GyanMaster Diaries – Dr. Monomita Chakraborty

Host Aditya Sur Roy sits down with Dr. Monomita Chakraborty, the dedicated mother behind India’s 94th Grandmaster, Mayank Chakraborty.

In this deeply moving second episode of GyanMaster Diaries, host Aditya Sur Roy sits down with Dr. Monomita Chakraborty, the dedicated mother behind India’s 94th Grandmaster, Mayank Chakraborty. Beyond the tactical triumphs of the chessboard, this conversation peels back the layers of a high-stakes, “trial-and-error” journey that took them from a local academy in Northeast India to the international stage. It is a raw and candid look at the unspoken sacrifices, the relentless pursuit of strength over shortcuts, and the powerful team dynamic between a mother’s iron-willed support and a rising prodigy’s ambition. 

Aditya: Monomita, it’s a real privilege to sit here with you, with the mother of the 94th Grandmaster of India. But before we come to Mayank and his achievements, we want to know about you. How did it all start? Where did it begin? Where did Mayank learn to play chess? If you can tell us…

Monomita: Mayank started playing chess when he was 6 and a half years old. We started with a local academy, and though we never had that plan initially that he would become a Grandmaster—maybe we didn’t know the titles also, what were the titles in chess—my main target was that he becomes a little more stable, more focused, concentrated, and maybe that would help him in his studies also. But gradually, he started winning tournaments, winning medals for India, and always shining in the state and district championships. Then, eventually, we decided that he has that player potential in him, and then we decided that he has… let’s have him flung into this field of chess. We actually felt that chess makes a person more stable and reserved and concentrated, focused. So, our target initially was that, and that is a very important takeaway point: that even if your son or daughter doesn’t become a Grandmaster or a World Champion, it will have some positive impact on your child’s overall character. That is the brilliance of chess, actually.

Aditya: Okay, wow. So the initial days, he was going to local tournaments, district tournaments, and then national tournaments; he was performing well, as you mentioned. How was the journey like? You had to take him with you. How did you decide that you will take this path, or you had to take leaves from your job? How was that? How were you thinking in that direction?

Monomita: Actually, we went with the flow. I mean, it was not anything… nothing was planned or designed that “this after that.” It actually went as a flow, and we just followed the flow. And even I feel now that it’s better that we actually follow the flow, follow where the flow will take us. In fact, he started playing tournaments, one tournament after another. He had some coaching in between also, but what I felt that he improved with playing lots of tournaments. He used to play the tournaments, come back, analyze, and since we did not have so much of coaching facilities in Assam or in Guwahati—as you know, Northeast does not have a huge coaching setup and all—so maybe with the engines initially himself, but then again, we didn’t have any senior player also, I mean, with whom we can communicate and they would have helped us. So it’s all self-study. I would say that Mayank is more of a self-created player, though from time to time we got help from his coaches as well. I’m very grateful to all his coaches who have always helped him.

Aditya: Yeah, amazing that you mentioned that, that there were no senior players to ask or consult or even look up to. And now, after all these years, Mayank is now the 94th Grandmaster from India and the first one from Northeast. When you started this, did you ever imagine this was possible?

Monomita: When we started, it was so difficult. I mean, that was beyond our imagination. Our journey always started with trial and error. We did not even have players of that level also. I mean, yes, there were one, but then we didn’t get to communicate that much, who would have at least guided us: “Play this tournament, these are not good for you, these are good for you, play stronger tournaments,” um, “even if you lose, doesn’t matter.” All those things are actually, I feel, these are very important. You know, they will help you to build… I mean, you become patient. I mean, we, most of the parents—maybe I was also in that thing—that we would like to increase our children’s rating. “Play weak tournaments, you’ll win, your rating will get high.” All those things we always crave for, but that is not important, actually. The stronger tournaments you play, the more you connect with the thought process of the stronger players, and more you think alike. I mean, you continue to play weak tournaments just for the sake of rating, in my opinion, that is not sufficient to create a Grandmaster. And our journey was more of a trial and error method. I mean, we did mistake, we learned from it, and maybe it took a little more time. Maybe, and then there were two years of Covid which halted the entire progress. He was under-11 national champion, but we couldn’t—we didn’t get to play those World, Asian under-12 because then almost two years everything was stopped. And by that time, we did not have that Schengen visa and all, we didn’t know; only people who were fortunate to have Schengen would have—they went out to Europe and played there, their tournaments were happening, but nothing was happening in India. So I mean, I feel everything has a time. Maybe God wanted “this is the time.” So we got everything… I mean, at God’s plan. We are no one, actually.

Aditya: Yes. Wow, that’s a strong belief in your faith. And tell me, I was overhearing a conversation, that Mayank was saying that the tournament that you chose where he actually became the Grandmaster was not something he was very keen to go to?

Monomita: Yeah, he told me that during those days, many people were getting GMs in some tournaments which were very easy, we didn’t have so much of younger players. But on the contrary, I always choose tournaments for him like he plays Sharjah Challengers. I mean, those are very tough tournaments, you know. Always he’ll play the Abu Dhabi, he will play stronger tournaments. And like he always tells me that, “You always choose stronger tournaments for me, tournaments which has lots of young players.” I said, “This is your age.” I mean, I will not let you take an easy path. I want you to be a strong player. I mean, you have got a title, it’s fine, it’s good, at least that is also important, you know? It keeps the motivation going, and it keeps the fire burning also in his belly, that now I’ve got this, my next target is 2600. Good, but then no shortcut for him, at least so long as I am alive. I always tell him that… he also tells me that, “Look, parents have chosen such easy tournaments, and you, you will never choose an easy tournament for me, and you are always my critic.” I said, “Yes, I’m your greatest critic, and I’m also your greatest fan also. I love the way you play, I love you take everything on the… you take the bull by the eye.” I mean, those are the things which I like. And though I have never told him openly, but then I’m also his greatest fan. Like, if he would have 100 fans in this world, I am one of his fan. If there is only one fan, I am that fan, and if Mayank has no fan, then make sure that I have ceased to exist.

Aditya: How beautiful. I mean, what to do?

Monomita: I have to have faith in my son, otherwise I won’t be able to guide him. I mean, the moment you lose that confidence, that trust in the process, everything is shattered. I mean, you won’t like to… I mean, I would not like to spend everything which I have earned over the years by working on… I mean, you may say it is an investment as a whole. I mean, if you go for the from that commerce point of view, yes, these are investment, the work, the entire thing which… whatever resources I have earned for my future, I’m ready to invest. It doesn’t matter to me. I mean, I know that if not today, he will manage it back. I mean, the smile in his face is enough. I mean, and I don’t want to feel also that I have left something for him. I mean, it’s okay, I mean, I don’t want him to come back and say to me that, “Have you left your job, everything, your career for me?” I don’t want him to feel guilty about it. I mean, I felt I’m proud, I mean, it’s okay, it doesn’t matter. I mean, I even I love chess now, that also gives me happiness when he wins. I mean, he’s doing good. So I have paid those things for my pleasure. I’ve not done anything for anyone; I’ve done all those things for myself, for my happiness, so it doesn’t matter.

Aditya: I can completely understand. That is a very emotional moment, whatever you are saying, and I’m sure that this was not easy, the path that you and Mayank have taken, and Mayank may not know a lot of things that you have gone through to see this day. Can you please share a few moments that really broke you and how you managed to come back from that?

Monomita: Several times. Uh, though he has won several national championships also, there was one tournament where he was something like six out of six, and he lost all four games at a go. And the last round, he was losing some 135, 140 rating points. And then maybe any person would have got him not paired, but we parents decided, “Let him play. What will happen? 135 will become 150, but he will not go home with that negative mindset that I’ve lost, I was unable to game.” And he actually won the last round, the 11th round, but he couldn’t have a podium finish. But he took a confidence back home, and the very next tournament he played was Under-17 in 2023, in this venue itself, when he was the national champion Under-17. That happened in KIIT.

Aditya: What a beautiful story, because there are so many parents that we know that if their child loses two or three rounds, they will ask them to quit the tournament and play the next one. But how important it is to build character. I think this is what builds character, right?

Monomita: Yes, it does. And it’s not about what happens now, it’s what happens next, actually. There is also the two sides of the story here. Sometimes it happens with many players that they are really very good players, but maybe they are not in their best of form for that reason also—maybe many other factors also, some family issues or something like that. But for grown-up players, the entire thing scene becomes different, no? They have a family at home, they have their work and everything. But for young players, I mean, they should continue playing, I should… I feel, and what you said is very important: better to build your character than just build your rating.

Aditya: Absolutely, absolutely. And I remember… I want to put forward one incident that I remember, there are many incidents that I remember obviously… that one incident I remember of you, I think it was Abu Dhabi Masters 2023, and I remember that you got some sponsorship to make Mayank play in some of the tournaments, and you waited to get a bus. And there was like half an hour or 45 minutes between the rounds and you… I was like, “Why take a cab? Go,” and you were like, “No, I don’t want to waste money, waste the sponsorship money on these things. I want to value the money.” That thing always remained with me.

Monomita: Yes, because the sponsors have lots of trust on us. I mean, the sponsor has also earned, and his money… I had earned a lot, I mean, while I was doing my job, and I know it really takes lots of pain to earn money. And the sponsors, even if they have… I mean, it was ChessBase India Help Chess Foundation who had helped Mayank then, and then like, every money is accountable. Now, those money is given for the welfare, so that Mayank can go and play in a tournament. So I am accountable to every money, every bit of penny. So comfort doesn’t come. I mean, necessity should come first. I mean, that he got to play in the tournament, the flight… coming by train is not possible now, from India to Abu Dhabi, then you have to take a flight. There, what is important is important. I mean, but then luxury, I don’t like. I mean, even now also, though he doesn’t have a permanent sponsor yet, but then even with whatever we are going with his prize money, whatever he earns, he even… he also doesn’t, he never demands. I mean, he is steamed into that process that “what is only important, that will.” Luxury is not important, at least at this stage. Every penny saved is every penny earned, actually. And this is very important also. Not only for the chess point of view, now that he’s growing up, he should also understand that you cannot waste money. I mean, it has to be utilized in a proper way, actually.

Aditya: True. There are certain principles that you followed that I think has resulted in what Mayank has become today. During the… as you mentioned very honestly, that it was a trial and error, there was no perfect thing, you learned on the go. How did you… if you can share us the journey that previously, when he was young, he used to lose, how did you used to deal with it and how did it gradually change when he was growing as he evolved as a chess player?

Monomita: I also have evolved as a mother, actually. Those things are very common, you know. They are very emotional, we want always the best for our kid. So when he… I mean, this is okay, I mean, there were times when I also scolded him, but then now slowly and steadily I realized that everything… everybody works hard. Now, ups and downs will be there in life, you know. What to do, you as a parent? What can you do? You can only give the best of conditions for him, that he gets to play good tournaments, he gets to play strong players. And I always have a very much weakness for this… playing strong tournaments. Like, I’m… there is the Asian Continental which we could not afford because… I mean, the entire expenses after going to the entire expenses till Mongolia was something around five, five and a half lakhs from [name], but then I will always miss that he is not a part of Asian Individual. But it’s okay, everything God will give me a next chance, I’m sure about it.

Aditya: Now that we know that he played a very strong tournament to become… to get the final norm and the title, what was the first emotion when you came to know?

Monomita: I was with him only in the tournament. There was actually a time when he was like three and a half out of five. He lost with a very young GM from Norway, there, [name], he is a very 2008-born Grandmaster, strong, very strong. He lost to that Grandmaster and he drew with [name]. So, at one point of time when he was three out of three, then the very next day there were double rounds and he was three and a half out of five. So now, again, there were some uncertainty of course. But then every time, I mean then I did not pressure him much. I told… but by this time, he had matured. I mean, he has lost so many GM norms by half point that now somehow, you know, that thing has to come from within, I feel. So like we always say to him… I always say to him, “Baba,” I mean, then that day he said me, “Don’t tell me this. I will just play.” I mean, I also did not tell him the last two things. But usually, like all mothers, though we pretend to be strong, but all mothers are very emotional, and we are always inclined that my son should have a good result against opponents. And if you say “No, I don’t think about the results,” I mean that is not honesty. I mean, you always think, but then we sometimes react. Earlier I used to react; now I don’t react. Because see, the… when you lose a game, you’re already under so much of emotional turmoil, and then mother or your parents showing distrust in you is disastrous. So those things, then that actually creates a negative, more negative impact. But then safety is something which all mothers will say, “Play safe.” But then this time he… I didn’t say that, that “Play safe.” I mean I could understand by his mood that now he will not play safe, he will… it’s either do or die. That is what his attitude only showed, and then he won. I mean, he got his GM norm with one round to spare. Last round, he drew with another very strong IM from England.

Aditya: So before the round, what was the conversation like? How does… what goes on? Like you know that if he wins in this round, the norm is confirmed. What is the conversation? Is it just like that, that you did not say anything?

Monomita: This time I did not say anything.

Aditya: Okay.

Monomita: Usually I do. Okay, even in Abu Dhabi also, I said to him… because it was something like that, even if you draw… that penultimate round, the another round, draw would also have secured him a GM norm. So I, there also, I told him to “Play safe, play safe, you’re playing against a very strong Indian Grandmaster.” But you know, he was winning then. And not only there, we played several tournaments in this also, in Budapest or somewhere, every time it was 6.5 points. And when you… so all these things has actually, I told you, know, I’ve also evolved as a chess parent. Now that day, I somehow became… even I became very… I was not interested only to do anything. We just had breakfast, and there were actually two rounds, so not much of time to talk also. “Go and hit,” that’s all. I mean, nothing, no conversation, but both of our body languages were like that: “Go ahead, do or die.” Because enough, I mean, so many times, miss, I mean, for just .5. It was like, at one point of time when he was playing in Muscat also, even in Chola, he was like, his mentality was also like that. I’m like, “Rating,” even every 2+2+5 rating, he was happy. “I got plus five, I’m happy.” That was a very strong GM tournament, yes. I got another some six rating, and I was blitz champion there, I was 6th something or 5th somewhere in Muscat. That was also a very strong tournament. So it was like, that is also I’m happy. The… I think when the pressure goes out from your head regarding those norm pressure, maybe I think so you excel better, than just a thought, I feel.

Aditya: I am sure that this is a very good point to take, because the pressure that builds… it does. Yes. Please share the moment when you knew that he has won and he is coming out, and you know that the struggle of all these years of finally getting the title is done.

Monomita: Actually now, honestly speaking, when there were moments, huh, when I thought that once he will attain his final GM norm, because you know, this, his final GM norm has one more pleasure included in it, becoming the first Grandmaster from Assam and Northeast, not just becoming a Grandmaster. So maybe we’ll thought we’ll celebrate so much. But when the actual thing happened, I mean, it was supposed to happen, it happened like that, that it was supposed to happen. So we actually did not celebrate much. The people of Assam celebrated. I mean, they were happy, because you know, this is a sort of inspiration for many players from Northeast and Assam who now dreams, yes, to become another Grandmaster from Assam and Northeast is also possible. I mean, it is not an achievement only for him or my family, it’s an achievement for the entire region, I feel. So that has to be celebrated, of course.

Aditya: What would you suggest young parents who are bringing their children? You have met… you have given a lot of suggestions, like, I… I know I have met many parents who have come and told me that, “I am doing this because Mayank’s mother has suggested,” she has shown me the path, she has been kind enough to tell. And there are multiple parents I have met and it feels so good to know that there are parents who are… because you have not got the handholding, or somebody has not given you the chance to know from them, but you have gone out and you are trying to help anybody who is seeking, or maybe sometimes you also go and proactively tell somebody. What would you suggest young parents like who are… who wants to bring their children to chess? What would be the ideal path and the ideal mentality of a parent towards the child?

Monomita: Yes, because actually I have seen that chess progress has no specific limit or time or age. I think so, it is not necessary that your child has to start very young to become a GM. I know many people who have started late and progressed quite quickly. I mean, that they say now, “Chess is very easy to learn,” so at one point of time everybody learns it very quickly and gets some rating. Huh, but chess is easy to learn though, but very difficult to master. That mastery part, even which Grandmasters can say, “I have mastered chess?” True. I mean, you can even not, even the World Champion or world number one can say that I win all the games. It’s not possible. So chess is… it’s very intriguing, you know? Sometimes it is, though, very easy, so young players they might learn it very fast, but mastering it is a different term altogether. So we have to give time, that’s all. I mean, you cannot be impatient. You have to continue, give time. And in India, especially, there’s so much of competition, and especially after this online boom of chess post-Covid, everybody has access to all things. And even if you have seen in these tournaments, earlier, when he was 2200 or 2100, when we used to come to such tournaments, there was only those handful of players who were always in the top. Have you seen the difference now? That now there are… you cannot, any three IM in top, three, four IM in top. Yeah. And any 2100 can also come in top five. So those handful part has gone now, anyone can play good. So this is actually a good thing. So what does it prove? It proves that chess has improved, everybody has access to materials, everybody is willing to work hard. So when there is a competition thing, it’s always good for the players. I mean, you cannot grow with only this little competition, that is a false notion which people carry. It is only, you grow when there is a strong competition. So I have always, that is the reason I have made him play all tournaments strong. Though I know that when he’ll be playing Sharjah Challenger it is so difficult. There were so many Chinese players and all those. You know, these many Chinese players, they don’t carry titles also. I mean, they directly take GM, I mean. Have you seen? Yeah, they will come out out of a sudden and they will disappear, and these players, they only… maybe play. Nowadays they have started coming out and playing, but you will always… you will not have their games, yes, you can’t prepare. They are so solid. So, like he was also telling me, “So many Chinese players, what have you chosen?” But he came Challenger champion. So it happens. I mean, you can do. If you feel you can do, you can do. That’s…

Aditya: Such a strong message. That’s such a strong… I said, it’s so inspiring. And who has not been successful, for them we can say: you just introspect and see, have you really tried hard enough? And if that, your conscience answers, “No, you have not tried,” then go ahead, try more. And if you have tried, work sincerely, then maybe the success is on the queue, it is going to come to you, if not today.

Monomita: Something that’s coming from you should be taken very, very cautiously on a notepad. And whatever you said means so much to so many parents, because they will get inspired from this. In this journey, would you like to mention the people who have helped you?

Monomita: Of course, of course. First and foremost, of course, Help Chess Foundation, Sagar. He’s always a great supporter, not only of Mayank, for all the upcoming and the progressive players. He has done a lot for Indian chess. So, I would always help… I’ll always be very grateful to Sagar and his Help Foundation. Mitunj has been a great help, he was the first help which came, to me, Mitunj Jalan. He also via Help Chess, he supported. And then there were many. When he became an IM, we had at E4 Foundation helping Mayank. Then one of Mayank’s academy coach, Bishwajit, he helped… he told one of his friend, Kalyan, who also arranged for funds during the Singapore… yeah, where I met you in Singapore, no? Then it was Balwan Jain from Singapore, who helped. Then there were many more, like E4 as I have told you earlier. And then Narayan Ji also supported with… from time to time. And then my deepest regards to all of them who have kept faith on him. And then yes, like NRL and State Bank of India, with the little amount, but then okay, at that time it was enough to cover a tournament. They all helped. I mean, and of course, one very important: I would like to thank all his coaches. I mean, whoever has taught him in his beginner level, intermediate level, and whoever has helped… like all our coaches from Assam in the beginner level, [name] from Bengal, [name] from Orissa, and everyone. And all his opponents also. All his opponents I would like to thank, who tested him, and sometimes he won, sometimes he broke. But then all his opponents also, I mean, they have given them tough times, so that he can… he has learned now to fight even if he is… not success always, he can bounce back. These are the things which his opponents have helped him. So all the players, I mean, so many people to thank, and I’m sorry if I’ve missed somebody. Everybody helped.

Aditya: Yeah, this opponent part is something I will carry with me. That’s very beautiful. That’s very beautiful of all the things that you have said. And finally, Monomita, now that all these years, there was like a Grandmaster, first Grandmaster from Northeast, first Grandmaster from Assam, now that it has been achieved, what next?

Monomita: Actually, honestly, ironically, I should say that when he was not the Grandmaster, things were a bit more easy, you know? Now things have become tough. Now that he has become a Grandmaster and that his next target, imminent target, is 2600. After he has become a GM, now again he doesn’t have a sponsor yet, permanent. So… and of course, sorry, I have forgotten to mention BPCL. He’s been getting a scholarship from BPCL from November last year, almost six months. That has also helped, you know? When you… I mean, you know it now, that our connect, since we are from Guwahati, the connectivity part is very difficult. Wherever you go, you have to either come to Mumbai or Delhi for the international flight. So there’s an extra expense, an extra tiring hours of journey. And now, you know, the flights and domestic flights are so much skyrocketing, this expenses. So at least if some part of the expense is taken care of, the player can play with a free mind, absolutely. Initially, he was… when he was very small, he did not worry about, he didn’t understand, only. But now that he’s growing, he has started understanding about that expenses part also. And like several times he himself says, like this Asian Continental, we could not participate. He was like, “I was calculating, trying to find, calling my travel agent. Is there any… if it has a long layover? No problem, give me a cheaper flight, give me a cheaper flight.” But then nothing worked out. The lowest layover is also very much out there, and all the flights were very costly, maybe because of this war part and so. Then now he himself is like, “No need, no need to spend so much of money.” I mean, he… when player starts thinking about that, about the expense part, this is not a very good sign. It retards the his thinking process, that is not a good sign. Preferably keep the player out of these financial struggles. But now, in a family where he’s… we have two-three rooms and we are talking with the thing, and everybody… he’s always, he knows about it now. You cannot hide. I mean, now he also can search the Google, check the Skyscanner, and see that flight fares are so much. Then he himself will come to me, “Monomita, let’s not play this. Let’s skip it, next year when it will be nearby we’ll go and play.” Like I was telling, but it has spots for the World Cup, then like, he’ll say that, “No, I’ll have many World Cups, chess is, you know, no need to spend so much.” And actually, he has seen how many FDs and all I have liquidated, actually. So now he… he thinks, I mean, I… I don’t want to give him this pressure, but you know this comes automatically. You cannot avoid, you know? And this I was saying, that things have become tougher after he has become a GM. Because initially, when he had only one norm left and few rating points, when I used to approach also some, some company or some person, then like, “Okay, okay, okay, let me try.” Just a promises were many, but how many actually materialized? “Okay, okay, he needs such a… he has a such a big aim to become the first Grandmaster… Northeast is lacking one… Okay, we’ll try to help.” At least they used to say, “We’ll try to help.” Now that he has become a Grandmaster, Grand… I mean, the ecosystem problem, you know, they don’t understand also. Like 2500, about 2600, getting into the elite group, playing strong tournaments, these are things which I am dreaming or my son is planning to play. But our thing is like that only, that, “Okay, this is the all and end all now, give a full stop.” That is the problem, I mean. I hope as things improve, I hope that life will be better for the upcoming players from Assam and Northeast. I just hope like, let him take that headache for the upcoming generation.

Aditya: We always talk about coach, “Oh, this is the coach, this is the mentor, this is the second.” But a parent, a mother, is also equally a part of this journey. So you are also as important as a coach. You are also maybe more important because this is what you said here, what you mentioned here, these are the things maybe some players are missing. Maybe their parents are not able to give them the time, give them the effort. Everybody’s trying their best, yes, yes, but it’s like a team where you are also involved. So it’s a team effort, it can’t be just one person, right? It has to be the coach, I’m sure that if anybody even cooks for him, that is also… he or she’s also a player. So it’s so many things coming together.

Monomita: Yeah, yeah. And I think you don’t need to be anybody. You are the Monomita of chess world, and he believes… he understands at this age, he understands your struggles, and he is also like understanding how to take his path. And this is… I’m sure that maybe start of a beautiful new journey. Um, but there is a question: how long will you be supporting him? Like you have traveled so much, you also have a… like I understand you love to support him, to travel with him, but you also want to need a break. You also want to let him go and play the tournaments. How long will you be traveling with him?

Monomita: I am not in a mood of taking any break. Rather, I was… I’m planning to start chess, actually, you know? Really, I started with some openings, but then midway I said, “My god, it’s too much, you know?” It is actually very difficult, you know? I mean, it will be very difficult if… I mean, it’s not so easy. I always say chess players are a class apart. I mean, they are something. I have done medical, I have done post-graduation also, but I can say it without any hesitation that becoming a Grandmaster, you can become a specialist doctor five times or maybe 10 times. Oh, because playing chess is so very difficult, as I just told you now. It’s easy, I mean, it’s easy to learn, I mean what do you see there? Only nothing much, no not much of physical exercise, but you know now there is so much of calorie loss. I mean, the World Champions have lost up to 10 kgs, or there are yes documentation, yes, that they have lost so much of weight. Though people may see that they are only playing, looking at some pieces and playing some moves, but then it takes… it takes a toll on the players’ health, energy. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Aditya: Yeah, yeah.

Monomita: And no, I have no mood of taking any break. I am going to accompany him. Until… I mean, you know that he was teasing me that, “Dinner you were…” I then I told him, I went home and I said, “Why do I even need to become anybody else?” Mayank, yesterday you had throat irritation, your tonsils were full swollen like a balloon, I treated you. Now so you are carrying a specialist doctor along with you. See, you have a very great team, you are carrying a cook, you are carrying a manager, your mom is there to care and pray for you, plus you’re taking a specialist doctor also along with you. That’s why you are special. You’re special to take care of your illness also from time to time. You know, this is one thing I tell all parents, whenever I meet, and they tell that, “Oh our children is not performing that well,” and all. Whatever I said, “Why don’t you also go and play? Play in the C category, you… why don’t you?” Difficult, it’s not easy playing, you know. I said, “Yeah, it’s… I understand that maybe first few rounds you will find it difficult.” [Name]’s father used to do that, yeah. So, go and see, go and see how it’s difficult, how it’s easy or difficult to sit on the board for five hours, four hours, and you also feel… you also feel what the player goes through. So, I always tell parents that, “Okay, you are not understanding why… no, why don’t you play?” At this time, what I realized, you know, that he was having so much of tonsillitis, allergy, and then he was playing also. The next day he was playing a very, very strong, solid player from Kerala, and then he had all those things. And then I felt that health is more important than a game. So, I gave him antihistaminics and we started antibiotics because he was having difficulty in deglutition and all those things. So then at that point of time, his health is more important than all those games and ratings. And then I was thinking, “My god, these players must be having… they must be having some health conditions,” but the round will not wait. I mean, double, double rounds you are playing. So it’s not very easy, you know. It’s very easy to in fact scold our children, “You could not win, why? Everybody is winning, look they are increasing rating.” But then that day I realized that, I mean, for me, going to play, I mean, I should have the best of conditions. My mood has to be good, I should be fresh, I should have enough sleep, good sleep. Yes, yeah, sleep is important. I mean, he could not sleep the whole night, and then over that antihistaminics, so there is a sense of drowsiness also. But then I felt no, health is important. He should… otherwise it actually increases, exaggerates. He’s suffering from some sinusitis problem since long, he’s under treatment also for that. So again that part also, I’m thinking, the chess players has to go through these health issues also. Now, but then there is no mercy. No mercy. Health issue, if you’re not sleeping, if you have, you know, you have a food allergy, digestion problem, whatever it is, you have to show up on the board.

Aditya: Yeah.

Monomita: You have to show up, irrespective. And several times, the Muscat, we reached hotel at 5:00 from Muscat, and the very next day there were those rapid, very good rapid tournaments in Bangalore. Our hotel room was given to somebody else. Then I had to move with this luggage from two more hotels. By the time I reached, somehow we got an early check-in at 8:00. And then I reminded, “No, the tournament will start exactly at 9:00,” I’m told. So that those… I mean, these tournaments are very… punctual. So then I just… and then my hotel was also quite far away. So I’ll need another half an hour to travel. Then he couldn’t take his bath also. So just changed his clothes, and with this drowsy, and feeling, he went, he played good, he became third it seems. And so those were the time that tests the player also, that you will not always get the best of conditions, everything will not be in your favor. Sometimes you have to play and win against those unfavorable things also. I mean, this is what makes a player, true. Not always good at, thing, good at handling situations also. So is in life, life also will not have everything perfect. You will have to handle with those imperfections also. I mean, thrive. That’s all.

Aditya: Amazing. I… I thought that this was a, like a session made for… should be documented and put on some of the notice boards, that whatever you have said, it’s so beautiful and so emotional. Thank you so much for sharing that. And I have been grateful to see your journey for the last four, four and a half years and I have seen how you have carried Mayank throughout these years and also a part of you who have come with him always. Your… your life, your dedication is also such a big… um like as I mentioned, a team that has… that is also a part. So you also become a Grandmaster, right, in your life, in you… in what you do? Maybe you do not have a title with your name, but you are also… and congratulations. And I’m sure that there are so many things that you can explore. I… I will be very happy to see you playing a tournament one day.

Monomita: And I am waiting for that perfect conditions, you know? I don’t know when those things will come. And sometimes I’m very… I told him now, “I will not play that same category as you play.” You’ll come close to my board, and then I will every move I’ll give, I feel I’m doing a mistake. So I am going to play… I will play C category, yeah. Absolutely. I’ll start with C. Yes, you have to play. Yes, I have to play. No, no, not in an… in open tournament sort of. I mean, okay, no, open sort of. I mean, whenever I’ll see him, I will do mistake. So he should not be nearby when I play.

Aditya: Great, great. All the very best to you and Mayank, and may many more achievements come your way. And thank you so much for giving us the time.

Monomita: Thank you.