World championship title ultimate goal: Giri

Dutch player is also looking forward to World Rapid & Blitz at the end of the year apart from Classical world cycle

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN @Chennai

TO a few people within the chess fraternity, Anish Giri may be considered as one of the game's nearly players. A 2800 GM at his highest level, the Dutch player has recently suffered some setbacks in terms of his ratings. There was a time when Giri qualified for two Candidates tournaments (2016 and 2020-21).

Over the last few years though, the 31-year-old has seemingly lost his mojo. He has picked up big titles, none bigger than the one he won at Wijk in 2023 when he beat Magnus Carlsen en route but he has been conspicuous by his absence in some of the biggest stages in the Classical format, his meat and drink. These days, there is perhaps an unfair reputation that he's, first and foremost, somebody who prefers safety first chess. The internet even has a name for it—draw-nish.

But Giri maintains that he still has the fire in his belly to 'achieve the highest goals in chess'. To him, that remains the World Championship. In fact, one main reason why he's featuring at Chennai Grand Masters is to prep himself for the upcoming Grand Swiss in Uzbekistan and the World Cup in India.

In an elaborate interaction with select media, he spoke on a wide number of issues including why he will continue to engage with fans on X. Excerpts: