The imressive field of Hasselbacken Open 2016 includes: GM Alexei Shirov, GM gor Lysyj, GM Vladislav Tkachiev,GM Nils Grandelius, IM Jorden van Foreest and many more yet to come.
The Indian champion Grandmaster S.P. Sethuraman joins Hasselbacken Chess Open. Here is one of the reasons:
Here is a brief interview with S.P. Sethuraman
You are going to play in World Cup. What is your goal in Baku?
“World cup happens only once in two years so it is always a special event. I am eagerly looking forward for the event to start. Since it is a knockout event which consists of only two games, its very hard to predict. My aim is just to take one game at a time and give my best.”
You took the bronze in Chess olympiad 2014. Tell me about yours and your team’s feelings after that achievement.
“It was an emotional moment which is very hard to put in words, when we made it to the podium for winning bronze for the first time in the history of Olympiad.”
You became Indian chess champion 2014. Is that your best tournament result?
“I would say winning the National Premier 2014 was one my best tournament results , but it was a big breakthrough for me after Olympiad . Later I won the Paris International open 2015 and also secured bronze medal in the Asian Continental 2015.”
Coming from the same country. Do you have any training sessions with Vishy Anand? Or do you meet hin on your spare time?
“After each World Championship victory there would be celebrations at Chennai where young grand masters of the city would be invited to meet him .Since we hail from the same city I had met him several times in these kind of occasions.It always a pleasure to meet him ,One of the most simple and humble sportsperson I have ever met.”
Is the interest for chess in India still hot? Are Indian journalists covering your tournaments?
“Well yeah ! The sport is growing slowly and gaining attention in the media. Chess had been included in most of the schools in India and there a lot of weekend tournaments taking place allover the parts of India.”
Will Hasselbacken Chess Open be your first tournament in Sweden?
“Yeah this will be the first time for me to come to Sweden. Have heard from my friends that Stockholm is a beautiful place to be in, thanks to Hasselbacken Chess Open, my desire has been fulfilled.”
Sethuraman is planning a European Tour during spring 2016 and Hasselbacken Chess Open will we his first stop. But he wants more!
“It would be great to find an another strong tournament in Europe. Before or after Hasselbacken Chess Open. All help I can get would be great.”