The WACA celebrations 2024
On the 23rd of May, 2024, The city of Bengaluru witnessed one of the most awaited events as the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA) held a grand celebration at the Good Shepherd Auditorium. With over 800 people attending, the event was a showcase of talent and inspiration. The highlight of the evening was the simul featuring Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, along with prodigies Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali, and WACA mentor and trainer Sandipan, who took on 15 of Bangalore's finest young players.The main event of the evening, the simul, had the WACA team facing 15 young talents, each with their own potential. Among these young talents, Apoorv Kamble, a 15-year-old, won against the WACA Team. This remarkable achievement highlights the promising future of Indian chess and the immense potential of young players. Let's cover more about what happened in the event.
The Grand Celebration begins
The event started with a warm greeting "Namaskara Bengaluru" by Sagar Shah who hosted the event. The past 1.5 years have been super commendable for all the mentees of the WACA. This special day was dedicated to celebrating the success of the team and the mentees.
When Vishy Anand was asked where the motivation to work so hard was coming from? He replied:
"That's what we always say right if you do something you love it doesn't feel like work - for me traveling especially to chess tournaments being around the just scene is something that I crave if it's not happening then you kind of feel funny sitting at home but of course I'm happy to get a chance to play every once in a while even though I play less as everyone knows you can't take it out fully so I appreciate these chances to play especially these new formats like we had in Casablanca and Deputy president is another chance to be involved with the world of Chess maybe from another angle so I juggle things, obviously my wife is a big support."
Following Anand's introduction were Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali, GM Sandipan Chanda, and Sandeep Singhal, the co-founder and managing partner of WestBridge.
One of the most touching and memorable moments for me, being there as an attendee was witnessing the immense respect and admiration that everyone had for Vishy Anand. Whenever Anand was asked a question, all the others would also stand up as a mark of respect. This simple yet lovely gesture highlighted their deep respect for him, not just as a chess legend, but as a mentor and role model for them.
Magic with Chess?
After conversing with the players, the marvelous mentalist Suhani Shah took the stage, showcasing amazing tricks for the audience and performing with the WACA Team. Her performance was truly phenomenal.
Along with meeting the players, I had always wanted to see Suhani's show live and be part of the audience. This event made that possible not just for me but for all attendees. It was a delightful experience, adding a unique touch to an already unforgettable evening.
The Simul Begins!
After the conversations, a simul was arranged where Vishy Anand, Gukesh, Pragg, Vaishali, and Sandipan took on Bangalore's finest young talents. In this exciting format, Team WACA was given 30 minutes on each board, while the players had 15 minutes. These 15 players were selected through a registration process. The selection criteria included rating, age, achievements, and other factors. Although they wished to include more participants, they had to limit the number to 15 for this event.
As you can see from the list, all 15 players look very strong with their ratings and achievements. It was a tough battle on the field. After intense and challenging matches, the final score was 12.5 for Team WACA and 2.5 for the Bangalore talents. Here are some of the photos from the simul:
An interesting moment happened when Aadhya V, who was a piece down, got an advantage when Vaishali captured a pawn but didn't notice that her queen was hanging. With Team WACA trying to cover most of the boards in the given time, this slip was natural, and Aadhya got an advantage on it, and eventually won the game. When Sagar asked him how he was feeling he expressed:
"I was completely losing, I was a piece down, luck came!"
Meanwhile, the final game of the simul concluded with a draw. M. Krishna managed to hold the WACA Team to a draw! It was a heartwarming scene to watch the entire team analyze the game together in the last moment of the game. This experience might have provided a significant confidence boost for M. Krishna, marking a memorable moment in his chess journey.
The Grandmasters discuss the position just before the draw against M Krishna! | Photo: ChessBase India livestream
Apoorv Kamble wins against the WACA Team
Another memorable highlight of the simul was when Apoorv Kamble clinched a victory on board number 1.
When Apoorv was on the verge of winning the game, noticing the position Praggnanandhaa suggested, "Maybe we can resign here." Vishy Anand, quickly responding, suggested, "Ask him whom he wants to resign?" Apoorv, with a smile, replied, "I think Gukesh.". It was a joyful moment and for sure an unforgettable moment for Apoorv.
Apoorv shared an interesting backstory about why he chose Gukesh when Vishy Anand asked whom he wanted to resign. Apoorv explained:
"When Vishy sir asked whom you want to resign, I didn't expect that of course, I said Gukesh, I just wanted to shake hands with Gukesh and he was very humble to come!"
This clearly shows how much admiration and respect these young players like Apoorv have for their idols. It is not every day that we get to meet these idols and share a moment with them, such interactions reflect the essence of chess as not just a competitive sport but also a community where players learn from each other, share mutual respect, and celebrate each other's achievements. This experience will undoubtedly be a cherished memory for Apoorv!
Apoorv shared some insights about his experiences and preparation:
"It was a wonderful experience, I was hoping 1. d4 but it was 1. e4 on the board. I saw the game later, it was a good game."
Since this was a simul, when asked about who had the advantage on time, Apoorv replied:
"I think the WACA Team had an advantage, but I think it did not cause me any trouble. I was just thinking if I lost I would regret it and miss this opportunity, but after the game started, I was just in the moment."
In an older interview with ChessBase India, Apoorv shared how his journey in chess began. He mentioned that he started playing chess when he was around 6 years old after his sister brought home a chessboard. Noticing his interest, his parents enrolled him in coaching. His first coach, IM Raja Ravisekhar, was crucial in helping him start his journey. Apoorv expressed that he enjoyed the process and continues to have fun playing chess to this day. This combination of early passion, supportive family, and professional guidance has contributed to his growth and success in the game of chess.
We sought some insights from what Apoorv’s parents had to say about the event and his chess journey:
” It was a cherished moment for Bangalore chess fraternity, to see all living legends of Indian chess at one stage. Event location, venue & organization was superb. The opportunity to play simul with those great players is something chess kids were really thrilled about. Apoorv was much excited to play but also wanted to seize the lifetime moment to show his skills.”
They also shared some insights on how winning this event was the icing on the cake for him:
” He played calmly to outplay them, which was not an easy task. It was really an icing on the cake to watch him win. The appreciation he got from them was really a boost for coming days.”
Apoorv (rated 2269) surely is a rising star, and his win at the WACA simul shows his potential. His calm approach suggests he has a bright future in chess.
They also highlighted how he prepares and likes to take risks for greater benefits in the game:
” Thanks WACA team for such a marvelous event. Chess is Apoorv's first love. When he is not in school, he will be mostly with his laptop playing and doing chess study. He has a sharp memory & prepares with his coach for each tournament & match. He likes to do post-match analysis to overcome his fault lines. He is an attacking player & tries to take risks for greater benefits.”
Apoorv surely has a boost for his upcoming tournaments and preparation but this does not stop here, he has a lot of ambitions just like any other chess player, and is willing to give his all to achieve them! When asked about his goals, he (Apoorv) replied: "I would like to become an IM by the end of this year, GM is the bigger goal".
Apoorv, other than chess enjoys all the sports but likes cricket and badminton.
When asked about his inspiration and whom he would like to play next: "I think playing the WACA Team was an honor, but I would hope to play Magnus one day, he's an idol of mine. I am a big fan of Nihal Sarin as well"
When asked about giving some advice on chess routine, he replied: "Mainly enjoy the game and everything else will follow".
Apoorv also recently received a laptop sponsored by the ChessBase India YouTube members program, which will significantly enhance his ability to practice chess more rigorously. With this new laptop and ChessBase software, he can now utilize stronger engines for his preparation, taking his training to the next level.
Celebration on Gukesh’s Candidates Victory
Fan moments : Autographs and excitement all around the venue
Some pictures of audience eagerly lined up to take autographs and photos with the WACA team, of course no one wants to miss the opportunity ;)
The essence of this article and its pictures wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible efforts of Ashwin Subramanian and Yamini Arora. Thank you both for capturing these memorable moments!
