Date:16/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/16/stories/2008061660482000.htm

Sport - Chess

State meet from today

Arvind Aaron

Chennai: The 56th edition of the Tamil Nadu chess championship, which begins at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Monday, will see 156 players battling it out for the Rs. one lakh prize money competition. There will be 11 rounds and the closing ceremony will be held on June 23.

The top four players will advance to the National ‘B’ championship at Goa from September 15 to 25. Additionally, players can also hope to increase their FIDE rating as it is a FIDE-rated event.

International Master G.B. Prakash of Indian Bank, Chennai who won this meet in 1990 when it was held at Sivakasi, will be looking forward to regain his title. He will be the top seed.

Second seed B.T. Muralikrishnan of Southern Railway, Madurai who became an International Master in Mumbai last month will be keen to win his second State title in three years.

Other prominent players include International Master Sudhakar Babu of Indian Bank, Chennai, who is the third seed.

Other players who are certain to make a difference are State under-25 champion P. Shyam Nikhil, two-time Tamil Nadu champion K. Gunasekaran, IM-Norm holder R. Arun Karthik, National under-17 champion P. Saravana Krishnan, State junior champion R.A. Pradeep Kumar.

The organiser is the Vishy Anand Chess Academy, which is doing it on behalf of the Thiruvallur District Chess Association.