GM Harshit Raja dominates with 13-3 score in thrilling simul!

The many sides of a chess simul

What’s it like to play in a simul? It must feel pretty cool. You are one of the selected few who get to play against a Grandmaster. But at the same time, that’s exactly why it’s stressful. Your focus is either “Play well” or “Not to blunder early”. What’s it like to give a simul? That sounds cool too. Because hey, you are the “Master” everyone has come to challenge. But then again… YOU are the only one playing against everyone. You are the one navigating different positions and chances. Your opponents are waiting for their chance to catch you off guard.

And... what’s it like to watch a simul? This is actually the coolest. You get to see all the action unfold at once. You see the calm nerves at first slowly turning into panic at the end. Some players look super confident… until it’s their turn. The moment the GM stops at their board, they panic a little. The GM walks faster to avoid time trouble while the players sit there, swinging under the table due to nervousness. As a spectator, you silently root for both sides. You can be like “Come on, hold the position,” but also, “Oh no, don’t hang the piece.” It’s fun, chaotic, and addictive. Because with this format, you never know when the tables might turn!

GM Harshit Raja vs 16 players! The Simul happened right after The Big Chess Inter-School Tournament. As soon as the tournament got over, the energy of the venue shifted gears. The boards were reset, table arrangements changed, clocks were set, audience gathered around. Everyone was eagerly waiting for the Simul to start. The serious vibe of the tournament shifted to something lighter and exciting.

As soon as Harshit entered the venue, the crowd gathered around him like crazy. In fact, I didn’t even have to see him to know he had arrived. The crowd just showed it. Parents were taking pictures, asking for autographs, and some were starstruck! Harshit handled it with patience and a smile.

We had another guest as well who attracted a lot of people…

Out of the 16 players, twelve were selected as the top two finishers from each category of The Big Chess Inter-School tournament, and the remaining four players were handpicked.

Take a look at the games of these players against GM Harshit Raja.

1. Aksh Shrivastava (1st in U-6)

2. Anish Aggarwala (2nd in U-6)

3. Kathit Shelar (1st in U-8)

4. Ansh Dadhich (2nd in U-8)

5. Neev Bafna (1st in U-10)

6. Aashvi Agarwal (2nd in U-10)

7. Vihaan Rao (1st in U-12)

8. Amber Gangwal (2nd in U-12)

9. Mysha Perwez (1st in U-14)

10. Lobo Ferdyn (2nd in U-14)

11. Vivaan Sardana (1st in Open)

12. Pranav Bhagtani (2nd in Open)

13. Swayam Ubale

14. Mitali Naik

15. Aniket Kachi

16. Sayli Kachi

Simul is unique in itself, but it’s quite a challenge as it tests time management more than anything else. Harshit was moving quickly, almost frantically, as he was in extreme time trouble across multiple boards. He tried to find the best moves in less time, but the pressure was immense. Even the audience could feel the mounting tension. During the last few minutes, their hearts pounded as fast as Harshit hurried between boards. He concluded the simul with an impressive score of 13 wins and just 3 losses. Pranav outplayed Harshit brilliantly, which made the GM nothing but resign, while against Mysha and Amber, the GM lost on time. And I must say, the simul was absolutely worth watching!

Related news:

Second edition of The Big Chess Inter-School Tournament begins from 16th May @ 27/04/2025 by Rasika Ratnaparkhi (en)