Loss to Magnus Carlsen proved catalyst in Srihari’s GM push

Chennai: On Thursday, LR Srihari became India’s 86th Grandmaster after sealing his final norm at the Asian Individual Championships in Al-Ain, with a round to spare. But ask him about his most memorable moment on the road to the GM title, and he’ll point to a game that he lost.In the first round of the 2023 Qatar Masters, where he bagged his second GM norm, Srihari, currently a second-year B Com student, was paired with Magnus Carlsen. The Chennai boy was completely outplayed, but that experience left a mark — so much so it’s still his WhatsApp display picture.“The pairings came out at 12:55 pm and we left the hotel at 1:30 pm. I saw I was playing Carlsen, and it was completely out of the blue. Some other player’s flight got delayed, so I got the pairing. I was a bit nervous but not scared. I just wanted to play a good game but ended up playing a really bad one. Still, that loss motivated me for the rest of the tournament and helped me achieve my second norm,” Srihari, who also became the 31st GM from Tamil Nadu, told TOI.“We didn’t converse much. But that would be one of my favourite moments in my chess career so far — to get a chance to play classical chess over the board with him. I could have played better, but I will cherish this the most.”Quiz: Who's that IPL player?And it’s been a long road for the 19-year-old since then. The final norm had eluded him for months, sometimes by the narrowest of margins. One such heartbreak at the 2024 Dubai Open really stung.“I personally feel I should have completed this norm last year itself. It was just a lot of unfortunate things and, at some point, it gets frustrating. I came extremely close in the Dubai Open; I had to win the final round. I was completely winning, but I made a one-move blunder and lost. I was literally one move away from becoming a GM. Today (Thursday), when I was sure I had finally got the title, I felt happy but first relieved,” Srihari, who bagged the International Master title in 2021, said.While Carlsen turned out to be the unlikely catalyst behind his GM push, it was Viswanathan Anand who sowed the first seeds of inspiration.Also Watch:“I first saw a chessboard at home, and my dad introduced it to me when I was seven years old. I still remember watching my idol Anand sir on television playing the World Championship in Chennai in 2013. I couldn’t go to the venue, but I was glued to the television. Watching Anand sir play really hooked me on to chess,” said Srihari, whose father works in an IT company.With the coveted GM title now secured, Srihari, who is training with coach Shyam Sundar at Chess Thulir, is setting his sights higher. “This GM title has been my main focus for the past two to three years. After the pandemic, I was confident it would come soon, but it kept getting delayed. Going forward, I want to keep improving and cross the 2600, 2700 rating marks, and I hope to compete for the World Championship one day.”