The Sharjah Masters, a prestigious international chess tournament, has kicked off with a promising start for Indian Grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi and D Harika.
Arjun Erigaisi, who is currently ranked as World no.6 in live ratings, began his campaign on a high note by defeating Eltaj Safarli of Azerbaijan. The game was a rematch from their clash in the second edition of the same event in 2018, which Safarli had won. This time, however, Erigaisi turned the tables with a strategic middle game, capitalizing on Safarli’s errors. He managed to advance his pawn to the seventh rank, collected a rook for a knight, and cruised to victory.
On the other hand, D Harika, the lone Indian woman in the fray, started her journey in the tournament with a draw against Manuel Petrosyan of Armenia. Despite the draw, it was a good start for Harika, who is balancing her professional chess career with motherhood.
Other Indian Grandmasters also had a notable start in the tournament. Aravindh Chithambaram and P Iniyan both secured victories in their respective games against compatriot Bharath Subramaniyam and Irani Pouya of Iran. S L Narayanan had to split the point with Turkish Sanal Vahap, while young Turk Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus held Nihal Sarin to a creditable draw.
7th @Shj_Masters Round 1: @ArjunErigaisi makes Safarli suffer, now World no.6
Arjun, Aravindh (@Pawnof64squares) and @GMIniyanP make a winning starthttps://t.co/nUBkbzrKLv
— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) May 15, 2024
The Sharjah Masters is considered one of the strongest open tournaments in the world, with a total prize fund of over US$ 65000. The tournament features 88 players in the Masters section, with 19 Indians participating.
