'Consistency is Key', says 2019 National Junior Chess Champion Aradhya Garg

Aradhya Garg is a 19-year-old chess player from New Delhi, India. With a FIDE rating well above 2200, crossing 2300 at some-point in 2015, the Delhi lad has an impressive track record in the sport.

He has clinched several awards, most recently the prestigious National Juniors 2019 title, adding on to silverware won at the National U-17 in 2014 and Commonwealth U-16, among others.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Garg shares his journey of taking up chess, steps taken to improve with every passing tournament and a lot more. Excerpts below -

Q. Can you please share with us about your initial journey in chess?

I was introduced to chess in May 2008 by my mother. My sister (who is 3 years older than me) and I learnt the rules together. Mom taught us the game in order for us to have something to focus on, as otherwise, we would be continuously calling her during her work hours not letting her concentrate on her commitments. My first coach was Mr Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava Sir, who instilled a deep passion for chess in me.

Q. How did you progress into a 2200+?

In 2011, my FIDE Elo rating was in the 1600s. I worked harder and improved at tactics, openings, as well as in my overall understanding of the game. With my team of coaches' advice and guidance coupled with my own work, I got to 2200. I also had a number of 'playing partners', who were serious competitors themselves and also contributed to my progress, considerably.

Q. You won the National U-17 and now the National Junior. Can you share your secrets of success?

Yes, I was quite lucky to win both of these events. I was fortunately among the leaders in the National U-17 in 2014 right from the beginning and played consistently throughout. Some similarities in both these victories were that I remained undefeated in both and won them on tiebreaks.

I tried to make the most of my positions and took objective decisions especially in the National Juniors. I was always competitive, focused solely on the events, and believed in myself. Before the games, I usually had a clear idea about what kind of a position I wanted, what opening I aspired to play, etc.

Q. You are currently studying at the university level. How do you balance both chess and academics?

I am currently pursuing an Honours Bachelor's degree in Political Science at Kirori Mal College, which is a part of Delhi University. I try to study when I am at home and not playing in chess tournaments, but I am not too consistent in this aspect.

I should work on my academics regularly for 1-2 hours on a daily basis, in general. However, I am quite clear that I want to spend most of my time in chess. Hence, even when I am at home, I try to focus on the game more than on anything else.

Q. Coming back to the National Junior, how was your experience in this tournament? What was going through your mind when you were competing? Did you think you will have a chance to win?

The tournament was very well-organised. Although it was held in Gurugram, in Haryana, there were a number of Delhi Chess officials in the event, which made me feel like I was playing at home. I was focused on my games and was taking it one match at a time, thinking only about the task in my hand at that moment.

I was not worried about the overall standings and whether I had to necessarily win in any particular round except for the final round. This helped me to remain calm to a great extent as well. I did think that I will have a chance to win going into the event, but with my rough start of 3.0/5, the hopes of me finishing even in the Top 6 were looking quite bleak.

Q. How did you prepare before and during the event? What can you say were the key takeaways from this championship?

Before the games, I was consulting my coaches about the way I should be approaching the matches. Prior to the tournament, I focused on doing tactics regularly and read books like Small Steps To Giant Improvement by Sam Shankland.

About the key takeaways of the tournament, I do believe that it was very important for me to have a clear mind and focus solely on the tournament. Good wishes from my friends, trainers, and family helped me to stay motivated. One of the important things was that I always had a firm belief that I could win if I played my best games throughout the tournament.

Q. What are your future goals?

I want to be an International Master (IM) in 2020. I want to perform consistently as that is something I really aspire to achieve. I want to read more books and improve on various facets of my game. I also want to be much more disciplined than I am currently in regards to my training schedule and overall chess study.

Q. What advice can you give for the audience?

I would advise the chess players to have a firm belief in themselves when playing their matches. I would, in general, suggest them to study the classical master games and to enjoy playing chess, which is definitely the most important.

9. You also played in the PRO chess league and trained visually impaired children through Project Checkmate. Can you please share your journey in both?

The PRO Chess League was extremely important to me, and I competed in the 2017 and 2018 editions. It was a very good experience to interact with a number of very strong Delhi Grandmasters and know them more closely. It also gave me an opportunity to play against very strong and esteemed grandmasters from across the globe, including Magnus Carlsen.

It helped me gain confidence as well and understand the importance of having more time than my opponents in general especially in the tournament format (Rapid 15+10). The PRO Chess League also taught me a great deal about teamwork and consistency.

Training the visually impaired children under Project Checkmate was very pleasant and helped me learn a lot. I understood how good the intuition of the visually challenged people usually is, how competitive, committed, and friendly they are, and how they are always very positive despite their disabilities.

I coached the blind children in the latter part of 2018 and in early 2019. I was very happy with the experience but unfortunately could not continue to post this as I had my class 12 Board Examinations and other commitments.

Q. Finally, what has been your proudest moment in chess so far and why?

My proudest moment would probably be winning the National U-17 in 2014. It wasn't just about clinching the Championship but more so because a lot of people who were there at the Prize Distribution Ceremony were cheering my name when I had the trophy and were applauding me when the photographs were being clicked! I was witnessing a star-studded moment! Also, what was very touching was that a lot of them did not know me as well and very few were from my hometown, Delhi.

Rapid Fire-

1. Blitz/Bullet- Blitz.

2. Classical/Rapid- Rapid as it is a mix of Blitz and Classical.

3. Next World Champion- I think both Ding and Caruana have good chances. However, I would say Ding as he is more creative and that is what matters at the very top level from what I have known.

4. Favourite Book- My System by Nimzowisch, Small Steps To Giant Improvement by Shankland, and My Great Chess Predecessors by Kasparov.

5. Favourite Quote- 'If you tell me something, I would forget; If you explain it to me, I may remember; If you involve me, I will understand.'

6. Favourite Player- I like different players for their unique styles. Carlsen for his psychological opening choices; Ding Liren for his creativity within the openings; Caruana for his hard work and genial personality; Aronian for his personality, active positional play, and optimism; Maxime Vachier Lagrave for his stable and limited opening repertoire; Mamedyarov for changing his lifestyle, playing style, etc.

7. Destination- Greece and Norway

8. Film- 3 idiots and Rockstar as I saw myself in them, especially in Rockstar!

9. Hobby- Reading and Debating