Ratnakaran makes history

By Our Sports Reporter

KOZHIKODE, JUNE 15. Nineteen-year-old K. Ratnakaran, Kerala's most promising player, won the Air Travel Enterprises 39th State men's `A' chess championship at the Police Club here on Friday. It was the maiden senior title for the Kozhikode lad and he became the competition's youngest winner.

His elder brother, K. Lakshminarayanan, who probably has more natural talent, took the runner-up spot, in his first appearance at the State `A'. It has been a fine comeback for him, after being away from the chessboard for quite a while, because of personal reasons. Veteran N. Abdul Majeed made it a 1-2-3 for the host city, as three teammates finished with seven points apiece.

E.P. Nirmal of Thrissur took the remaining spot in the Kerala team for the National `B' championship, after finishing fourth with 6.5 points.

Ratnakaran, who will be representing India at the Asian junior championship in Teheran next month, had overcome the top seed and defending champion Muraleedharan in the eighth round in the morning. After adopting French Defence, he was able to make good use of a miscalculation from White, despite severe time pressure. Black won in 51 moves and inched closer to the title.

In the final round in the afternoon though, playing on the white side of a Sicilian Defence, he blundered his way to a 55-move loss to Majeed on the top board, after he saw that the championship was his, following the short draw his brother played out on the adjacent board with Nirmal.

lImportant results (ninth round): K. Ratnakaran (Kzde) 7 lost to N. Abdul Majeed (Kzde) 7; E.P. Nirmal (Tsr) 6.5 drew with K. Lakshminarayanan (Kzde) 7; Joy Lazer (Tsr) 5.5 lost to M.B. Muraleedharan (Ekm) 6.5; Alex Thomas (Wyd) 6 drew with K.A. Unas (Ekm) 6; P. Sreekumar (Tvm) 6.5 bt N. Santhosh Kumar (Kzde) 5.5; Ganesh Bhat (Ekm) 6 drew with U.C. Mohanan (Ekm) 6; P.V. Girish (Ekm) 6 drew with P.K. Suresh (Tsr) 6; Binju Oommen (Pta) 5 lost to U.S. Satheesan (Ekm) 6; M.K. Sathyanathan (Kzde) 5 lost to N.P Francis (Tsr) 6; P.S. Amir (Ekm) 4.5 lost to K.R. Biju (Knr) 6; K. Sujeesh (Knr) 5.5 bt K.V. Devadasan (Knr) 4.5; Jaise Joseph (Ktm) 5 drew with K.K. Manikantan (Tsr) 5; V. Rajith (Klm) 5 bt G. Aravind (Klm) 4.

Eighth round: Muraleedharan lost to Ratnakaran; Lakshminarayanan drew with Sreekumar; Majeed bt Alex; Nirmal bt Binju; Santhosh drew with Ganesh; Unas drew with Joy; Mohanan bt Jaise; Manikantan lost to Girish; Suresh bt Antony Symethy (Tsr); Satheesan bt C.T. Sajan (Pkd).

Final placings: 1-3. Ratnakaran, Lakshminarayanan and Majeed 7; 4- 6. Nirmal, Muraleedharan and Sreekumar 6.5; 7-15 Alex, Girish, Ganesh, Francis, Unas, Biju, Mohanan, Suresh and Satheesan 6.

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