With the Chess Team gearing up for BOSM, the BOSM English Press sat down with Advay Bhedasgoankar, captain of the Chess Team, to discuss the team’s preparation for this year’s edition of the fest.

Advay explained that they practised every day from six to eight in the evening. Each member played several matches in the first half of the day, while the latter half was reserved for analysing their matches and learning new strategies and moves. He said that since every chess player had different strengths and weaknesses, studying their game with fellow players helped them master it. This year they had added a new format, Individual Blitz Chess, alongside Team Blitz, which had continued from previous editions. Additionally, the classical 90-minute team chess format had been changed into a rapid team event to make space for the Individual Blitz rounds. 

Speaking about the team, Advay emphasised that they were more of a family than a team. He said that every weekend they made sure to play a sport other than chess, giving everyone a chance to relax and unwind. Going to Sharma’s in CNot whenever a new player is inducted is another one of their traditions, where new inductees are made to give their formal introductions while juggling eggs. This year, they had a vast number of applicants, with recruitments taking over one week. The senior members made sure to check each individual’s game, and selection was done on the quality of the game played, rather than the number of matches won.

Recently, the Chess Team had taken part in the FIDE World University Championship and was one of only two teams from India to qualify for the round of 16. They had also placed runners-up in a recent outstation tournament at Ashoka University. Advay highlighted that the team had dominated BOSM in recent years, winning gold consecutively for the last five. He revealed that SRCC had been their major rival, but they had unfortunately stopped participating post-COVID.

Advay concluded by encouraging more people to take part in BOSM, and hoped that the fest would prove memorable for all.