For every athlete, there come moments that test more than skill and talent; they test the heart. Moments when one has to choose to either press onward through personal pain, or take a step back to grieve and reflect. For Grandmaster Nihal Sarin, that moment came on Thursday night when he learned that the man who first taught him the game, his grandfather, had passed away. With tremendous courage, Nihal chose to continue and ended up winning the Rapid event at the 2026 Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz tournament. Nihal’s 82-year-old grandfather A.A. Ummar, who had been ailing for the past 18 months, was his earliest mentor and a staunch supporter. Nihal wasn’t even supposed to be in Kolkata and would have been with Ummar in his last days in Thrissur had it not been for a call from Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua, who invited him to play as a replacement for D. Gukesh. Eager for opportunities and unaware of the impending tragedy, Nihal straightaway said yes to the event at the 11th hour. …