Adhiban handed trophy by Tsolakidou as GCL concludes in Bengaluru

B. Adhiban was presented with a trophy by Stavroula Tsolakidou on stage after the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League concluded in Bengaluru on Sunday, following the match between Ganges Grandmasters and Cheq Mumba Masters. The Grandmasters won that encounter, and Tsolakidou was the match's best player.

The presentation was notable because Adhiban had made his debut as the Grandmasters’ coach. Tsolakidou, the Greek player who was adjudged the best performer in that match, handed her award to Adhiban and said he deserved it more. The Grandmasters had been operating under new management and Adhiban joined the setup only shortly before the player auction.

Adhiban said he had assisted Tsolakidou with her match preparation and recommended openings against several opponents. “She is an excellent student and has excellent memory,” Adhiban told The Hindu. “I was happy to work with her and see that we were getting the results right through the GCL.”

Tsolakidou went on to claim the Player-of-the-Tournament award. “People, including some of our teammates did not expect her to do so well,” said Adhiban, who was part of the bronze-medal winning Indian teams at the Olympiad in 2014 and 2022. “Our other female player, Polina Shuvalova was also brilliant, but I wasn’t surprised by her, as she is very good in these fast time controls.”

Adhiban said there had been uncertainty heading into the auction but that the final squad performed strongly. “I was glad that we could get Levon Aronian and Ian Nepomniachtchi as our two main players,” said the Chennai-based Grandmaster. “Leinier Dominguez Perez and Leon Mendonca also delivered for us.”

After early disappointments in the tournament Adhiban adopted a personal routine: he skipped breakfast and lunch and resolved to have dinner only if his team won, a plan the players did not know about. The team's run of results allowed him not only to eat his evening meal but to enjoy a celebratory feast.