The Hindu : Sandipan Chanda becomes India's ninth GM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2003

Sport

Sport - Chess

Sandipan Chanda becomes India's ninth GM

KOLKATA JULY 14. Sandipan Chanda became India's ninth chess player to earn the coveted title of Grandmaster.

According to information received here on Monday, Chanda earned his third and final GM norm finishing third in the XXIII Benasque Open chess tournament in Spain scoring eight points from a possible 10.

The 19-year-old city-based ONGC employee is a product of the Goodricke National Chess Academy. An Alekhine Chess Club member, Chanda is the third GM from Bengal after Dibyendu Barua and Surya Sekhar Ganguly.

Chanda achieved his first norm in the Goodricke Open in 2000 where he drew his game against Victor Korchnoi. He gained the second norm in the same tournament a year later where he was placed fifth.

The Indian was tied for the first place in the Benasque Open with seven others. On the tiebreak, he was placed third behind the winner GM Oleg Korneev of Russia and the runner-up GM Alik Gershon of Israel.

Chanda was seeded 22nd in this meet with an Elo rating of 2469 and ended very high in a strong field that included 19 GMs.

An Alekhine Chess Club spokesman said on Monday that Chanda would be officially conferred the title after the next FIDE Assembly. He said Chanda had touched an Elo rating of 2500 some time back and would have no problem in getting the title.

Chanda will be playing in another GM meet in Czech Republic beginning July 18.

Our Special Correspondent

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