Chess Journey Of FM Niranjan Navalgund of Bharat
Dear friends,
Though our nation Bharat is a land that has given origin to the game of chess and a gem like 5 times World Chess Champion Vishwanathan ,usually Chess is a less commonly preferred game in our nation and somebody who persistently and passionately getting involved in it to reach to a level of becoming a titled player is still less common.When such a titled player has not only communication skills ,but an enthusiasm to share his knowledge and help others to improve their game is like a "Dugdha-Sharkar Yog" in Sanskrit (meaning - combination of (virtues of) milk with (sweetness of) sugar ) !!!
So,this made me to interview the player who has all those qualities in him ie.
Super Administrator of club "BHARAT" - FM Niranjan Navalgund !
So,let us have some glimpses of his journey in to the wonderland of chess till now :-
Me:- How and when did your journey in the" wonderland of Chess" start ?
Niranjan :-This video answers your first question 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMio9pEfin8
Me :-Really,a very nice one with an inspiring message within it !
So,this story tells us about how you took your first small step in the journey in to the wonderland of chess.
But ,then how did you get the guidance and encouragement till you crossed your school days to enter a more thoughtful and serious acceptance of chess as a possible future career ?
What were your achievements during that period ?
Niranjan :-
I used to visit a local chess club but was not really getting a chance to play initially. Some of the players there - noticed my interest and suggested that I do solve some chess puzzles. A few localites helped me with 1-2 puzzle books.
Then, my parents decided to take me to other districts for state level events. I came to know of how a chess event takes place, and that there are chess coaches too.
Winning the district tournament was a big thing.. So that was my first accomplishment in 2005. At the age of 13-14 I decided that chess would be the main part of my life
IM Raja Ravi Sekhar was my first serious coach.. Before 2006, I sought help from players from my city who were very good players themselves. They used to help me with solving positions, learning openings and practicing regularly.
Me :-
So,by the time that you passed your 10 th standard exam. ,you identified "chess" as your life time goal.
To achieve a certain level of playing,you have to fully dedicate yourself for it's study.
Did it affect your scholastic performance positively or negatively ?
Niranjan:-
It is hard to say if the effect was positive or negative, but I would certainly say it all depends on an individual. There have been a few things I missed in the childhood as my focus was purely on chess and there have been a few things I gained because my focus was purely on chess.
I learnt a lot by travelling and reading books, so it did compensate for my absence in schools to an extent. But, learnig should always continue - so I did that
My marks were never really impacted, I was scoring in 90's inspite of working on chesss for most of the year. But, I believe life is more than just getting marks. If you are able to implement whatever you learn, that's more important!
Me:-
Rightly said !
My intention behind the question was to underline the importance of games in our childhood. Because the mental strength and physical skills that we gain during playing the games have a very positive impact on our scholastic studies and i think, exactly that is what is reflected in your academic performance !
What were your main achievements till you finished your school life , in terms of competitions of chess ?
Yes,that's right !
I played quite a lot of open events during my school years. It also included national events - U11, U13, U15, U17.
I won the district championship in 2005. THe next big break came when I won the state U-14 (School games) in 2008. In 2006 and 2007, I qualified to play in the nationals.
I became a state subjunior champion in 2009
State Junior champion in 2010.
This is the year (2010) where I made a big decision to move to Chennai. So, I finally made it to Chennai in 2011.
Became a National U-17 Champion in 2011 at Pondicherry. (11th Grade). That opened doors to asian, world youth, commonwealth and so on.
Commonwealth U-18 Silver in 2012 (12th grade)
National Cities Champion (Team Velammal - 2012)
I also got a scholarship from ONGC after becoming the national U17 champion for the next two years..
That's an overview of my school life
Me:-
That is a very bright graph of achievements which is enough to fill the heart of a player with the positive energy and the head with the higher ambitions .
So what were the strategic plans that you had at that time in your mind regarding your future chess journey and what were the opportunities that you got to fulfill them ?
It was more like going with the flow and accepting things on the way than following a fixed strategic pattern of plan.
a) I kept playing a lot of tournaments
b) Used to solve a lot of positions at home
c) Started experimenting with different openings and trying them out in practice games.
My biggest break as far as results are concerned came in 2017 - GM Norm. Every game I play, - I used it as an opportunity.
In terms of tournaments, I got a lot of chances to play in Chennai. Chennai, being a chess hub has a lot of players and I got to play a lot of local events which shaped my practice.
I used to regularly compete in Grandmaster tournaments from2011.
Me :-
That underlines the positive impact of the environment upon the development of potentials hidden within you and the role of time ,dedication and practice needed on the part of the player.
Could you please elaborate over what are the different norms for achieving the G.M. title and when you achieved them(in a chronological order)!
Niranjan :-
The rules are quite complex - regarding the GM title. But, one has to perform at 2601 or above to get a GM norm. This performance has to be repeated thrice. After that, the player must also touch 2500 in the rating and only then you get GM title.
A lot is explained here :
https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/7l2gv8/the_exact_requirements_for_becoming_a_gm_explained/
In Delhi, I made the GM norm as I had surpassed the performance rating requirement. GM norm is also considered as an IM norm. Later in a national event at Jammu, I made IM norm too. So, I have two norms now.
I applied for the FM (Fide master) title as I had surpassed 2300.
I wrote two articles about my GM norm here:
https://www.chessbase.in/news/niranjan-navalgund-first-gm-norm/
https://chessbase.in/news/niranjan-navalgund-first-gm-norm-2
I hope that helps!
Me:-
That's quiet a comprehensive answer and will serve as a guideline for all those who want to make career in this field but are lacking proper guidance !
Since you have passion for writing as well,how do you see yourself - as writer in a chess player or a chess player in a writer ?
Niranjan :-
I see myself as a soul who exercises different abilities
Playing chess and writing - both are soulful pursuits and I juggle between the two. But, I haven't limited myself to just two things. I have varied interests - it is both, a boon and a bane.
Me:-
Having a passion in a different field complementary for a progress in chess or it divides your time and energy which otherwise would have been focused on chess ?
Niranjan :-
. It is a challenge! Change of work has been rest to me, so that's a personal choice. But, it differs from person to person. I have seen both the sides of it and would not like to pass on a conclusion.
Me:-
What is the importance of physical fitness for a game like chess without apparent physical exertion and do you do anything special for it ?
Niranjan;-
Physical fitness is VERY important. I do basic stretches, pushups, sit ups and walking. I did miss doing it for a long gap recently and then I picked up again. Sometimes, I also do breathing exercises and basic yoga asanas. -
Me:-
I want to quote your answer to your Father's question about your attitude regarding the tournament in which you achieve the GM norm :-
"Chandrashekhar Navalgund: What was your attitude before and after? (Niranjan's father)
I carried a question mark before the event and returned with a comma after the event "
It is very appropriate answer ,because the journey of a player never ends with any achievement !
In the last ,would you like to give any special message for the aspiring players of chess.com community ?
Niranjan :-
This would be my message:
To all those aspiring to improve their game, practice consistently. You can refer my articles here, I have also mentioned ways to keep improving with bare essentials on chess.com as well as on board with the help of books.
Being acquainted with the stories and experiences of great souls can help you. Read biographies, autobiographies, and always stay curious.
Me:-
I wish you" All The Best " on behalf of "BHARAT" ,
for your future journey in the "Wonderland of Chess"!!!
Links for the activities of FM Niranjan Navalgund :-
BOOKS :-
https://www.amazon.in/Lively-Library-Unlikely-Romance-Book-ebook/dp/B01LSNI77A/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1593143526&sr=8-2
https://www.amazon.in/Over-Cup-Chai-Niranjan-Navalgund-ebook/dp/B079HX9HFP/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=over+a+cup+of+chai&qid=1593184756&sr=8-1
MOVIE :-
BLOG :-
https://www.chess.com/blog/NiranjanNavalgund
Youtube Channel for CHESSOPHILE shows:-
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgAznpr5fcVNAIrKBoBI-Eg?sub_confirmation=1
