Kolkata : Arpita Mukherjee, a class 9 student of Sahid Rameswar Balika Vidyamandir has made chess a part of her daily life. The 14 year old has already won the Woman FIDE Master Title in 2008 when she was only 7 years old and currently holds the 5th spot in the national rankings in the Under-15 category.
The champion of the 2015 State, Sub-Junior, U-17 and u-19 chess tournaments revealed that she loves to be an aggressive player. “I love putting my opponent under psychological pressure. I also love to play to play mind games with them. Sometimes in a game I place my King in an absurd position on the chess board without any reason which appears as if I am making a huge mistake. This trick befuddles my opponent so much that soon enough I am able to say ‘check and mate’. ” Mukherjee said with a twinkle in her eyes. “Someday I want to become a Grandmaster like Dibyendu Sir.” added Arpita.
The former Asian Youth Chess Championship winner of 2009 and 2010 attributed her success to her father who had influenced her in the 64 black and white squares when she was only 5 years old. But her father, Partha Mukherjee is not impressed with her achievements so far. “I had expected a lot more from her. She is not living up to her potential. She must work harder if she aims to be a Woman Grandmaster (WGM) before she turns 18.” said Mr. Mukherjee. “Although her passion for chess began with me she would have amounted to nothing if it would not have been for Dibyendu Sir. He is her friend, philosopher and guide.” he added.
Arpita Mukherjee is a current student of the Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy and trains for 5 to 6 hours everyday. “I personally feel that her parents are putting too much pressure on her and that is the reason for her occasional failure. But Arpita is a gifted player. She is destined to be a successful chess player in her life.” said Dibyendu Barua, the second Indian to become a Grandmaster, after Viswanathan Anand.
The only low point in Arpita’s life is that she does not have friends circle. “I do not have any friends in school. Sometimes my classmates say behind my back: ‘She never attends school, and we are least bothered about her.” said Arpita with a sad smile.
Arpita played 3 games of rapid chess in the 2016 Chess for Youth tournament which was organized by the Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy at the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in B B D Bagh on Saturday. She won the first, lost the second and has drawn the third. Tomorrow on the final day of the tournament she is again supposed to play 3 more games.