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Loek van Wely, a Dutch Grandmaster and a former member of the Senate of Netherlands, was announced as the Manager for Triveni Continental Kings - a team participating in the Global Chess League.
With a plethora of experience under his belt, Loek is one of the architects behind the team that they have assembled. The Kings have three wins in seven matches and will be eyeing one of the top spots.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Loek spoke about all the roles he performs in the team, the player draft strategy of the Kings, and how he has seen the sport evolve over the years.
Read excerpts from the interview below:
Q: How do you help the players tackle this new format where it is an individual game but they also need to keep in mind the larger picture?
A: So basically, it's complicated how to help them. Chess is very individual. Some of the players need chess assistance. I am a grandmaster myself. To help all six grandmasters all at once, it's kind of hard. I help those who need help the most and some of the Elite players and Chinese players - they can manage themselves.
The players I focus on are the junior ones. They need some assistance on chess but on mental aspects as well. I try to help in this regard. Since it is a team effort, you want them to play like a team. The social aspects also come into the picture then. Everybody is fighting hard.
Q: What was the thought process going into the draft and how satisfied were you with the team after the draft?
A: We were selecting the profiles of the players. The Chinese players - I know them quite well. They are fighting very hard no matter what's at stake. I also wanted to have some Indian players as the league is sponsored by Indian companies.
Everyone was bidding very hard for Indian players - we had a very steep price to pay for them. So we had to choose between the level of play and the media attention you can get from them. We had the Chinese units. I wanted to have at least one Indian player but well, somehow it didn't work out.
Q: Jonas Buhl Bjerre was selected as your team's prodigy player. What is something special that the management saw in him?
A: He is young and is very eager to play on this level and on this stage. He won a big tournament in Cuba. He definitely has potential. We just needed to see how he will perform on the big stage.
He needs my help and I make sure that the players are getting the support. I could help him a lot by experience. I have been playing a lot of high-level tournaments so I know what it feels like to be playing in that sort of situation.
Q: How difficult is it to change strategies when the side faces different opponents?
A: A lot of things can happen - disappointments and everything. It is important to deal with disappointments. For example, the first match we lost which we should have won, and to get the team back on track and make them play hard again the next match was my main task. It is still a long tournament and you don't want them to be down. Some things you don't have under control so you need to adapt to new situations.
Q: There are some days when the team plays two matches. How do the players ensure that they stay mentally fit and fresh for especially the second fixture of the evening?
A: Yes of course that is the tricky part. In the game, you have a lot of adrenaline. After the game, you tend to relax too much. The job isn't over yet but you need to be ready for the next game.
It's my job to keep them sharp, to make sure that they don't relax too much or eat or drink too much - that is not a good idea. They need to stay focused for a few hours and that is something a professional can manage.
Q: Even you are a great player of the sport so how does it feel to see Chess come all this way and to see a certain level of glamour now being associated with this league?
A: It's a good development. Of course, players should understand that there is also a responsibility on them for marketing of chess. They can keep this position. Chess. right now, is well respected. I have been around for many years and I have seen it go up and down.
Back in the seventies and eighties, Chess was like a really elite sport. It went down a bit but now again due to the pandemic and due to Queen's Gambit (a TV series) and all the other things, Chess is up again.
We have to stay on top. The marketing is also important and how you represent yourself. It'll be nice if the world realizes that Chess is a beautiful sport.
