'Not too much pressure': How Zhu Jiner transformed India's struggles and moved China closer to Chess Olympiad gold

Chinese Zhu Jiner at the Chess Olympiad (photo by Michal Walusza for FIDE) NEW DELHI: The 46th Chess Olympiad is currently at its peak in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. In the women’s section, one team has eluded the others and it’s China who are the comfortable leaders at the moment. And if things don’t go south, it will be the Chinese girls who will be wearing the gold medals around their necks at the end of 11 rounds. But do you know the most interesting thing about him? China doesn’t even have its strongest players in action.According to the current FIDE rankings, none of the top three in the world are part of this Chinese side, which includes Hou Yifan, current women’s world champion Ju Wenjun and Lei Tingjie. Zhu Jiner, the world No. 4, is therefore on board 1, facing the toughest opponent at this Olympics in Samarkand. And she rose to the challenge and went undefeated, a complete turnaround from her form at the Global Chess League (GCL) in India just a few weeks ago.Just before the Olympics, Jiner was part of the two-time GCL champions Triveni Continental Kings, who had a rough time finishing second from bottom in the group stage this time around. Even Jiner’s performance was not up to par, the 23-year-old grandmaster won only one, lost four and tied five games in the tournament.The results on board, coupled with a hectic schedule, meant she had little time or inclination to enjoy the city of Bengaluru, the host of this fourth edition of the GCL.

Looking for warmth in the middle of a difficult campaign

Despite her struggles on the board, Jiner maintained a deep respect for the host nation. “I am in Bengaluru for the first time and overall I had a very good impression of the city. The weather is also very pleasant,” Jiner told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction.“Since I’m mainly here to compete in the Global Chess League, quite a lot of time has been spent on matches and preparation, so I haven’t really had much time to go out. When I have a match, most of my energy is focused on the competition.”Bengaluru was simply the latest stop in Jiner’s long-standing relationship with Indian chess clubs, having previously played in the country’s major centres.“I have been to India several times before. I have visited New Delhi, Pune, Mumbai and now Bengaluru, all for international chess tournaments,” she recounted. “What I love most about India is how passionate people are about chess. Whether they are players or fans, you can really feel their love for the game. For example, during this Global Chess League, the players received such a warm welcome from the local fans. Every day when we walk out of the venue, there are so many chess fans waiting for autographs or photos with their idols.”Jiner also noted the wider cultural and competitive ties between the two Asian superpowers and acknowledged the explosive growth of Indian chess talent on the global stage.“I think India has a very long and rich history and culture. I also heard some Indian mythological stories,” she noted. “At the same time, India is a very vibrant and fast-growing country, and there is a lot of trade and exchange between the two countries (India and China). In terms of modern chess, India has developed incredibly fast in the last few years, especially in terms of the younger generation. Now there are many very talented young Indian players and they repeatedly achieve excellent results in international competitions.”

From a four-year-old beginner to China’s Board 1

Jiner’s journey to leading the Chinese national team at Board 1 in Samarkand was built on decades of steady progress. “I was introduced to chess when I was about four years old. At first it was very simple, I just thought the game was interesting and I enjoyed playing it,” Jiner recalled.“Then, when I was around seven, I joined the Zhejiang team and started training more systematically. Later, I joined the national team and gradually started competing at higher and higher levels. Actually, there wasn’t a single specific moment when I suddenly decided, ‘I want to become a professional chess player.’ It happened gradually. Over time, chess became a very important part of my life and becoming a professional player seemed like a natural choice for me.”Her personal trajectory reflects the unique structure of Chinese chess. “Chess came to China relatively late. It has been around for many years, but compared to some other sports, it is still a relatively marginal sport,” Jiner explained.“I don’t know much about the current development system of young Chinese players, but I think that for a little girl who is just starting to learn chess, the most important thing is to develop a true love for the game first. The professional path is actually very long and there will be many difficulties along the way. If you really love the sport, that’s what will help you continue.”

Driving a ship in Samarkand

That resilience proved crucial when China arrived in Samarkand without their standard contingent of world champions. Leading a team of underdogs, Jiner reframed the narrative, turning the absence of superstars into a source of determination.“I think China has some of the strongest players in the world and overall the team has consistently been one of the strongest,” Jiner noted before the tournament began. “However, this time the Chinese team was not able to compete in the Olympics with its most complete and strongest lineup, which I personally think is a bit unfortunate.”Rather than let the pressure of top management responsibilities overwhelm her team after the failure in India, Jiner has embraced lowered expectations, which has worked well for her and her team so far.READ ALSO: Juggling Chess Olympiad Prep and Commentary Gig in India: The Other Side of America’s Only GM Irina Krush“Of course, even under these circumstances, the Chinese women’s team is still a very strong team. But there are many strong teams in this Olympics, and I think the competition between them will be extremely intense. So I would not consider China the biggest favorite to win the title. For us, it actually means that there is not too much pressure. We will prepare carefully for each round, focus on the opponent in front of us, try to play for a good result.”Jiner may not have seen China as the biggest favorite to win the title. But this pragmatic focus is now on the verge of achieving one of the most spectacular gold medals in modern Olympic history.(The Indian women’s team will face China in the penultimate round of the Chess Olympiad on Saturday.)