No plans to switch federations as of now: Abhimanyu

American Grandmaster Abhimanyu Mishra said he has no current plans to switch federations, explaining that his earlier comments referred to a hypothetical situation. “Actually, this was a huge miscommunication. Essentially, as of now, I don’t want to switch federations at all,” Abhimanyu told The Hindu on the sidelines of the Total Chess World Championship Tour pilot here.

He said his response to that hypothetical question was that he might consider a switch. “But the thing is, this does not mean that I’m searching to change federation at all currently,” he said. Abhimanyu also spoke about playing simultaneous exhibitions to help cover expenses.

The sessions, which involved taking on several opponents and could last hours, provided some income but were tiring. “And I was getting some money out of that, which was helping a bit,” he said. In Budapest, Abhimanyu has been drawn in Group C alongside Magnus Carlsen, Anish Giri, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Haik M.

Martirosyan and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. He will face each opponent twice in the Fast Classic group stage. The 24-player event combines blitz, rapid and Fast Classic, with players tested at all three speeds in the knockouts.

The chance to play Carlsen twice was particularly appealing, with Abhimanyu describing it as a source of joy and a learning experience. TThe strength of the field had convinced him to accept the invitation. “I mean, saying no to a tournament like this is a bit ridiculous, honestly,” he said.