GCL Season 3: American Gambits' Head Coach Srinath, Co-owner Prachura Reflect On Player Draft

GCL Season 3: American Gambits' head coach Srinath, co-owner Prachura reflect on player draft (Image Source: IANS)

Global Chess League Season: After an eventful day at the Global Chess League (GCL) Season 3 draft in Mumbai, American Gambits\ head coach GM Srinath Narayanan and co-owner Prachura PP discussed their draft approach. They emphasised their focus on securing GM Arjun Erigaisi and the promising talent Volodar Murzin, known as the X-factor, as they prepare for the upcoming season in India later this year.

American Gambits retained Icon player Hikaru Nakamura and top women's player Bibisara Assaubayeva. In the draft, they made essential additions, including top Men Richard Rapport and Vladislav Artemiev, top Women Teodora Injac, and prodigy Volodar Murzin, to strengthen their team.

The team engaged in a fierce bidding war with the Alaskan Knights for World No. 4 Arjun Erigaisi but narrowly failed to secure his services.

Reflecting on the auction, Prachura said, "I have a personal connection with Arjun. Hikaru rates him very highly, and we felt he would have been a perfect fit alongside him. I even went beyond the 250-point cap we set for ourselves just to bid for him, crossing 300 points. Still, with PBG holding 1,000 points compared to our 800, we simply couldn’t outbid them."

Srinath added, "Arjun was one of our top preferences. Having him alongside Hikaru, our top American player, would have been a powerful combination. However, we had to balance this with the need to save points for later stages of the draft. In an auction like this, you can’t simply handpick the players you want—every team is building their squad at the same time."

American Gambits gained significant attention in the Prodigy category by signing Volodar Murzin, the reigning World Rapid Chess Champion. The team’s strategic advisors consider him a key element for the season, viewing him as the crucial X-factor.

"He’s not just a prodigy; he’s already performing consistently at the 2650 level and shows remarkable maturity and reliability for his age. It’s safe to say he’s the strongest junior in the world today," said Srinath.

Echoing this, Prachura said, "Volodar is the strongest prodigy and the current World Open Rapid Champion. We expect him to deliver critical wins for us, as the prodigy board can be a real differential in this format, and we believe we have the best player there."

The coach, who won the Chess Olympiad, also discussed the unique challenges of coaching in a league format: "In a league, flexibility is key. Unlike established events like the Olympiad, where everything is pre-set, here things change constantly. Different time controls and dynamic situations test your ability to think on your feet. The more challenging it is, the greater the opportunity to stand out."

Echoing this, Prachura said, "Volodar is the strongest prodigy and the current World Open Rapid Champion. We expect him to deliver critical wins for us, as the prodigy board can be a real differential in this format, and we believe we have the best player there."

American Gambits Squad: Hikaru Nakamura, Richard Rapport, Vladislav Artemiev, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Teodora Injac, Volodar Murzin.

Article Source: IANS