Alireza Firouzja, the giant-killer who has scalped Carlsen, Nakamura and Anand in the last week | Chess News

The Triveni Continental Kings have found themselves to be second time lucky for the second season in a row in the Global Chess League. Last year, the team was left scrambling for a last-ditch replacement for world champion Ding Liren, and in Levon Aronian, they found an icon who led them to the title. This time around, after Ian Nepomniachtchi had to withdraw from the event in London due to visa issues, their replacement for the icon board, Alireza Firouzja, has gone on a giant-killing spree.
After bringing down former world champions Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen besides World No 2 Hikaru Nakamura in previous encounters, Firouzja got the better of senior French compatriot Maxime Vachier-Lagrave twice in two days in the second edition of the GCL. Only Anish Giri has been able to hold the Iran-born French star to a draw. Since that draw, the 21-year-old has defeated everyone who has faced him.
Playing on the icon board for the Kings franchise, he took down Vachier-Lagrave in a sharp, tactical game which ended in 42 moves after Vachier-Lagrave chose to resign with a checkmate appearing inevitable. Firouzja cornered Vachier-Lagrave’s claustrophobic king on the file with a bishop, a queen, a knight and an advancing pawn.
“I prefer sharp positions on the board. In general, top-level players are good at everything. Generally, my best tactical games have been in the more tactical positions,” Firouzja, who is one of the most attacking players in the sport, told The Indian Express in an interview.
When asked what he likes about the sport, he said: “When I started out, I liked the fact that it was an individual sport, so you had a lot on your hands. You could control things. That was what made it different from other sports like football. I liked that a lot. Other than that I was very good at it from the start. That helped a lot… Right now, I enjoy the fact that I can travel all over the world or I can play from home even in top tournaments. For instance, Magnus and I faced each other multiple times only in online tournaments. It’s very good practice. It’s a very good mix.”
Playing on the icon board for the Kings franchise, Firouzja took down Vachier-Lagrave in a sharp, tactical game which ended in 42 moves. (GCL)
While he skipped the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, he said he was particularly enjoying playing in a team atmosphere.
“I always enjoy team formats. I enjoyed it when I played at the European Championships when I ended in second spot with France. I always play well in team events because I love the atmosphere. Here in GCL as well, we have a very good team,” he said before adding: “The faster formats are much more fun to play in. But it’s also important to have balance between the formats. I have to be good at everything. But I practice playing in the faster time controls a lot.”
Firouzja’s talent has always been undeniable. A grandmaster at the age of 14, he had broken Magnus Carlsen’s record for the youngest player ever to cross the 2800 rating barrier. Five-time world champion Carlsen, before he chose to forfeit his crown, had even declared: “If someone other than Firouzja wins the Candidates Tournament, it is unlikely that I will play the next world championship match.”
Did a declaration like that from one of the greatest players in hory put pressure on him?
“I don’t see why it should put pressure on me to hear that he sees me as a capable opponent for himself,” he smiles. “I try to always show that I’m one of the best players in the world. There’s no pressure.”
While Firouzja was playing in his second Candidates tournament in Toronto earlier this year, it was a first timer, Gukesh, who won the prestigious event in his first attempt.
“Gukesh’s win (at the Candidates) was very impressive. He played very good chess. He has a very good team behind him. Him winning was not that much of a surprise. Everybody was very strong in the Candidates so anybody could have won it. But of course, he played a great event,” said the Frenchman.
Did Gukesh winning the Candidates make him feel like the next generation’s time has come?
“Him winning didn’t give me a different motivation. Of course it is good to see that new faces are coming. The generation’s changing. The Indian players have massive support. And they’re winning everything. For sure India is a superpower in the world of chess. The Indians have a very good structure, with Viswanathan Anand and everybody being involved. The Indian players know the path to victory.”
(The writer is in London at the invitation of Tech Mahindra)