The second-best Western European junior behind Keymer, who became GM in February 2020 and finished third in the 2022 Tata Steel Challengers, is the number 1 seed for the 2024 GMT Challengers. Perhaps he can benefit from the tips of his compatriot Peter Heine Nielsen, Magnus Carlsen's first second for years, and thus follow in the footsteps of his famous Scandinavian neighbor!

He is a regular at the Congress Centre Biel – he has taken part in the MTO eleven times since 2010! The current German no. 3 also appeared in Accentus 960 in 2020, when he stepped in at short notice for Salem, who was stranded in an airport. He particularly shone at the 2019 Master Open Tournament when he and Kamsky finished joint second behind Tabatabaei. In 2023, he won the Challengers in Wijk aan Zee and qualified for this year's Dutch Masters. We can assume that the likable Moscow-born player will aim for a similar performance in the GMT of the watch city!

The world's best Arab player returns to Biel after eight appearances and a victory in the 2021 MTO to play his second closed tournament after the 2022 GMT. Regardless of his maturity compared to his opponents at this year's GMT Challengers, the jovial Emirati could use his previous Triathlon experience to overcome the ardor of his young opponents.

Despite being slowed down by the corona episode, Maurizzi, who was born on the Isle of Beauty, has become the youngest French GM ever at 14 years and 5 days. As World Junior Champion in 2023, he clearly intends to tighten up the plans of the GMT Challengers favorites. In Biel, we could discover a buccaneer who will make his mark as the future Napoleon of chess and a prominent member of the GMT Masters.

Ukraine

GM since the beginning of January 2024, making him the 41^st player under the age of 15 to achieve this title, Samunenkov became the 2021 U12 World Champion (online rapid tournament due to the corona) by beating, among others, Abhimanyu Mishra, the youngest GM of all time. The same year he won the title of Ukrainian Champion in Rapid all categories! So it could be that the young champion will use the faster time controls of the Triathlon to spring a surprise!

The Indian GM, who won the title based on her performance in the 2023 Qatar Open, is the sister of #1 seed GMT Masters player Praggnanandhaa, with whom she'll be in Toronto in April, as both are qualified for the Candidates Tournament in their respective categories, with Vaishali getting her ticket by winning the 2023 Women Grand Swiss solo with 8½/11. So it could be that we have a challenger or two in Biel in July for the World Championships, which will take place at the end of the year!