Person of day   -  15 AUGUST 2023

BASKARAN ADHIBAN

BASKARAN ADHIBAN

Baskaran Adhiban was born on 15thAugust 1992 in Nagapattinam- a district in the Indian province of Tamil Nadu. India first heard about the young chess player in 2006, when Adhiban distinguished himself at the Asian youth championship. A year later, Baskaran won the tournament and in 2008, he won the World Youth U16 Olympiad while playing at the first board for the Indian team. 

In 2008, the young chess player won the world U16 championship and became an international master before winning another Indian championship in 2009. In the match between the Indian Juniors and World Juniors, Adhiban defeated Avetik Grigoryan- an Armenian grandmaster- with a score of 1,5:0,5. 

Baskaran Adhiban has played for the Indian national team since 2009. He was a winner and prize-winner of Asian team championships, a bronze medalist of the 2010 world team championship and of the 2014 Olympiad. He is known for his conservative playing style that he has shown in multiple European leagues. He also won the Spanish team championship with the Solvay club. 

After qualifying for the C tournament in Wijk aan Zee in 2011, Adhiban began to participate regularly in prestigious tournaments. Baskaran stood out at the 2013 World Cup when he knocked out Alexandr Fier and Evgeny Alekseev, whose rating was higher than 2700 at that time. Furthermore, the Indian chess player won large tournaments in Barcelona in 2013, Biel in 2014. He also played in the 2015 World Cup. 

In 2016, Baskaran Adhiban won the Tata Steel Challengers Tournament in a tough fight. He competed against Alexey Dreev and Eltaj Safarli and the rivals were equal on points. However, Baskaran defeated both rivals, so his tie-breakers were better. Meanwhile, Adhiban’s performance at the main tournament in Wijk aan Zee put him among the world’s best chess players. The Indian felled Sergey Karjakin, Dmitry Andreikin, Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Richard Rapport and came third, after Wesley So and Magnus Carlsen. 

Baskaran’s triumph at a well-attended open tournament in Sharjah in 2017 confirmed his ambitions and his rating is creeping up to 2700. The chess player studies at Chennai University.  

Adhiban is well-versed in chess classics; when commenting, he often uses phrases like “play like Tigran Petrosian” or “this idea came up in the Reti - Alekhine game”. “My next target is 2750!” claims the young chess player.