 For a boy of few words, the quiet Calcutta lad, Sandipan Chanda, has come a long way. Winning the All India FIDE Rated tournament in Bombay, IM Norm performance in Commonwealth Championship in Bikaner and qualifying for the National "A" last year were the high points of his career. Sandipan spoke to Parnab Mukherjee before his sensational nine game GM Norm performance at this year's Goodricke International
Open in Calcutta, where he defeated GMs Najdoski, Iordachescu, Horvath and drew
with GMs
Sorokin, Goloshchapov, Kortchnoi.Q: Are you thinking in terms of taking up a job or a professional chess career? I am asking this primarily because you have reached a stage of your playing life when there is a thought of settling down in the groove by taking up a job or persisting full time with chess and making something out of it.
A: I am fairly sure that I will take the latter option. I am not really thinking in terms of taking up a job. My aim and goal is to become a professional chess player and I am working towards it. I believe a job has constraints especially while
concentrating full-time on chess.
Do you have
an idol in front of you?
Yes, my idol has been GM Viswanathan Anand. As a chess player, a chess professional, and one of the finest tacticians around I find him greatly awe inspiring. I believe every chess player should follow Anand's footsteps.
How do you find the training and coaching methods at the Goodricke National Chess Academy?
Everything that I need concerning modern chess is made available to me by the Goodricke National Chess Academy. My coaches have been very helpful and I have analysed with them games of players and even trends in various aspects of the game. I am indeed grateful to the academy and my coaches for helping me and guiding me so far.
What are your expectations concerning the IM and GM titles in future? Any timeframe...
I am working on my game. Let me see how things work out. There is no timeframe if I play well,
I am sure I will make it.
You've been travelling a lot for chess inside and occasionally outside the country. What
do you rate as your satisfying performances?
I have definitely enjoyed my first foreign trip to Bratislava. Playing at the Asian cities in China was a great experience. The Commonwealth championship in Rajasthan which featured GMs Alexander Baburi, Tony Miles was also a great experience. Winning a national level tournament at the Andheri sports complex in Mumbai counts as one of my satisfying experiences, as I was qualifying for the
National "A" after a two-year jinx.
You are known as a very attacking player that spells
danger at times. Any comments?
I'm trying to be more solid. But I like positions with an attacking bend. It is a style which I do not want to discard, but I will definitely avoid taking undue risks especially during balanced positions.
Do you think that you need a laptop for preparations? That this instrument is an absolute
necessity...
Again, a laptop is important but I am doing fine with what I have at my disposal in the Goodricke Chess Academy. I am completely satisfied and let me achieve some
more goals before thinking about all this further.
A question about chess, as a profession, which is repeatedly coming back to our conversation. Do you think that as an emerging player you can earn a living by playing chess in the country?
Why not? if one plays fairly well... I think there are enough tournaments in this country to make a living.
Has there been any pressure from you to deliver goods and play at an optimum level?
No. I have always tried my best. The expectation has always been that each time I sit down to play, I should play well and give my best.
Everybody understands results and results will happen, if I keep on giving off my best shot. I feel bad, but bad or disappointing results
don't devastate me.
Do you have any personal sponsor?
The fact that many of you have to look for sponsorships,S especially while undertaking a foreign trip. Also the fact that many of you had to struggle at the very initial stages, does it all affect your game?
No, I don't have a sponsor. Whatever help I get, I get from the Goodricke National Chess Academy. As for the financial part having an effect on my game... I don't think so. On the board it is me, my opponent and 64 squares. Nothing comes in between that.
Best of luck for the future.
Thank you.
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