Battling financial constraints, Grandmaster S.L. Narayanan hopes to end year on a high

Grandmaster S.L. Narayanan, after struggling to find a breakthrough performance for a major part of the year, is now enjoying the best phase of his career at the end of the year.

Narayanan is brimming with confidence after winning both the classic and blitz format in the El Llobregat Open in Barcelona last week. The win in Barcelona came after he finished third in the Qatar Open.

Narayanan wants to end the year on a high and is eyeing a good show at the World Rapid and Blitz tournament, which begins in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in the last week of December.

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Narayanan remained unbeaten in the El Llobregat Open and finished with 7.5 points to win the title in the classic format. He sealed the title with a draw against the top seed Vladimir Fedoseev. In the blitz tournament, Narayanan came first with eight points, and his two draws were against Fedoseev and Vugar Asadli.

“I had won the tournament in 2019, but at that time, the field wasn’t as strong as it was in 2023. I was seeded third here and there were at least 10 or 12 players with 2600 rating points. So everyone had a chance. I was playing the stronger players in the initial rounds, and my aim was to do well. I was able to secure four wins in the first five rounds. The win against V.R.Aravindh Chithambaran In the sixth round enabled me to take the lead, and I maintained it till the end. I rate this win in Barcelona as the best of my career,’‘ said Narayanan, who is inching closer to the coveted 2700-point mark in ratings.

However, Narayanan, who still needs six points to break the 2700-point barrier, said he was more focused on improving his game and doing well in tournaments he participates in.

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But he has been choosy in taking part in tournaments abroad due to financial constraints. “A large part of my earnings is used to pay fees to my coach. It is very competitive, and you need to have a very good coach to guide you, and it comes with a price,’‘ said Narayanan, who is still unemployed.

However, Narayanan hasn’t allowed the deprivations to affect him mentally and is soldiering on without any complaints.