Dibyendu Barua heads strong field

The tactically strong 33-year-old Barua of Tata Steel (Elo rating 2555) heads the field of 20 players but is surely to face tough challenge from rising young stars besides Thipsay and Kunte.

Among those who could challenge Barua is 19-year-old Krishnan Sasikiran of Petroleum Sports Control Board (PSCB). The defending champion is in top form having clinched the GM norm recently in the Commonwealth tournament which he also won.

Also holding centrestage will be youngsters 14-year-old IM P Harikrishna (former under-10 World champion) and 16-year-old Sandipan Chanda of Goodricke National Chess Academy (GNCA), National `B’ championship winner Surya Sekhar Ganguly (GNCA) and 17-year-old S Kidambi.

Harikrishna, second only after Viswanathan Anand to win the World junior title and youngest to claim IM norm, is likely to give the higher-ranked players a run for their money.

Looking for their final GM norm will be former National champion IM DV Prasad, IM GB Prakash and Chanda. Mumbai’s Chanda had earned the norm at the Goodricke International Open at Calcutta along with Prakash while Prasad did a few years ago.

PSCB has fielded six players in the championship — Sasikiran, Kunte, Prasad, IMs V Saravanan and Lanka Ravi and IM-elect TS Ravi.

Three players IM Atanu Lahiri, IM-elect Vishal Sareen and double IM norm holder Sriram Jha will represent the Life Insurance Corporation of India while GM Thipsay, IM Ravi Hegde and Prakash will spearhead the Bank Sports Board challenge.

Chanda, Ganguly and IM Neelotpal Das will represent the Goodricke National Chess Academy.

IM K Murugan of Neyveli Lignite Corporation will be seen in action in the National `A’ after a year’s gap while making their debuts will be S Kidambi (TN), Harikrishna, Chanda, Lahiri and Ganguly.

Indian Airlines’ Rahul Shetty would hope to better his rating and clinch the IM title.

The winner will get Rs 24,200, the runner-up Rs 18,150 and third-placed players Rs. 12,100 in the Rs 84,000 prize-money championship.

Following is the list of players with their Elo ratings in parenthesis: GM Dibyendu Barua, TISCO (2555); GM K Sasikiran, PSCB (2514); GM Pravin Thipsay (2475); GM Abhijit Kunte (2487); IM GB Prakash (2435); IM DV Prasad (2421); IM V Sarvanan (2412); IM SS Ganguly (2440); IM Sandipan Chanda (2424); TS Ravi (2373); IM K Murugan, NLC (2382); S Kidambi (2433); IM P Harikrishna (2354); Vishal Sareen (2351); Rahul Shetty (2307); IM Atanu Lahiri (2426); Sriram Jha (2356); IM Ravi Hegde (2387); IM Lanka Ravi (2391); IM Neelotpal Das (2436).