It is not every day that you would find an Indian player other than Viswanathan Anand making a final, winning move in a prestigious chess tournament. So what Vidit Gujrathi has achieved in the Swiss town of Biel on Tuesday is creditable.
Even more creditable is the way the 24-year-old from Nashik won the Biel International Chess Festival. Not merely did he clinch the title with a round to spare, but he finished with a 3-0 demolition of Iran’s promising teenager Parham Maghsoodloo in the final round — when he could have opted to play it easy.
It is a triumph Gujrathi could feel proud about. When he looks at the previous winners at Biel, the history of which goes back to 1968, he may feel even prouder.
That list includes Anatoly Karpov, Anand and Magnus Carlsen, all World champions. The latest edition may not have been as strong as some of the earlier ones — Gujrathi was seeded second, behind Samuel Shankland of the United States — but there is still a lot of prestige attached to it.
And Gujrathi won the tournament in a demanding format that combined all the three formats of chess — classical, rapid and blitz.
Confidence booster
It is probably the biggest tournament victory of his career, which should give his confidence a major boost.
“This could be a turning point for him,” Grandmaster Abhijit Kunte, who has worked with him on several occasions, told The Hindu over phone from Pune. “The way he played at Biel was remarkable. I have always believed that he had the potential to reach the World’s Top 10.”
Gujrathi is ranked No. 35 at the moment, with 2703 Elo points. Only two other Indians are ranked higher — Anand (No. 9) and Pendyala Harikrishna (No. 24).
“Vidit has age on his side, though to score Elo points after crossing 2700 is never easy,” said Kunte.
“But this win has come at the right time for him; he has had a disappointing time over the last few months. It could also help him get invitations for stronger tournaments.”
