Olympiad winner Vidit Gujrathi says playing chess was a happy accident

Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi was just another Indian kid who dreamt of becoming a cricketer in his childhood before an accidental initiation to chess, which he feels was a "very happy accident".

Gujrathi was part of the five-member Indian men's team that won a historic gold in the open category of the recent Olympiad in Budapest. To make the achievement more memorable, the Indian women's team also bagged the gold, making it double celebration for the country.

"It was accidental. I was six-years-old and I was very mischievous as a child. My parents wanted to engage me in some activity. I used to play cricket like every Indian kid," Gujrathi told PTI in an interview.

"He took me to a club and there cricket was played with season ball, so my Dad said to me wait for a year and then play cricket, till then pick another sport. So I started chess.

"My father taught me and I wanted to win against him, so that was the motivation. It was an accident but a very happy accident," he added

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