By Lev D. Zilbermints
WESTFIELD – Being extremely good at chess means being able to play 29 games at the same time.
Huh? Say what??
Yes, you read that right the first time. Playing against twenty-nine opponents at the same time. This is something Abhimanu Mishra, a 14-year-old grandmaster, did quite easily on Sunday, July 9, at the Westfield Chess Club.
Out of 29 games, Mishra won 28, and lost 1.
The simultaneous exhibition was planned months in advance by Westfield Chess Club leaders. David Lazarus, Haibo Hu, Alexander Hu all put in a lot of effort in organizing the event. Since the chess club only meets on Sundays, it was important to reserve a date far in advance. This would allow the simultaneous exhibition to be held in a timely manner.
Registration for the simultaneous exhibition began at least two or more months in advance. The entry fee of $35 could be paid online via PayPal. Altogether 29 players paid the entry fee. A total of $1,015 was raised. Presumably a portion of that money goes to pay Abhimanu Mishra for the simultaneous exhibition. The remaining part of the money goes to the Westfield Chess Club treasury.
Grandmasters frequently use simultaneous exhibitions to earn money. It is not uncommon for a grandmaster to be paid hundreds of dollars for the simultaneous exhibition.
“Local Talk” arrived just as the simultaneous exhibition was about to start. The simultaneous exhibition started at 10:20 a.m. Cell phones took photos and videos.
The simultaneous exhibition was held on the second floor of the Westfield YMCA, in a large conference room. Tables were set in the shape of a giant square. Chess boards and pieces were set up. Each player had a number from 1 to 29 and a scoresheet to write down the moves. Without exception, everyone played the Black pieces. It is traditional for the strong player giving the simultaneous exhibition to play the White pieces in every game.
Grandmaster Abhimanu Mishra was in the middle of the huge square. Mishra moved from board to board, making moves quickly. David Lazarus, the director, moved with Mishra from board to board to ensure there were no arguments.
Many of the players were Asian. Some were from India. Others were from South Korea, Taiwan, Russia, and other countries. The simultaneous had both boys and girls, men and women. There were 25 boys and men, and 4 women and girls.
Most of the players were children, ranging in age from 5 to 17 years old. Four adults also participated in the simultaneous exhibition. However, everyone lost, save for Elizabeth Tsugel. She was the only one who defeated the grandmaster.
In his game against Tsugel, Mishra sacrificed two pawns for an attack. However, Ms. Tsugel defended accurately and beat off the attack. The grandmaster resigned the game after his opponent captured all his pieces, leaving a lone White king against a Black Queen, Rook, Bishop, and a number of pawns.
Under the rules of the simultaneous exhibition, players were allowed one “pass.” That is, they could miss making their move once. If the grandmaster came to a player’s table, and that player missed his move a second time, he lost. Usually there are more “passes” – between 2 and 5 – a simultaneous exhibitions. However, since the YMCA closed at 3 p.m. on Sundays, it is plausible that this is the reason why the amount of passes was limited to one.
As the simul progressed, it became clear that the grandmaster was using solid play to gain an advantage. Since his opponents all played Black, many of Abhimanu Mishra’s games were similar to one another. This allowed the grandmaster to avoid surprises. If a position becomes complex, the grandmaster might lose or draw. The reason for this is that when someone is playing 29 opponents at the same time, there is not enough time to analyze all the complications.
According to Hemant Mishra, Abhimanu became an Expert at 7 years 6 months; a master at 9 years 2 months; International Master at 10 years 9 months; and a grandmaster at 12 years, 4 months. Mishra became the youngest grandmaster in chess history.
According to the United States Chess Federation, an Expert is 1799 – 1999 points; Candidate Master, 2000 – 2199 points; Master, 2200 – 2399 points; Senior Master, 2400 – 2599 points. The titles of International Master and Grandmaster are obtained playing in a very strong tournament where International Masters and Grandmasters play. To be awarded a tile, a player has to fulfill a norm by obtaining a certain amount of points, say, 7 out of 9. Once a player has achieved three norms, he or she is awarded the title by the World Chess Federation (FIDE).
Hemant Mishra told “Local Talk” that Abhimanu’s rating is currently 2591. According to Hemant Mishra, his son is going for 2650 by the end of 2023. His ambition is to make 2700 by the end of 2024.
Asked about his background, Hemant Mishra said that the family came to the United States from India in 2006. Abhimanu was born in 2009. He started playing chess at 2.5 – 4.5 years old. Abhimanu’s father works with him 20 – 25 hours a week, studying chess. Resources used include books, chess videos, study of endgames, positional games and tactics.
“Local Talk” did an interview with Hemant Mishra, the grandmaster’s father.
Local Talk: What city and province did you come from India?
Hemant Mishra: City – Bhopal, State – Madhya Pradesh.
LT: You are Abhimanu’s mentor? Was there anyone else who taught your son?
HM: GM Arun Prasad and GM Magesh Panchnathan have played a big role.
LT: How many hours per day do you have your son study chess?
HM: He works on all aspects of the games (about 8+ hours a day).
LT: Is Abhimanu in high school? When I was 14, back in 1981, I just finished junior high, and started high school.
HM: He will in high school next year.
LT: Does Abhimanu travel a lot to play in big tournaments?
HM: Yes.
LT: When do you see your son making an attempt for the World Chess Championship?
HM: It is far. The next medium term goal is to cross 2700 ELO and become Super GM. He is hoping to get that in a year time and try to become youngest ever Super GM in the world. Movement after 2700 ELO is a different ball game. Unfortunately, there is not much corporate support for chess players in USA and if is very difficult to move forward without that.
I will keep supporting him as long as he loves the game and works hard. If things work out as planned there is a realistic chance to do that in next 3-4 years before he gets into colleague.
LT: Have you considered writing a book about your son’s best games?
HM: His autobiography is already published which has 30 of his annotated games.
LT: Does Abhimanu play on lichess.org, chess.com, Internet Chess Club?
HM: Yes.
LT: Do your younger kids look to Abhimanu as a role model?
HM: Yes.
LT: What do you believe to be important in achieving the master title (2200 USCF)?
HM: Knowledge of all theoretical end games is a must. It helps to check some good books on middle game planning and having a proper opening repertoire (with limited openings) is needed.
Full Disclosure: Lev D. Zilbermints is a chess player as well as a reporter. Mr. Zilbermints has been the Essex County Chess champion since 1995. He is also the Union County chess champion since 2014, having successfully defended his title in 2018. Mr. Zilbermints is a Candidate Master.
