Vidit Gujrathi’s Playing Style: The Methodical Risk-Taker Who Rebuilt His Game

If you tried to pin down Vidit Gujrathi’s playing style a few years ago, you’d probably come up with labels like solid, strategic, and safe. But that would only capture half the truth, because the current version of Vidit is the product of a bold personal transformation, one that fused calculation with creativity, preparation with psychology, and courage with self-awareness.

A Player Who Took Apart His Own Game

In an interview with Anish Giri, the Dutch GM reflected on Vidit’s decision a few years ago to break his game down and rebuild it from scratch. Vidit was not content being “just solid.” He chose the difficult route: rather than doubling down on his strengths, he targeted his weaknesses. Giri himself advised against it, warning that such a shift could cost Vidit what made him special. But the Indian GM persisted, losing some battles along the way but clearly winning the war.

Today, that risky evolution has paid off. Vidit kept his strategic depth and intuitive feel for the game, but added sharper calculation, deeper preparation, and psychological resilience.

How the Experts Rate Him

In a FIFA-style breakdown by GM David Howell, Vidit scored highly in nearly every category:

• Strategy: 89
• Calculation: 88
• Defense: 84
• Attacking: 83
• Time Management: 82
• Intuition: 78
• Overall: 83

Anish Giri, however, wasn’t entirely sold on some of the numbers, especially that low intuition score. “His intuitive first move is always very decent, very good,” Giri said, but added, “He’s an intuitive player who doesn’t trust his intuition.” He argued for flipping the scores, pushing intuition higher and lowering time management instead. “I’d give intuition an 87,” he joked, “and strategy even more.”

What both Howell and Giri agreed on is that Vidit blends calculation and strategy well, an accurate reflection of his over-the-board style today.

The Nakamura Game: A Case Study in Preparation

Vidit’s performance at the 2024 Candidates Tournament, especially his demolition of Hikaru Nakamura in just 29 moves, was a showcase of the “new Vidit.” In a Ruy Lopez Berlin, he introduced a stunning novelty as early as move 8. It wasn’t just one sharp idea. It was a cascade of sacrifices: two pawns and a bishop, delivered with cold precision. Nakamura, who usually relies on navigating murky positions quickly and confidently, looked utterly lost.

What made this victory even more telling? While Nakamura had burned 40 minutes on the clock trying to decode the novelty, Vidit had used only five. He was still deep in home preparation, backed by months of human-led, computer-aware innovation. In the era where most players rely on what Stockfish spits out, Vidit and his team searched instead for moves that engines might not immediately recommend, but that humans would find painful to deal with over the board.

This mix of deep preparation, human-centered evaluation, and courage to deviate from “engine-first” thinking defines Vidit’s modern approach.

Not Just Talent – Work Ethic and Self-Awareness

Vidit’s journey wasn’t without struggle. He admits that he lacked psychological strength around the 2700 mark, often buckling under pressure when one win would push him over the threshold. “The moment I let go [of results], I felt able to play my natural game,” he said in a 2019 interview. He also acknowledged that his openings used to be subpar, “completely average”, but that’s something he’s fixed through tireless preparation.

His view on Magnus Carlsen’s approach also hints at Vidit’s pragmatic mindset. “There is this saying that Magnus doesn’t prepare openings, but that’s propaganda,” he remarked. He respects the value of preparation, not just memorizing engine lines, but shaping ideas based on who you’re playing and how humans think.

A Style That’s Hard to Label – And That’s the Point

So what is Vidit’s playing style now?

It’s layered. He’s a strategist with deep opening prep. A solid defender who can switch gears and blow opponents off the board with tactical flurries. A generally intuitive player who has trained himself to question, verify, and refine that intuition. He’s not reckless, but he’s not shy about sacrificing material if the position demands it. He’s not naturally impulsive, but he’s no longer afraid of playing dynamically.

Above all, he’s methodical, introspective, and hungry to improve. In a world where many GMs settle into a stylistic comfort zone, Vidit chose discomfort. And that’s what makes him dangerous.

Summary:
Vidit Gujrathi’s style is a blend of strategic depth, surprising preparation, and evolved calculation. He used to be viewed as a safe, positional player, but over the past few years, he transformed himself into a versatile competitor capable of catching even the world’s best off guard. He’s not perfect (time management is still an issue), but few players today have reinvented themselves as effectively, or as courageously as Vidit.