The Hindu : Indians for Chinese tourney

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 03, 2002

Sport

Sport - Chess

Indians for Chinese tourney

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 2. Surya Sekhar Ganguly and R.B. Ramesh will be chasing their third Grandmaster-norms while Aarthie Ramaswamy will be aiming to complete the requirements for gaining the Woman Grandmaster's title in the International Open chess tournament to be held at Qingdao, China, from July 4 to 8.

Part of a 12-member Indian team which leaves the Capital on Wednesday, Ganguly and Ramesh have two GM-norms each and are eyeing the nine-game norm on offer to meet the GM-title requirements. Should Ganguly make it, he will become eligible to be a GM. Ramesh will have to not only get the norm but also increase his rating to 2500 to join the elite Grandmaster's club.

The other members of the men's team are: GMs K. Sasikiran, P. Hari Krishna, Abhijit Kunte and Dibyendu Barua. The ladies team comprises S. Vijayalakshmi, Aarthie, Swati Ghate, S. Meenakshi, D. Harika and Bhagyashree Thipsay.

Except Sasikiran, the players will be featuring in a major Grandmasters' tournament after more than two months. Over 25 GMs and several International Masters are expected to be part of the field where the cut-off rating is 2450 and offers 8,000 dollars as the winner's share.

Along side, another tournament will also be held where players with rating of below 2450 can take part. Here, the first prize is $1,500.

Barua has had a long lay-off after playing in a tournament in Bangladesh in early April. Ganguly, who cleared his Class XII exams on Tuesday in first division, and Hari had taken a break to meet concentrate on their academics.

Sasikiran, who played in the Moscow Grand Prix last month, will be returning to GM tournaments after winning five titles in a row and finishing runner-up in the Goodricke tournament in March.

It is also believed that Sandipan Chanda, another youngster on the threshold of becoming a Grandmaster, will join the official Indian contingent at Qingdao.

Among the ladies, Vijayalakshmi remains India's best bet. The six-time National champion will be aiming to enhance her rating besides looking for a GM-norm.

For D. Harika, the 12-year-old sensation, it will be a great opportunity to showcase her talent. Harika had narrowly missed a berth in the four-member Indian team for the Olympiad. But given her tender age and delightful understanding of various positions, Harika can be expected to provide some pleasant moments for the Indians.

Bhagyashree, the oldest member of the contingent, will also be trying to prove a point or two. The five-time National champion had lost her way after an early winning streak in the National championship at Lucknow in May. Her health permitting, Bhagyashree, too, can be a source of delight.

The 12-member team has also been cleared on-cost to take part in the nine-round Czech Open from July 19 to 27 and the 11-round British Open from July 29 to August 9.

All in all, the next five weeks offers plenty for the cream of country's norm-seekers.

The team: men: K. Sasikiran, P. Hari Krishna, Abhijit Kunte, Dibyendu Barua, Surya Sekhar Ganguly and R. B. Ramesh. Women: S. Vijayalakshmi, Aarthie Ramaswamy, Swati Ghate, S. Meenakshi, D. Harika and Bhagyashree Thipsay. Coaches: Mr. Anil Tuteja (men) and Mr V.K. Rathi (women). Manager: Mr G.S. Hora.

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