T.D.R. Peiris a.k.a. TDR, has won the national Chess Champion title several times and a senior chess champion since 2014.
He could be introduced as a person who was born with the talent to play chess. He has represented the country in several international tournaments and competed against world-class players.
TDR, who lives in Kottawa, is a legend in Sri Lanka’s chess history and is yet involved with chess as a senior player and chess instructor.
A few months ago, he wrote and published a book on chess for the young players in our country. The ‘Youth Observer’ met him to discuss the future of Sri Lanka’s younger chess players and what could be done to improve the standard of chess in Sri Lanka.
Q: TDR you are one of the best players and coaches this country has produced. What is the progress of the game in Sri Lanka?
A: I think it is not at a good stage today. Of course we conduct more events today and there are many talented players around the country. But the standard of the game has not developed much. We need to improve standards.
Q: Do you blame the chess officials for this situation?
A: No, I do not blame them. A couple of decades ago I criticized them. But it had no effect on them. I think we must get together and develop a real system to develop the standard of the game. Most other countries are doing it.
Q: Have you any suggestions for it?
A: The Chess Federation must plan and introduce short, medium and long-term projects to raise the standard of this game. We must conduct competitions.
Many of the countries which are doing well in chess today developed by following this method.
Q: As a veteran chess player what have you done to develop the game?
A: As an individual I tried to spell out my ideas through the chess community. A couple of months ago I wrote a book about chess. It mentioned how to conduct an attacking battle on the Chess board. We also discussed with the officials of the Chess Federation to develop this game.
Q: Are you still involved in competitions? And what do you think of the young players?
A: Yes, I am very much involved with the game. Chess is a part of my life. I wake with chess and go to bed with chess. I think I will let go of chess when I die.
As a coach I have taught a large number of players in the country. However, I find some young players are afraid to defeat their opponents. That is not a good trend. My latest book is also based on how to conduct an attacking chess game. In our era we were determined to defeat our opponents. But today, most players try to draw the games. This attitude does not augur well to develop the game in the country.
Q: How about your students? Do they also follow this path?
A: As a trainer I advise them on how to control the game and enter the winning path. Most of my students do not try to draw a game. They need good competition. The game produces one winner and one loser. One must sharpen the mind and upset the opponent’s plans.
Q: Today, anyone in Sri Lanka can play a game of chess with a player anywhere in the world. What do you think of that opportunity?
A: It is good. If you love to play with world standard players now you have facility via the internet. There are a lot of chess games that are conducted online. Most of our players are involved in it. It is good. I am happy about it.
Q: Don’t you think that chess too has become commercialised?
A: Yes. I think so. Chess has become a business today. There are a lot of chess coaches in the country. They are working with the school community. But the standard of the game has not improved. What is the reason for this?
There is no real spirit for the game. It is not real chess today. There is no proper guidance for youngsters. Due to this there is a lack of good competitive spirit in the chess arena. I always say that we must stop trying to draw games and instead try to win it. A large number chess players do not make an effort to win the game.
Q: What is the reason for this?
A: This is because some coaches have instructed them to do so. If the game ends in a draw the international marks they obtain will be higher than if they lose the game. Due to this a large number of players try to collect points by drawing the game. This will not help to develop their skills or the standard of the game.
Q: Some coaches seem to have guided the players to collect points and try to become FIDE Masters quickly by following this path. Chess is a global game and a fast-growing one. Do you think it is a bad bad idea?
A: Has Sri Lanka produced any Grandmasters as yet by following this path. In our days, the Athurupana brothers, Arjuna Parakrama, Vajira Perera, and Pitigala were some of the well-known chess players. They had a chance to climb up the ladder and become Grand Masters. But with political interference they give up the game. This led to a downfall in standards.
Our neighbour, India has improved a lot and produced a world champ. We are still lagging behind while most of the countries which were at our level 20 or 30 years ago, have made vast strikes in the game and are far ahead of us.
Q: How can Sri Lanka overcome these problems?
A: First, we must find the soul of the game. When a tournament is over the players simply rush off home. There is no discussion. In our era, we had discussions after each tournament. We discussed our faults and our plus points. There was constructive criticism of each other. We were keen to find new tactics. But today this is lacking.
Most players are selfish and there is no camaraderie. They see their opponent as an enemy. After the game is over they do not shake hands or show respect to the winner. As soon as the game is over they vanish. I think the reason is the internet. They know they can find good opponents on the internet. They are not bothered about locally conducted tournaments. I think winners too must be humble.
Pix: Sudam Gunasinghe