Parimarjan: I am stronger mentally

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Negi (right)

A week after he became the youngest player to win the Asian Chess Championship in Vietnam, Parimarjan Negi still gets the odd phone call congratulating him on the achievement. The 20-year-old however doesn't want to get too excited about the result that puts him in the company of big names like K Sasikiran, SS Ganguly and P Harikrishna. “To be the youngest person to win the Asian Championship doesn't mean much. For my sponsors and supporters, sure it is important. But for me it is just a title. What is more important for me is the quality of my game play,” says Negi, currently in Zaozhuang , China playing for the Indian team in the Asian Nations Chess Cup.

The victory in Ho Chi Minh City wasn't easy for Negi. He was trailing early in the contest after a defeat in the initial game of the competition but managed to recover time. Six straight wins gave him the title with a round to spare. So much so he could afford to lose the last round. It is this recovery, more than anything else that heartens Negi.

“In the past when I would lose one game it would tend to become a streak. Last year I played in many tournaments where that happened and I would pick up a couple of defeats together. I haven't done anything different. I guess it is a natural progression but also something that comes with effort. Psychologically I have become stronger,” he says. Read the full story in The Indian Express.

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