NEW DELHI: Last February, Nihal Sarin was busy playing a game of online chess in TakeTakeTake’s Titled Tuesday event. His opponent was Armenian player Emin Ohanyan. In a tense endgame, Nihal outwitted his counterpart. With the game played on a computer rather than over the board, a gentleman’s handshake was never in the cards. What followed, though, was equally unforeseen and hardly on anyone’s wish list.As soon as 21-year-old Nihal played the decisive move, his opponent, Ohanyan, stood up from his chair, showed his middle finger towards the screen, slapped the camera and walked away. “No big deal. Regarding the recent incident, I want to clarify that I was not offended. Things happen in the heat of the moment,” Nihal later posted on his X account.Since that incident, Nihal Sarin has been making headlines more regularly, not for anything off the board, but for what he has been doing over the board.
In April 2026, Nihal reached a career-high classical rating of 2723.This recent ascent into the upper echelons of the world rankings has left traces in his spectacular run in the Menorca Masters rapid tournament, where he outpaced a field of heavyweights, including Richard Rapport, Leinier Dominguez, and Pentala Harikrishna.Most notably, Nihal secured two consecutive wins, both with white and black pieces, against the reigning World Champion, D Gukesh, during the Menorca campaign.Despite a late draw against Rapport, Nihal’s composure allowed him to clinch the title, his second major trophy following his triumph in the rapid section of the Tata Steel Chess India tournament earlier this year.His momentum carried over into the digital arena as well. Representing the gaming giants S8UL, Nihal recently won the fourth and final Chess.com Open Play-in. After three frustrating attempts, he scored an unbeaten 7/9 to qualify for the Round of 16, where he is set to face French legend Maxime Vachier-Lagrave later this month. The top three in the event will qualify directly for the Esports World Cup 2026.Speaking to TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interview, Nihal admitted the journey wasn’t seamless.“The Play-ins are incredibly tough. It’s a massive challenge just to finish in the top two, let alone win the whole thing,” Nihal shared. “My first two attempts were honestly quite poor, the first was bad and the second was even worse. By the third time, the result improved, but I felt my quality of play was still subpar.“I had been trying to play very ambitiously, perhaps taking too many risks, and it wasn’t working out. For the final Play-in, I decided to play as soundly as possible. I aimed for a more classical approach, focusing on not losing games, and I’m glad I managed to find some wins along the way.”
It means the world to me. Having that kind of support is a great feeling
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin on fans’ support
Despite being hailed as one of the strongest players in the shorter time control, Nihal tries to keep his preparation remarkably organic.“In these Play-in tournaments, you never really know who you’ll be paired against. While it’s always a good idea to revise files and setups, especially for rapid and blitz, I generally prefer to just go out and play. I try to stay fresh, live in the moment, and simply enjoy the game.”This zen philosophy seems to be the secret behind his recent surge. Whether he is being insulted on a webcam or taking down the World Champion on a physical board, his pulse rarely seems to rise.“Honestly, I’ve never really thought about it that way,” he told this website, recalling February’s incident. “Perhaps that’s for the best. My only real philosophy is to enjoy what I’m doing and do what I enjoy.”READ ALSO: Javokhir Sindarov, D Gukesh’s likely World C’ship challenger, cracks code for sponsorship woes in chessAs he eyes a spot in the Esports World Cup 2026, Nihal is acutely aware of the massive fan base cheering him.“It means the world to me. Having that kind of support is a great feeling,” he said with a smile. “The fans are the reason we play and the reason the sport is growing so fast. I am totally thankful to all the supporters and those who enjoy the game. It’s for them that we keep pushing.”
