GM Iniyan aims to be more consistent

GM Pa. Iniyan is keen to build on the triumph in the Chennai Open International tournament.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Pa. Iniyan was a promising young star when he became India’s 61st Grand Master in 2019. But it has been almost six years since he breached the 2500 Elo mark (Current Elo 2508).

“I mean the moment you become a GM, I think for everybody there is a little dip. The immediate six months after that. And then, there was COVID.

“Consistency has been an issue. Several times, I’ve played very well in some tournaments and then I will drop. I’m trying to improve on that, to be more consistent. I mean to maintain a basic level that I do not drop from,” he said after winning the Chennai Open International Grandmasters chess tournament here on Thursday.

Last year, he made a conscious effort to participate in tournaments where he was not one of the top seeds to play stronger opponents and improve his calibre. He managed some close finishes.

“Almost everybody knows that my variations are limited in the openings. So, now I’m trying to maximise that. I’m trying to play a lot more positions and openings,” he said when asked if he’s looking to do anything different this year from his learnings.

On the Chennai Open win and his immediate goal, he said: “After the final ranking came, I saw that I had played players ranked from 2nd to 7th. So, it was, in fact, a very good tournament for me. I played against such good players and still managed to score enough points.

“Right now, my target is to reach 2600 (Elo) very soon.”