Chess Grandmaster Harikrishna Enters Top 10 In World Rankings

Chennai: Indian chess Grandmaster P. Harikrishna on Sunday became the second Indian chess player to join the elite club of world's top 10, as per the rating list released by the game's global body FIDE.

As per the latest rating list of FIDE for the month of November, the 30-year-old Harikrishna was ranked 10th with 2768 points. The former World Junior champion hails from Guntur.

The other Indian GM, who is in the elite list, is former world champion V. Anand (2779) at the seventh place. This is the first in the history of Indian chess that two players figure in the world's top 10 ranking list.

The world's 100th ranked player is GM K. Sasikiran, also from India.

As a country, India ranks fifth in the chess world rankings based on the average rating of its top 10 players. The top four chess countries are Russia, the United States, China and Ukraine. However, there is no one from China in the top 10 bracket.

In the women's category too, two Indian GMs figure in the top 10 club - No.4 Koneru Humpy (2557) and No.6 Harika Dronavalli (2543).

Expressing happiness at Harikrishna breaking into the top 10, Andhra Pradesh Chess Association Secretary D. Srihari said, "The state government is interested in supporting chess and the world-class chess players from Andhra. We will also discuss the kind of assistance the state government can provide to Harikrishna, Humpy and Harika so that they can focus on getting the world title to India."

P. Nageswara Rao, Harikrishna’s father

His first goal was to break into top 100 and the next goal was to get into the top 10 club. Now his target is to enter the top four club in the world

Srihari said the government is interested in promoting chess in schools. According to him, the state chess association would deliberate and decide on celebrating Harikrishna's latest achievement.

In Hyderabad, Harikrishna's parents were elated at the news of their son's achievement.

"His first goal was to break into top 100 and the next goal was to get into the top 10 club. Now his target is to enter the top four club in the world," Harikrishna's father P. Nageswara Rao said.

According to Harikrishna's mother P. Padmavathy, being a top chess player is a costly affair as one has to have a good trainer and good trainers cost a premium.

"We are somehow managing now. Harikrishna meets his expenses and also the trainer fees out of the prize money he wins and from his own pocket," Padmavathy said.

According to them, the government should provide some financial assistance to top chess players so that they can focus on their game.

One of the problems faced by Harikrishna is that majority of the strong chess tournaments are held in Europe and the organizers invite only one top player from each country.

Now that Harikrishna is ranked 10th, there will be more invitations coming his way from major tournament organizers.

IANS