Sai, Harika — New kids on the chess block

In the field of over 130 participants, which was dominated by players from Andhra Pradesh, particularly from the Vijayawada and Guntur, Sai Srinivas and Harika went on to clinch the National titles in Under-9 segments.

Both these players will leave for Spain to represent India in the World Championships in October. And in the years to come, these gifted players are bound to create ripples in the National and international arena.

However, before they face their real test in Spain, they, along with Dibyendu Barua, Parvin Thipsay, Sashikiran and Abhijit Kunte, will figure in the Commonwealth Tournament, to beheld in Maharashtra later this month.

Srinivas’ attachment to chess began when he was six years old. A product of Champions Chess Academy, he has all the necessary weapons to emerge as a force to reckon with. This young lad exhibited his steely nerves at Aurangabad by winning the crucial last round match against the leader and fellow-State player Abhinav.

“He is too good a player under pressure and has a solid attack. His attacking game plan often gives an edge over his opponents. He makes his moves swiftly and has good memory,” says coach V Bobba, who incidentally, is the secretary of Andhra Pradesh Chess Association.

Analysing the strengths and weaknesses, Bobba said: “He executes his openings astutely, but lacks finesse in his endgame. This might trouble him when he faces quality rivals in the future.”

Son of an employee of the South Central Railway, Srinivas puts in seven hours of practice with the help of his coach Kesavananda Krishna, a three-time Andhra champion, who represented India inthe World Sub-Junior Championship in USA.

“He puts in around seven to 11 hours of hard grind and seldom suffers from fatigue which helps him maintain his cool in a long-drawn encounters,” felt Krishna.

A student of St Mathew’s Public School, Srinivas won many titles in State tournaments, but he made his first impact in the Gandhinagar Nationals, where he finished 34 and later in the Ahmedabad Nationals, he bettered his show by achieving the 13th slot.

Nine-year-old Harika, a student of Venkateswara Bala Kutir, honed her skills at Guntur-based Ummer Koya Chess Academy. “She has a natural flair for chess. She is quite at home in the middle and endgames, but to succeed in future, she has to learn wide-range of openings. As of now, she is restricted to fixed openings,” observed Academy’s secretary Ch Satyanarayana.

“Right now, she is working hard with the help of international-rated coaches KN Gopal and Gowtham for the forthcoming tourney,” he added.

While Harika’s parents are busy making theirown arrangements for their daughter’s trip to Spain, Sai Srinivas’s parents are eagerly awaiting a helping hand to foot the bill for their son’s all-important tournament.