Volodar Murzin (FIDE/GCL Photo)

NEW DELHI: Russia wears its history like an heirloom, something impossible to ignore. Chess, naturally, is one of its proudest legacies.India, another civilisation rooted in deep traditions, has spent the last few decades carving out its own place on the global chess map, producing prodigies and sharing podiums at a pace that even the old guard now acknowledges.

Yes, Russia, previously part of the USSR, may still have more world champions, but when Russian Grandmaster Volodar Murzin speaks of India, he keeps the game of 64 squares aside. Instead, his mind jumps to something far more delicious, something far more edible.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!For 19-year-old Murzin, India begins with mangoes, paneer, and sugarcane juice, the trio that has clearly check-mated his taste buds.“I’ve played in India many times before,” Murzin told TimesofIndia.com from his home in Russia during an exclusive interaction. “When I was in India, I ate a lot of mangoes, drank sugarcane juice, and I like Indian paneer.”And what about spice?“I like spicy food. Yeah. For me, this is not a problem. The Indian paneer is very tasty.”As India prepares to host the Global Chess League (GCL) for the first time at the iconic Royal Opera House in Mumbai from December 14 to 23, Murzin, the 2024 FIDE Rapid champion, will join the fray as one of the sharpest young minds.Retained by the American Gambits, Murzin is quite positive about the third season.“I like this type of tournament,” he added. “I always like team competitions… you can talk with strong players in your team.”Featuring Hikaru Nakamura, Richard Rapport, Vladislav Artemiev, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Teodora Injac, and Volodar Murzin, American Gambits have one of the strongest line-ups in the league this season.Although Murzin hasn’t spoken to his superstar teammates yet about the upcoming season, he feels communication won’t be an issue.“I know everyone in my team. I have good communication with all of them,” he told this website.“Of course we want to win… but we just need to play and not think about that,” he added, sounding like a veteran who has seen enough pressure for his age.When asked about his overall experience since lifting the World Rapid title last year, Murzin admits the crown changed something within.“I just became more confident,” the teenager added. “It will be easier to play now because I feel more comfortable.”But 2025 hasn’t been perfect. “It was not a good year for me… I didn’t play very well. I just need a little bit more time,” he explained.Yet his ambition is sharp. He wants to improve his classical chess: “Sometimes I can think about 15 minutes… if I start to play faster, I think I will become a top player for sure.”Ask him about Candidates 2026, and he feels that the experienced ones in the circuit are slightly more favourites: “Caruana has nice chances. He’s in good shape, very strong. Anish Giri too”

With Doha hosting the World Rapid & Blitz Championships from December 25 to 31, Murzin is aware of the potential challenge: “There are a lot of strong players, and it’s very interesting to play against them.”However, he doesn’t shy away from naming the opponents he’d love to face: Arjun Erigaisi and Hans Niemann.“Erigaisi has an interesting style… he’s like an intuitive player,” Murzin added. “And Hans too, very interesting style.”But before all these, the future of Russian chess is coming to Mumbai for the GCL and perhaps for dessert-worthy mangoes and protein-packed paneer.ALSO READ: From ‘dying from spice’ to ‘iPhone revolt’ and ‘Gukesh mode’: Dutch No.1 Anish Giri opens box of not-quite-chess tales | Exclusive