One unforgettable day in 1975, I made my way from my home in the suburb of Khar, Bombay, to the Girgaum Chess Circle at Chikitsak High School. I was just about 16 and had embarked on a career in chess. That day, I was in a state of high excitement, as I was about to see a grandmaster in person for the first time. The champion in question was Yuri Averbakh, who was visiting India as part of the Indo-Soviet chess programme.