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10,000 First Class runs, 100 games for Tamil Nadu: so what are the lessons for Abhinav Mukund? Getty

It has been a fantastic start to the decade for me, completing 100 games for Tamil Nadu. That I could cap it off with a hundred made the occasion a lot more memorable. A hundred in the 100th game is something I didn't imagine, and it became only sweeter with the milestone of 10,000 First Class runs coming in the next game. I guess all the stars were aligned in my favour. As I sit back and reflect, it dawns upon me that I've spent more than a whole year cumulatively (400 days) on the field for my state and this includes only the Ranji Trophy. Let's not even get started on the other formats and the training sessions that go with it. Just like many other cricketers, I have devoted my entire life to sport. What has it taught me though?

Thirty-year-old me now looks back at my 10-year-old self. Hah! If only I knew. I was just one among many, carrying multiple bags to school everyday not because I wanted to but because I had to. The most exciting part was the final bell where I could just run out to the ground and do what I loved the most. Don't get me wrong, I was a good student but I would always study to get marks and not to gain knowledge. This is where, I feel, my application of education to sport let me down. What my textbooks read just wasn't relatable.

We were once playing the league stages of a domestic tournament and in one of the training sessions our captain was yelling out instructions to a couple of our finishers. The target was simple - 6 overs and 65-odd runs to get, simulating a close finish. The batsman would just keep slogging every ball and eventually succumb to the pressure resulting in his wicket. Our captain went up to him and said, "You don't have to slog every ball, just break it down as balls/runs." Somehow it just got a lot easier for him after that. But there was a small problem; it was taking him longer to calculate the maths on the go. It was easier for him to hit huge sixes than to solve maths in the middle. I thought to myself, maybe that's why M.S. Dhoni is such a calculative, complete finisher.

However, this practice came in handy for us as a team when the batsman in question finished off a game single-handedly in a crucial knockout game. The twist in the tale was that we were running drinks once in two overs not because he needed it, but so that we could break down the balls to runs ratio for him. The hitting that followed was something special.

This was such an eye-opener for me. Was it a question of him just being bad at maths or was it a case of our schooling system letting him down? Shouldn't he have been armed with the ability to apply basic maths to such a basic scenario? A viral video of a teacher making 9X tables easier caught my attention recently. I couldn't help thinking about how much this could have helped us. The importance of PT periods at school and incorporating a basic maths lesson while playing could help make learning complete and fun.

***

Coming back to me, most of my life lessons have come from our beautiful sport. But shouldn't at least a portion of it have come from the education system that we all so thrive on as kids?

As a 17-year-old, I was colleagues with a team of adults, many even a decade older than me. Was I prepared for it? I don't know. I quickly realized that silence or nonparticipation was the best way for me to deal with team conversations. I really wasn't being myself but I managed to get through.

However, silence isn't always the answer to everything, especially when you hit the spotlight. I was suddenly facing a swarm of cameras and journalists in my first press conference. I hadn't even addressed my class at school and here I was addressing a gathering of adults. I definitely wasn't prepared. I could comfortably recite a mugged-up Robert Frost poem or even quote a few lines of Shakespeare, but that's where the learning from my language class ended. To be articulate while addressing the media was definitely a struggle, to the extent that I am convinced that all cricketers should be allowed to be part of a mock press conference before participating in a real one so as to prepare for that intimidating setting.

It's not just about language and communication. There are so many lessons from school that could have been associated with what I loved doing. We just fail to look at it that way. The photosynthesis test, for example, ended with seeing how plants grow in light and darkness. And of course there was the study of crops and the conditions they grew in. It ended with a five-mark gain in one exam.

I wish it were more.

I have played in multiple venues across India, each with a different pitch and outfield. You travel west, there is nice red soil which gives you extra bounce initially and can assist spin later in the game. Go east and you will find black soil, if left devoid of grass you could have the ball end up shooting ankle-high. Go somewhere north, you will find a mix of both. In winters, a pitch laden with fresh grass could be a nightmare for us openers. How I wish I could read pitches better!

Why couldn't our education system have been vocational enough to give someone like me the opportunity to learn more about a subject that I was interested in, and one that would have been so handy as a future cricketer at the highest level. I would be far better equipped to read and play on alien pitches.

I was probably the only cricketer in my batch from Tamil Nadu to play for the country; Not all of us are lucky to make the cut. Getty

I hail from a Tamil speaking, education-driven South Indian family. I was naturally enrolled in Hindi classes. Don't even get me started on these Prathmiks and Madhyamas! I doubt anyone up north has attended these classes but it was such a common thing for many of us growing up in the south. Naturally, after completing three levels of exams, I thought I was well versed in Hindi, but I was in for a shocker. During one of my first stints at the NCA, my roommate was a bowler from Delhi. He obviously didn't understand the head or tail of Tamil, and his English was left a lot to be desired. Much like my Hindi. We spent 45 days together in the same room and it was such a struggle with my broken Hindi and his broken English. Eventually, we grew to teach each other these languages and it was a far greater learning than any of those exams I took. He remains one of my good friends to date.

A cricketer today needs to understand how to make invoices, pay taxes, deal with agents, read clauses in their contracts and obviously deal with social media. I don't think many of us are equipped to do all of that but we are criticized if we happen to slip up anywhere. It's not easy. So the next time you see one of us slip up and are quoted in the media, remember we deal with these non-cricketing matters off the cuff and with zero training.

Not all of us are lucky to make the cut; I was probably the only cricketer in my batch from Tamil Nadu to play for the country. With so much emphasis on making it, failing to do so has led so many into mundane 9 to 5 jobs out of force. But what about us whose careers will inevitably come to a close, with nearly half our lives still left? Shouldn't there be a system where we are let to develop other skills and talents, which might augur well for those of us who don't get into the more obvious post-retirement fields of commentary or coaching? As it stands though, our education system is quite stringent, and it does not allow us the opportunity to learn while we play and I so wish that would change.

What is it that we want to get out of education? Is it a race for marks or developing a love for learning and applying it to a field of your choice? Proficiency in math could make you a statistician or an analyst. Proficiency in science could make you a physical trainer, physiotherapist, nutritionist, a mental health expert or even a curator. Proficiency in language could make you a broadcaster, journalist or a media manager. There are multiple opportunities;

I just wish there were better ways to facilitate them.

Playing sport can be uncertain. You may have to deal with injuries and non-selections. You could face a lot of pressure from your family or peers to 'settle down' or even force yourself into a desk job. But it's not just about the 22 yards, there is a lot more waiting to be explored. Playing cricket is just one of them.

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Turning back the pages - Cricbuzz - Cricbuzz

"I don't think Montreal is lacking in political clout in Quebec," stated Qubec solidaire co-spokesman Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. "If the price to pay for a Quebec democracy that better represents the regions and better reflects the votes of Quebecers is that Montreal loses three ridings, it is a price we at QS are ready to pay."Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette file photo

The beauty of chess is that it is a game of drawn out strategy whereby you virtually set traps for your opponent, calculated to remove their obstacles of resistance until a checkmate is inevitable.

Politics is arguably a chess game; thats the beastly part.

And arguably (theres a lot of arguably going on here) the proverbial bastion that is the West Island of Montreal (WIM) is a pawn in the provincial game between Quebec nationalists and in-ground federalists.

I have to hand it to the eternal nationalist movement, which has been with us since the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. Their strategy of nailing independence (ie. victory) has been remarkably progressive. Like a chess game, they first tried a quick thrust a clear referendum question. That having failed, they tried a quick cloaked version. (We will share the Canadian passport and dollar.) The fast tracks having failed, they settled down to a slow burn with lots of cloaking devices. Their checkmate scenario is best described by the London School of Economics former premier Jacques Pariseaus winning conditions. The idea is if you cant trick your opponent with some textbook moves, you take the long road and disable their board pieces little by little. The opponent loses by attrition.

After an outright separatist party (Parti Qubcois) waxed ineffectiveness over the recent years, we now have a nationalist-lite option (Coalition Avenir Qubec) which presents itself under a more inclusive marquee (ie. We will not hold another referendum, without saying, until we have winning conditions.)

But the chess game goes on, played out by more experienced bushwhackers.

Exhibit A: Garnish English schools (like pawns) one by one, having previously changed the rules of the game with Bill 101. That undemocratic bill still lingers under the cloak of French language protection despite the former concern having been proven to be solid in terms of Quebec society. But the separatists are playing for a win not a draw. I say cloak because Bill 101s contemporary purpose is to create winning conditions. (Theres that chess game again.)

Three more English schools recently closed in the east end due to (101-fabricated) low attendance of historic Anglos (as opposed to other Canadians.) Wow.

Exhibit B: The bling-restricting Bill 21. (You fill in the blanks.) Hardly a champion of Canadas cultural melting pot (versus a record-skipping one-trick tribal pony.)

And yet the chess match, like an exhausting game of Risk (the global version of territory procurement) moves too slowly for the eager vanguard of nation-wanters, so being an inventive baker its got something fresh cooking in the oven:

Exhibit C: Bill 39, the CAQ governments proposed reforms to the electoral system that the non-narcoleptic chess opposition say would reduce the island of Montreals loges in the National Assembly by three. Doesnt seem that much to complain about, huh? But remember, we are now in the long haul, pawns projected to be garnished even further until the moat is dry and the drawbridge down around Fortress WIM. Doesnt matter if the doomed seats are not in the West Island. Its the number of pieces left on the board. Montreals say in the strictest definition of provincial Quebec would be further eroded less irritants to the wanters strategic end game. And like the present use of Bill 101 and 21 cloaked. A loss to Montreal will be counterbalanced with a rural gain no matter their spare population and whether they know where Montreal the provinces economic engine is on the map.

Without being a Quebec political guru how do I know this proposal is bad?

Because Qubec solidaire co-spokesman Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois likes it:

If the price to pay for a Quebec democracy . . . (I dont know how he doesnt get struck by lightning when he says that.) . . . that better represents the regions and better reflects the votes of Quebecers is that Montreal loses three ridings, it is a price we at QS are ready to pay. (As Ace Ventura, pet detective says, Reeeeeeeeealy!

Also the Liberal critic for democratic reforms doesnt like it. (Hmmm. Can it be bad for the pawns?)

I could dredge up more examples, but why bother? The writing is on the wall. The chess game is on and we should upend the board. How about a Montreal independent from Quebec?

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Schukov: The chess game continues and the West Island is a pawn - Montreal Gazette

All countries employ spies. They need it to gain intel on their enemy states, and also to make sure their friends are not going to change sides or cook up something against them while they are not looking. Hollywood has created some of its own iconic spy figures, but what the audience is really interested in are the real stories. With so many things going on in the world, we dont know about most of the missions that secret services pull off.

The governments or the agencies or the spy themselves, sometimes, release these stories for public knowledge years later. This is why, whenever an espionage drama is released, we wonder about its reality. The same question goes for Netflixs Cold War drama, The Coldest Game. To find out how close it comes to real life, read on.

Set in 1962, the film follows the story of a mathematician who is brought to Poland to play for America against a Soviet chess champion. Despite his personal struggles, Joshua Mansky succeeds in winning the first round. However, with the next round, he discovers that there is a lot more at stake and he might have to do much more than just win a game.

No, The Coldest Game is not based on a true story. The film does take into account the political upheaval of the time but puts a fictional spin to it. The chess match, the Cuban crisis, President Kennedy and Secretary Chruszczow were real. The Palace of Culture and Science is still towering over the centre of Warsaw. We hope that the fusion of fact and fiction, the emotions and the intrigue between the two chess masters, as well as secret service agents of two empires, will give the viewers an unforgettable experience, director ukasz Komicki said.

While the director has confirmed that the movie is not based on real events, there are things that remind one of certain events that were marked down in history books. The chess match in the film takes place in 1962, but the one from real life that people remember is the one that took place in 1972 between challenger Bobby Fischer of the United States and defending champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union. Taking place in Iceland, the World Chess Championship was called the Match of the Century.

For a long time, the title had been held by a line of Soviet players, but Fischer changed that. His win of the World title was considered a crushing moment in the midst of the Cold War by the former champion, Garry Kasparov. By that time, the situation between American and Soviet Union had started to settle down. The worst part of the Cold War was over, but still, the match held great importance for both countries and was considered a matter of pride.

The political significance of it brought the pressure on both the players, the kind of which we find Mansky and Gavrylov subjected to. If Komicki didnt exactly base the story on this event, he surely must have used it as a reference to set the ground for the characters.

Another thing that you might have found unreal is the use of a hypnotist by the Soviets to distract Mansky. It does seem a rather ridiculous thing, but the strategy is not an alien move for chess players. For example, the match between Anatoliy Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi in 1978 became infamous for that. During the match, Korchnoi complained that a man in the audience was trying to distract him. He described him as a peculiar person. It was later revealed that the man was a military psychologist and a part of Karpovs team.

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Is The Coldest Game Based on a True Story? Did the Chess Match Happen in Real Life? - The Cinemaholic

KOLKATA: India's tryst with major global chess event proved to be short-lived as the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) has decided to skip Kolkata as a venue for one of its legs this season.

The city had the honour of becoming the first in Asia to host a segment of the GCT rapid and blitz meet at Bhasha Bhawan of the iconic National Library last November. It was the biggest chess event to visit the Indian shores and saw eight of the top 15 Grandmasters participating.

Near packed house on all the five playing days left the organisers extremely happy and they expressed desire to make Kolkata a permanent stop for the Tour.

However, much to the dismay of chess lovers of India, the GCT calendar this year does not feature Kolkata.

The sixth edition of the GCT will see a truncated edition with five legs instead of eight that were played last year.

While the number of full tour participants was 12 in the last edition, it has come down to 10 this time. Not only will there be no Indian cities as venue, none of the country's players have found place on the roster. Last time, India No. 1 Viswanathan Anand was one of the prominent faces in the GCT. Apart from him, India's Pentala Harikrishna and Vidit Gujrathi were given wildcards for the Kolkata leg.

While the fifth edition of the GCT featured three classical and five rapid and blitz meets, this edition will see two classical and three rapid and blitz events.

"The main reason for curtailing the number of tour events this year was scheduling," GCT technical director Graham Jurgensen told TOI.

"The Chess Olympiad takes place for most of August while the World Championship event takes place for almost the entire month of November," he stated. "The combination and importance of these two events coupled with the impact on the St Louis events made it difficult for us to schedule additional GCT events in the last three months of the year," he explained.

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Kolkata out of GCT calendar this year - Times of India

A collection of neatly arranged trophies occupy a wooden shelf at K Priyankas home. I have more than 200. My father bought that shelf in 2008 after the prizes started to come in, says the 18-year-old chess player.

Priyanka recently bagged the Woman International Master (WIM) title at the IIFL Wealth Mumbai International Chess Tournament, becoming the first person from the city to win it. She played against Mithil Ajgaonkar from Maharashtra in the competition. He is a higher rated player than I am and it was a tough match. He played well, but I did better, smiles Priyanka who started playing chess as an eight year old after watching her father and grandfather playing. I would observe the game for hours. My dad taught me the rules and soon I was contesting in competitions. The first was a local championship and I came fourth. In the next six months, Priyanka was competing in State tournaments and, in 2011, represented the country at the World Chess Championship in Brazil. I was too young to understand its significance. But now, as I think back, I understand how big an opportunity it was, she says.

It was not always easy. In 2012, her father passed away in an accident and that caused a gap in her playing. But, after a point, she missed the game and started to participate in championships again. Those were dark times. It took me two years before I could bring myself to play chess again. I lost in most competitions and did not know how to handle failures. I was under a lot of pressure. It took me a while to realise that doing my best was all that mattered. This helped me get back on track, she recalls.

Priyanka won the first norm out of the three to win the Woman International Master title in 2016 at the World Junior Chess Championship held at Bhubaneswar. The second was in 2018 at the Goa Grandmaster Chess tournament. It took me three years to win the final norm. I missed it many times by minute point differences, she says.

Being a Woman International Master gives her many privileges. She does not have to pay participation fee and also gets free accommodation at many championships, something that is of great help as she is yet to find a sponsor.

Favourite players

Priyanka works hard to stay in form. I do not have a fixed schedule, but I usually practise for at least eight hours every day. I analyse games of other players and see how they plot their moves. She trains under grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna from Chennai. We do online sessions where he clears my doubts, she says.

Balancing studies and chess is hard, admits Priyanka. I am in class XII at Chinmaya Vidyalaya and it is an important year of my life. I have missed most of my classes and now I only have a month to catch up on my portions before the board exam. I plan to concentrate on my studies for the time being. I will be back in championships from April, she says. Priyanka dreams of winning the coveted Grandmaster title. Another dream is to be a civil servant. I know it is tough but it is also possible, she smiles.

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Advantage Priyanka; K Priyanka on becoming a Woman International Master - The Hindu