Harikrishna In Second Spot

By Arvind Aaron

After making two draw with world class players, Michael Adams (Eng) and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Aje), India’s Pentala Harikrishna is in the second spot with two points from three games in the FIDE Grand Prix at Geneva on Saturday.

Harikrishna, the 1986-born player from Hyderabad is playing at a huge rating performnce of 2855. After a win and two draw, the second ranked Indian player after Viswanathan Anand is now slated to take on Teimour Radjabov, another Azerbaijan player.

In the second round, Harikrishna drew Adams in a Giuoco Piano opening game with the white pieces. In a rook and minor pieces ending, Harikrishna accepted the draw of Adams. In the third round, Harikrishna drew yet again with the white pieces in 34 moves from the same Giuoco Piano opening against Mamedyarov.

This 18-player event ends on July 15. Six more rounds remain to be played. Teimour Radjabov leads by half a point. At Wijk aan Zee in 2001, Radjabov offered Harikrishna a draw through this writer and both players completed GM norms! In their first 1996 encounter, Harikrishna beat Radjabov and became World Under-10 champion at Menorca, Spain.

The standings after three rounds: 1 Radjabov (Aze) 2.5/3; 2-7. Aronian (Arm), Mamedyarov (Aze), Grischuk (Rus), Eljanov (Ukr), Harikrishna (Ind), Adams (Eng) 2 each; 8-12. Giri (Ned), Svidler (Rus), Li Chao (Chn), Gelfand (Isr), Jakovenko (Rus) 1.5 each; 13-16. Nepomniachtchi (Rus), Inarkiev (Rus), Hou Yifan (Chn), Riazantsev (Rus) 1 each; 17-18. Rapport (Hun), Salem A.R. Saleh (UAE) 0.5 each.