Negi plans big move: IM wants GM

Now the young chess wizard has set his eyes on becoming the youngest Grandmaster. If the country’s youngest-ever IM norm holder achieves the feat in the next 15 months, the February 9, 1993-born Negi will surpass the current record held by Sergey Karjakim of Ukraine who reached the feat at the age of 12 years and seven months.

‘‘I am surely going to have crack at it,’’ the soft-spoken Parimarjan said here today.

‘‘At the moment, I am concentrating on the national ‘B’ championship to be played later this month. Next will be the World Youth Olympiad in Kozhikode in July. I also plan to participate in some international tournaments in Switzerland and Greece to improve my ELO ratings (2167 at present) and try and achieve the IM title,’’ the youngster, who needs two more norms to achieve it, said. ‘‘These competitions will be very important for me,’’ he added.

Parimarjan, who has earned about 100 rating points in the last three tournaments, would have an ELO rating of 2270 when the next list is declared in July which would help him in participating in major tournaments.

The youngster’s coach G B Joshi is confident. ‘‘We are concentrating on earning the IM title at the earliest since it would bring in invitations for major tournaments and give him a chance to have a crack at the record of becoming the youngest-ever GM,’’ Joshi said.

Parimarjan, who has also been taking tips from GM Evgeny Vladimirov of Kazakhstan, has already won three national titles – under-9 in 2002, under-11 in 2003 and under-15 this year – along with a gold medal in the under-10 section of the Commonwealth Chess Championship and a silver medal in the under-14 category of the same event.

The youngster is sponsored to the tune of Rs 4 lakh by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (for participating in tournaments) and gets scholarships from Indian Airlines as well as from his school.