Harika starts Cap d’Agde campaign on even note

Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli, the lone Indian chess player at the prestigious 14th Anatoly Karpov Rapid International Chess Tournament, started her campaign on a mixed note with a win and a loss under her belt, here on Saturday.

The event which is held annually in honour of the former world chess champion and Russian legend Anatoly Karpov, is a rapid chess tournament played in a round robin format, with each player playing two games in a day. All players clash against each other twice during the initial stages, with top four players going into the knock-out stage.

The entry to the tournament is based on invitation allowing eight highly talented players a chance to compete in the event. Harika is the chosen one to have been offered the opportunity this year to ply her trade against the best in the business, including the man himself Karpov, who is seeded first in the prestigious meet.

World No. 5 Harika first took on second seeded and local favourite Bacrot Etienne, the highest rated player in the tournament with ELO rating of 2692 and then, was up against the third seeded International Master Vega Gutteirez Sabrina of Spain.