JOIN USAcademics to chess: The many moves of a GM
In 2012, Girish Koushik was at the crossroads. After a lot of introspection, a decision — a tough one — was taken. The then 15-year-old quit chess, his first love.
For the sport in India, it was a big loss as Girish wasn’t an average player. A big name in the junior circuit, he held the record of clinching gold in five categories (U-8, 10, 12, 14 & 16) of the Asian Championship.
“It was a big call because many in the chess fraternity had great expectations from me. But I had to shift my focus to academics. Also, I lacked financial support and it was getting difficult to manage my career,” Koushik, a former World U-10 champion, told DH on Tuesday.
Back to first love
Once a prolific performer, Girish vanished from the scene even as his peers made encouraging strides in the sport. Six years later, he is back where he belongs.
The 21-year-old became the third Grandmaster (GM) from Karnataka, after Thejkumar M S and Stany G A. He’s also India’s 63rd GM.
Girish achieved the required 56 Elo points and two GM norms across three tournaments in Madrid and Hungary.
The feat is a testimony to Girish’s talent. Staying away from competitive chess for an extensive period, he took the Europe trip with minimal preparations. A stroke of luck came to his rescue.
Flight delay
“I had 2444 rating points and one GM norm which I achieved in 2011. I left for Madrid after my final semester examinations. My flight to Madrid from Delhi was delayed for six hours. The organisers gave me a grace period of one hour and I managed to participate. If I had a strong financial backing, I would have become a Grandmaster five years ago. It was slightly frustrating to be away from chess but overall, I don’t regret my decision,” the Mysuru boy, an Electronics & Communication graduate from the RV College of Engineering, said.
Father Arun Kumar, a businessman and Girish’s coach, said, “It’s a dream-come-true moment for me. An IT company has offered him a job. He is again at the crossroads. But this time, we hope it’s chess.”