur participants like me are usual suspects during such tournaments but then they offer us an opportunity to improve further and with the prize money I received as a motivation proves nothing but it's only a start and there is a long long way to go...
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* In my mother tongue Marathi, Chess is called Buddhibal, literal translation in English is Brain Power. Most of the times, I feel I use more power than brains on the board. With such skills winning any prize in this skillful sport is normally out of question.
13 comments:
Congratulations guru! :-)
I never knew this was your first prize ever for chess! I thought you were a seasoned chess amateur! I was under the impression you must have won a lot in college when you started out. Too bad, I left too early this sunday to be unable to share your moment of success and elation! :-(
Certainly, I know how much the first taste of success in chess (which people consider to be a game of wits) can mean! In fact, mine first medal came too early. It was my very first tournament (Under-15) but in fact I was only 12 then. I won 4 games in a row, lost 2 and won the last one. I thought it was bad, but I hanged around to see the guy who won all 7 games to go up on stage. I really admired the spectacular moves he made over the two days. But before he could go up, they called me up on stage to receive a bronze medal. I was like "WTF, dun be crazy!". Unbelievable feeling. All my friends from my school team left because they won less than 3 games after 6 games. So, I was alone. I did not even have a mobile phone. I wished then to have wings on my shoulders so I could literally fly home to share with my parents the ecstacy that i had bottled for more than an hour!
I am so glad, we now have another common realm of interest in which to indulge and discuss about.
I will join you for chess when tango gets over. :-)
You bring me to back many memories! I know why I never continued chess after 9th. 10th was impt year, so no playing. 11-12th - my school did not even have a team!! None of my friends liked or knew chess. My mom was a state champion when she was young but had lost patience for chess. In univ, my main company was my gf and she did not know how to play. So basically no company.
But, I guess you saw that on sunday. I am so bloody rusty. Brain has slowed down. I am not sharp anymore. A lot of the strategies that I had developed and learnt have deserted me. But, now I have company! :-) So, I will rejuvenate yet another hobby of mine that has been sleeping in the attic of my soul!
Btw, i love basketball as well! I didn't know u are a good centre! Man, come on...lets play sometime and teach me some tips!
As usual, as is with any sport, I am not good at it. But, heck, not everyone can be kobe bryant or allen iverson or guru for that matter. :-)
If I don't try, I will never know! :P
Irony of every Indian kid, I have to say. Very Sad!!! It's rather unfortunate that it got on you even in Singapore and specially when you mom is/was such a fab player.
Don't really know why Indian parents and others get so paranoid about kid's future/living/career etc. once he/she reaches 10th/12th . Something for sure is terribly wrong in our socio eco-system.
And, is there any game you do not like :-) Well, not sure about Basketball but you should join Chess club for sure. All I can lure you with is:
"Rustiness will go as you will grow!
Take up the game and bring back the fame!!"
Many congratulations. I am hopeless at Chess as I play an ultimate defensive game.
Congratulation guru jee...seems interesting
Congrats guru. I can imagine the pressure in playing the chess. Even though we try to be cool, but we couldn't because it involves lot much thinking on strategies and predictions.
Good going. Wish you all the best for more prizes in chess.
wah wah Guruju ... amazing - you havee done many commendable things this yr ... dodentocht, the chess prize, trip to IEDM ... how many more such things do you probably want ??? :P ... anyways- am so happy for you ... hope to see one day when Vishy will get an autograph from u ;) ...
Guru,
You keep surprising me !! Congrats.
Gurudada Dhanyavaad.
I wonder if you will be recognized as "GrandMaster Guruprasad" earlier to "Dr Guruprasad" !!
Congratulation guru Bhai. Keep it up.
Congratulation Guru.... Next time instead of Bridge will go for Chess. what say? ;-)
Mridula,
I am also poor in Chess most of the times as I play ultimately offensive :-)
Puneet, Narasing, Vidyanand, Nilesh bhai,
Thanks a lot for encouraging words!
Hari,
Thanks for listing the achievements this year (Usually i do that towards the end of the year) and thanks a ton for mentioning about IEDM. I have almost forgotten the episode now. Audience seems to be under the impression that all I do is blogging and I am tired of convincing them that I am as sincere in PhD as I am in all these things. But, then who cares :-)
I have a sixth sense that the best of PhD is yet to come and need to be working towards it, slowly and steadily.
Btw, I am not traveling for IEDM. That's another story for Blog. But, I prefer to keep office and blogs exclusive.
Ganesh,
dreaming me as a GM is a hallucination, a high degree hallucination. If at all I ever achieve 2000 ELO rating in Chess, I will be the most happy individual. 2000 is a realistic goal too. FYI: Anand et. al. are around 2775-2800 category :-)
Amol,
Chess as doubles should be a real fun :-) Although, we should be able to teach a handsome lesson of Bridge to our opponents during next games. I will forward you some strategies I found on the net. Aai shi pan bolalo, she gave further tips and tricks for proper calls etc. should be useful for us. 'll route 'em mate, 'll route 'em :-)
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