Who Gajendra is
Gajendra was the mighty king of elephants who lived on the mountain Trikuta. Bathing in a lake with his herd, he was seized by the leg by a powerful crocodile, and the two struggled for a thousand years until Gajendra's strength gave out. Abandoned by his herd, unable to free himself, he lifted a lotus with his trunk and prayed to the Supreme Lord; Vishnu came on Garuda, slew the crocodile with his discus and freed him. The Bhagavata tells that Gajendra had been King Indradyumna, cursed by the sage Agastya.
“I am strong, but I have known what it is to be caught. Let us see who holds whom.”
How Gajendra plays chess
Great strength caught in a bind: struggles hard in a long, locked fight, and is freed at the last.
The Classicist: Sound, balanced chess: develops, castles and takes what the position offers.
Opening repertoire: King's Indian, Mar del Plata (Bayonet, Main) · French, Winawer (Long) · Ruy Lopez, Closed (Locked)
Defeat Gajendra in a full game from the normal starting position to earn the achievement The Long Struggle and open the way to the next guardian.
Sources
- Bhagavata Purana, Book 8, Chapters 2–4
Placement on the path reflects chess difficulty only — a game-design choice, not a ranking of anyone's spiritual standing.