CHENNAI: It's been a long time coming for 32-year-old P Shyaam Nikhil. At a time when Indian chess is ruled by Chennai teens, Shyaam finally clinched his GM title in Dubai on Sunday, waiting 12 years for his final norm. The Nagercoil man became India's 85th and TN's 30th GM. During an interview with TOI, he opened up on his struggles.
Excerpts:
How difficult was this journey after you came close way back in 2012, when Viswanathan Anand was still the world champion?
It has been really long. I got my first norm in the Mumbai Mayor's Cup and another one in the 49th National Premier Championship held in Aurangabad. After that,I played in a tournament in 2012 April, in Dubai. That's where I was close to my final norm, and I needed one-and-a half out of two in the last two rounds. In a deciding encounter, I had a winning position against Grandmaster Tigran L Petrosian from Armenia. But I misplayed and the game ended in a draw. I did cross the rating of 2500 but due to some technicalities, I didn't get the title.
How did it feel when you got there finally on Sunday?
There have been situations when I got very close but missed it. I wasn't able to cope with it because I could feel there was something wrong — psychological pressure was getting to me. Whenever I got closer, I used to panic, and I would lose it. Now, it's a happy feeling. I can now play chess freely and peacefully. There is no pressure, I can focus more on the game and the quality of the game.
How did you deal with those missed chances?
It was quite painful, but I kept going. But my parents and my friends were worried more than me. I was more focused on improving my game. But when I saw my mom getting affected by the close misses, it did affect me.
How did you keep yourself motivated?
I used to exercise and meditate, but because I work at ICF Railways, I couldn't always maintain it. Actually, over the years, these youngsters really inspired me. After reaching a certain level, there are few players who never play in India. But Gukesh, Pragg and (Arjun) Erigaisi — the way they have come up has been really phenomenal. And they don't have any mental barriers, they just go ahead with the belief that anything can be achieved.
Did Gukesh's Candidates win inspire you?
Even Carlsen predicted that Gukesh would do poorly. If I was at his age, I would be easily affected by such statements. But Gukesh casually said: 'Carlsen is free to have his opinion. It doesn't affect me. I know about myself.' When a kid has such confidence in his own game, you really feel inspired.
