Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi recently graced Delhi Public School, Gautam Buddha Nagar, for the All India Open Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament, joined by his wife, Dr. Nidhi Kataria. The competition drew over 100 young talents and offered a prize pool exceeding ₹8 lakh.
In an exclusive interaction, Vidit expressed his delight at visiting Noida for the first time, commending the city’s urban growth and modern skyline. He also light-heartedly responded to a viral video where Nidhi jokingly teased him about losing on time—calling it more shocking than an actual chess loss.
Discussing his 2025 strategy, Vidit revealed he’s adopting a laid-back mindset, preferring to focus on one event at a time rather than overplanning. Reflecting on his recent subpar performance in Paris, he blamed exhaustion from post-wedding travels rather than the Freestyle Chess format, which he finds invigorating due to its spontaneity and minimal prep.
Nidhi, adjusting to her new role as a Grandmaster’s partner, shared her early experiences of observing tournaments and slowly getting into the game herself. She plays casually online and is still learning chess fundamentals.
On D Gukesh’s criticism, Vidit defended the young champion, emphasizing that classical chess remains his strength and time will shape him across formats. He also called for harmony between FIDE and Freestyle formats, urging unity to promote the game’s expansion.
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