FIDE World Cup 2017: After Viswanathan Anand, P Harikrishna also exits, as SP Sethuraman advances

Tbilisi: Indian Grand Master Pentala Harikrishna suffered a defeat at the hands of compatriot SP Sethuraman in the tie-breaker of the second round and exited the FIDE World Cup 2017. [caption id=“attachment_4024451” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of P Harikrishna. Getty Images[/caption] The 20th seeded Harikrishna, playing with black pieces in the first rapid game, started off neck and neck against his countryman and the tie-breaker lived up to the billing. Sethuraman was wary of his opponent’s attacking prowess in the first game and defended well to keep Harikrishna at bay and the game ended in a draw after a massive 58 moves. After that grueling encounter, Harikrishna wanted to wrap it up in the second rapid game. But it was here that Harikrishna was put under pressure as he just had one pawn to Sethuraman’s five in the endgame. From thereon, the 31-year-old from Hyderabad tried all tricks up his sleeve but could not save the game and was ousted from the tournament. This was Harikrishna’s sixth appearance at the FIDE World Cup but he feels there will be a seventh and will look to focus on his next tournaments. “Things did not go my way for this event from the initial stages, but I had given my best in every match I played,” Harikrishna said. “Although it is a disappointment to end the tournament here but I will focus on my next events and come back stronger,” he added. Harikrishna will be next seen in action when he features in the European Club Cup in Antalya Turkey in the second week of October.