By Aditya Sur Roy
It was an early morning flight that we had to catch from Hyderabad and head to Frankfurt. Throughout these years, these early morning flights (3-4 am) have become our favourite flights to take for longer distances. Sometimes we leave in a hurry, and sometimes we intentionally reach the airport a bit early.
We are all set to board our flight as the city of Hyderabad cools down after a drizzle
This was the first time that we were travelling to Poland and we were very thrilled for what was in store for the next couple of days. We took the Lufthansa flight from Hyderabad to Frankfurt, which was a comfortable Boeing 787-9 fondly known as the Dreamliner aircraft. It was a nine-hour flight, and thankfully we had some good rest as we browsed through some entertainment and enjoyed some nice food. We reached Frankfurt on time and then, after a three-hour layover, it was time for us to catch our flight for Katowice in Poland.
Finding your flight from Frankfurt can be a challenge, but thankfully we had time
And as we landed, we were greeted by IM Grzegorz Masternak who was kind enough to take us to our hotel. Grzegorz shared his story and also a bit about the event that was set for the next two days, and we were already excited. This was our first time in this charming country, and the bright and sunny sky already had my attention. We travelled through the beautiful streets of Katowice, enjoying the passing by sceneries while enjoying the stories of the chess festivals organised by Mokate Group.
The Mokate Group is supporting the 6th International Chess Festival “Chess in Ustroń Connects Generations”, an event that not only promotes chess as a sport of strategic thinking but also brings together intergenerational and educational communities.
IM Grzegorz Masternak sharing stories of Polish chess and of his life
The Mokate group has been a long-time promoter of chess, as their initiative “Mokate and Chess – bringing generations together” has hosted some of the very best chess players in the world like Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, Viswanathan Anand, Vasyl Ivanchuk, Ruslan Ponomariov and local superstar Jan-Krzysztof Duda. The initiative has brought the biggest names to the spa town of Ustroń while inspiring thousands of talents and fans across all ages.
What started on the 30th Anniversary of Mokate group in 2020 is now a well-known tradition and now, with this event, Gukesh became a part of it. This has been a personal initiative of Dr. Adam Mokrysz, the CEO of the Mokate group, and this is what his idea has been:
Our brand goes hand in hand with chess. This is how we play for new markets and find people who think in the same way. People want to develop, and chess helps to do that. This makes them feel they can always come through in the clutch. Chess is an incredible passion. We need to support the royal game because this is how we can take care of the young people.
The Mokate Group is one of the few Polish companies with a multi-generational tradition. Its origins date back to 1900 when members of the Mokrysz family acquired a colonial shop in tMOkrysz-KAzimierz-TEresain, what is now the Czech Republic. In 1990, the grandson of the first owner, Kazimierz Mokrysz, handed the company over to his wife, Teresa Mokrysz. At that time, the company changed its name to Mokate, an acronym formed from three words: MOkrysz-KAzimierz-TEresa.
By the time we reached our hotel, it was time for Gukesh to arrive, and our perfectly coordinated arrival let us meet Gukesh and his father. We exchanged some greetings and headed to our room.
Gukesh and his father arrive at the Diament Plaza hotel
The Diament Plaza hotel in Katowice was Gukesh’s official stay
Our wonderful room at the Diament Plaza Hotel
The Diament Plaza hotel in Katowice was our official hotel and it was situated at the heart of the city. As we entered our room, we were surprised with some amazing goodies and welcome gifts, which was really special. The room and view from the windows was just amazing.
The welcome gift with a handwritten note by Dr. Adam Mokrysz
The thoughtful gifts, which included some amazing Mokate goodies
We quickly freshened up, and it was time to eat. Courtesy of Grzegorz and Lukasz Turlej, we were introduced to the local cuisine. I just simply loved the food and, as custom, I went for a walk before the big day. The match between Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Gukesh at the historic Kinoteatr Rialto in Katowice was a six-game blitz match with a time control of 3 minutes plus 2-second increments from the first move.
We enjoyed some amazing local cuisine – a definite recommendation!
Walking around new places is something we have always cherished, as there is so much to observe, learn and experience. Find below some photos from the walk as we retire to our room and get ready for the next day. Founded in the 16th century, this place is channelling into modernisation with new age construction and high-rise buildings, but you can still get some glimpses of the old glory days as you walk around the town.
A nice piece placed in a busy street will definitely grab your attention
While walking, you will often get to enjoy some beautiful architecture
Walking around the streets of Katowice, there is a wide variety of restaurants
Day one: The match
A sumptuous breakfast was arranged for local superstar Jan-Krzysztof Duda and for Gukesh, along with some dignitaries. Some local favourites were prepared among many other choices.
Gukesh checking out the options at the grand breakfast
Duda having a casual chat about his friendship with Gukesh
Some nice and interesting Polish chess stories came up
A nice pose for a picture with the dignitaries after the breakfast
After the breakfast, it was time for the big matchup, as we saw hundreds of chess fans and enthusiasts gather to watch the two top players battle it out. Though it was a friendly exhibition match between two players who have worked with each other for the longest time, everyone was expecting to witness an exciting fight.
Fans all excited to witness the match
A quick two-game blitz match was arranged before the big match between two of Poland’s brightest young talents, Patryk Cieslak and Jakub Seemann. The fans enjoyed two fantastically contested blitz games played between the two youngsters.
The two youngsters, Patryk Cieslak and Jakub Seemann, in action
The second game got more intense
The youngsters being felicitated after their match
Now it was time for the big moment. The match began and Gukesh started with a win, though Jan-Krzysztof immediately equalised in the second game. In the remainder of the match, Gukesh created some chances, but the 2021 World Cup winner and Poland’s number-one proved why he is one of the best in the format, as he crushed Gukesh with five wins in a row, winning the match by a massive score of 5-1.
The first move made by Lukasz Turlej, who played a prominent role in organising the event
Duda in action, on his way to win another game
The view from the top row as fans are locked in
Gukesh and Duda were often seen analysing after their games
Even after three consecutive losses, Gukesh sits to analyse
Gukesh in action as he tries hard to get back in the match
The two players being felicitated after the match, as Duda receives a special trophy
After the match, the fans got a chance to meet and greet the two players. Even after a long match, the players made sure that each and every fan who came to watch them, gets a chance to meet them.
Fans and organisers pose with Duda and Gukesh
All games
Gukesh and Duda also met the amazing Tymek Kalata and got to know about his story. A chess fan and enthusiast, Tymek fell in love with chess early on, as he learned chess from his father. His favourite player is Magnus Carlsen. Tymek and his family had one year to raise 16.5 million zloty (around 4.5 million US dollars) – and guess what… the community did it! The teenager has been approved for gene therapy in Boston, and the treatment can halt his rapidly progressing disease. People from all over the world gathered and made this possible.
You can read more about him here: Tymek Kalata.
Gukesh meets Tymek Kalata
Then we headed for lunch at the 27th floor at the Courtyard by Marriott in the Katowice City Centre. It was interesting to witness the smiles exchanged between Duda and Gukesh as they had some conversation during lunch. It goes to show that off the board they behave as professionals and have immense respect for each other.
Gukesh and Duda having a fun chat after the match
This soup was really amazing
One of the finest fish we had recently – cooked to perfection
And it was finally time for us to leave Katowice and head to the charming Ustroń, which was around an hour of drive away, but we were not taking the road as a special ride was waiting for us. An Airbus H130 was waiting at a private airport for us to reach Ustroń. Looking at the helicopter, we felt we were in a movie sequence. Later we came to know that the helicopter costs around 4 million US dollars.
The world champion poses with the ride of the day
A picture with the captain before takeoff
This was indeed a special ride for Gukesh and his father, but as I also got a chance to share the experience with them, it is something I will cherish forever. Keti Tsatsalashvili, who helped to coordinate the event, joined us for the trip.
A selfie of Aditya with Gukesh and Keti
We flew over Katowice enjoying the stunning aerial views, and in no time we were greeted with another huge surprise as we reached Ustroń. Fans of Gukesh waited to welcome him and brought a huge smile on the face of the world champion. It was a long and tiring day, and such a surprise was really special.
Witnessing something special from the helicopter
The most amazing welcome for the world chess champion
A helicopter ride with the world chess champion is not something I could have planned or imagined, but will be a part of my core memory and something I will cherish forever.
Day two: The simul
After a nice and comfortable breakfast and walk, the day started early, as Gukesh was on his way to visit some local tournaments where they were playing the final rounds of the Ustroń Chess Festival. Gukesh met many fans and also shared some inspiring messages.
A selfie with the kids at the Ustroń Chess Festival
Players at the Ustroń Chess Festival delighted to meet Gukesh
Then we visited the Mokate office, where we met Mr. Adam Mokrysz, the CEO of the Mokate Group. Adam gave a tour of the office and provided some insights about the group and the various range of chess-themed products.
Gukesh at the Mokate office with Adam Mokrysz
Adam Mokrysz sharing some interesting facts about the Mokate group
A special picture with Gukesh at the Mokate office
And then it was time for the grand simul, where eighteen chess enthusiasts gathered to face the eighteenth world chess champion. It was amazing to see that none of the boards finished early and each board had some fighting chance, but Gukesh slowly started showing why he is the world champion. Few boards showed immense resistance, but Gukesh managed to finish the simul in under two hours with an 18-0 score.
Gukesh in action at the simul, shaking hands and starting the games
Gukesh in action at the simul as he browses through the boards
Gukesh meets Dr Katarzyna Mokrysz
In today’s fast-paced chess world, especially online, where blitz and rapid games dominate, the traditional approach of grinding through lines of opening theory can feel overwhelming, and even unnecessary. The real challenge? Striking the right balance in your opening preparation. How deep should you go? Where do you stop? This course is built on the timeless wisdom of my legendary coach, Chebanenko, who designed opening repertoires for his “lazy” students – not lazy in attitude, but smart in approach. His philosophy? Don’t memorise. Understand.
After the simul, it was time for the closing ceremony of the Ustroń Chess Festival. The winners of the festival were to be awarded, and a special surprise awaited the players and the fans as Gukesh was about to make a small appearance on the stage. And what a moment it was. Hundreds of people cheered for Gukesh as he reached the stage and gave a short speech.
Finally it was time for dinner – and how can a day end without a game of chess? Adam Mokrysz requested Gukesh to play a game before he leaves. They sat down to play a game, and it turned out to be a really intense one.
On the next morning it was time for me to catch an early flight. As I was rushing to get to my cab, I saw Keti and Lukasz waiting to see me off. We returned late the night before, and it was so heart-warming to see them waiting to say goodbye. We took a nice selfie – and that’s how one of my favourite event ends.
The goodbye selfie with Keti and Lukasz
The love and hospitality of Lukasz, Keti, Grzegorz, Adam Mokrysz, his family, members of Poland Chess Federation, the staff of the hotel and all the chess fans was exceptional.
We want to thank Lukasz Turlej for the amazing work that he is doing and for inviting us to be a part of such a special event.
