The 2013 World U20 Champion and China's No. 2 has never broken the glass ceiling that would take him all the way to the top, but he's never been far from it (2765 Elo in 2018). Currently, he is ranked 22nd in the world. With his accumulated experience, he will be a tough nut to crack, especially for the young, hungry and lurking wolves.    

Elo std: 2701
Rapid: 2685
Blitz: 2737

After Nihal Sarin (2021) and Gukesh (2022), it is now the reigning Indian champion who will highlight the phenomenal pool of prodigies from the Eastern cradle of civilization in Biel. From February to October 2022, he rose from 2633 Elo points to 2728 in only a few months. He suffered a slight decline this winter but is expected to be on the rise again by July, and the Watch City could be a milestone on that path.   

Although the No. 1 spot in Romania was taken away from him by Richard Rapport's change of federation, the unassuming young man could use the opportunity to make a name for himself! After his development was slowed down by the restrictions related to the Covid affair, we hope he can give it new impetus this summer in Biel!   

The tournament's relentless youngest, yet the No. 1 player in Germany, Keymer is returning to try to place himself in a top position that better reflects his immense talent after unsuccessful attempts over the past three years (2020: 4th; 2021: 6th; 2022: 8th). With a good performance, he could permanently establish himself among the players with an Elo rating above 2700.   

Every year we are happy to host a tournament that not only pits different generations against each other, but also brings together players from all continents. This year, we're filling a gap by finally inviting a pro from Africa in the personable Egyptian, whose years of experience at this level will put the other players to the test. 

Czech Republic

The Czech gentleman is the newly crowned reigning European Blitz Champion and will be the veteran of the tournament. Still, he, who peaked at 2751 Elo in 2016, will pose a great challenge to the others. As an uncompromising player, he will not only make life difficult for the participants, but his presence will also guarantee that we will see exciting games that will be different from the usual paths. 

The current No. 3 from France seems to have used the forced break of the last two years to prepare himself to finally unleash the great talent that the experts have always said he has, but which has yet to really emerge. Since April 2022, he has accumulated 54 Elo points. We wish him to keep up this momentum and cause a surprise in July!