Vidit Gujrathi Skips Azerbaijan Tournament for PM Modi Felicitation
Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, fresh from his triumph at the Chess Olympiad, has decided to forgo defending his title at the Vugar Gashimov Memorial Chess Super Tournament in Azerbaijan to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Gujrathi, who won the Azerbaijan event last year, was part of the historic Indian men’s team that clinched the Chess Olympiad gold in the Open category.
Upon learning about the felicitation function, Gujrathi expressed his joy and gratitude on social media. “I reached Baku and I got to know our Hon’ble PM wants to felicitate the Indian team. I was overjoyed when I heard this and I wanted to be a part of it. It’s amazing at how such short notice he is taking out time for us,” he wrote.
Gujrathi, 29, has been replaced by Aravindh Chithambaram for the event to be held from September 25-30. “I contacted Sarkhan Gashimov (organiser) and he understood my sentiments. Big thanks to him! Wishing Aravindh the best to play against top players in this prestigious event,” Gujrathi added.
After India’s historic Chess Olympiad victory, Gujrathi remarked that the golden era of chess has just begun for his country. “We can call it a golden era for Indian chess, as gold has been won. The same team competed in the Asian Games, but I think everyone has stepped up their game over the past year. We were winning by significant margins, and it was a dominant performance,” he said.
Gujrathi also addressed the incident where he missed shaking hands with his opponent, Levon Aronian. “I have a routine of meditating before every match, which helps me stay focused and perform better. I was busy with that, which is why I missed shaking hands with him. When I opened my eyes, I then shook hands with him,” he explained.