CHENNAI: Pentala Harikrishna had a memorable 2016, breaking into the top 10 for the first time, besides performing consistently in big tournaments. After a quiet first half this year, the India No 2 came into his own in the FIDE Grand Prix, taking joint fourth spot, besides pulling off a stunning victory over world No 4 Levon Aronian. Buoyed by the positive result in Geneva, Harikrishna will be gunning for his maiden title at the Biel Grandmaster Tournament, which starts in Biel, Switzerland, on Monday.
Harikrishna, who triumphed in the Biel Open in 2013, will be one of the favourites to win the nine-round closed round-robin event. His result could have been even better in Geneva but for his penultimate round loss to Li Chao. When queried about his performance, Harikrishna said, “I had good games in Geneva but missed winning opportunities against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Michael Adams. Had I won those, my chances of finishing in the top three would have improved.”
A good start will be key to Harikrishna going all the way. He will face stiff challenge from Czech No 1 David Navara, French No 2 Etienne Bacrot and former World No 2 Alexander Morozevich. “The field in Biel is interesting. I will take it one game at a time. I am looking forward to playing in Biel, where I finished third in 2014.”
After not-so impressive results in the first six months, Harikrishna’s other aim will be to improve his rating. At the start of the year, he was ranked 12th in the world but now he has slipped to 22nd. Of course, he reversed that trend in his last outing, gaining 5.5 rating points for his +1 score.
Navara, who has been Czech Republic’s premier player for a long time, will be a strong contender for the title. He was not successful in his recent rapid match against world rapid champion Vassily Ivanchuk but he is expected to come good in the classical format.
Morozevich, who will be returning to classical chess after a long hiatus, should produce some exciting games because of his uncompromising style. However, it remains to be seen whether he can fight for a podium finish despite being away from the game for a long time.
Women’s World No 1 Hou Yifan had a forgettable tournament in Geneva but will be looking to make amends in Biel and fight for the top honours.
Players List: D Navara (Cze), P Harikrishna, E Bacrot (Fra), A Morozevich (Rus), P Leko (Hun), R Ponomariov (Ukr), Hou Yifan (Chn), R Vaganian (Arm), N Georgiadis, N Studer (both Swi).