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Ramesh turns Grandmaster

By Our Sports Reporter

KOZHIKODE DEC. 1. Chennai-based R.B. Ramesh is India's 10th Grandmaster (GM).

This was confirmed to The Hindu on Monday by the FIDE vice-president, P.T. Ummer Koya.

Ramesh's title had been conditionally approved at the last FIDE congress at Halkidiki (Greece). ``FIDE is now satisfied that he has fulfilled all the requirements for the GM title,'' Mr. Koya said.

Ramesh had made his third and final norm at the Delhi International Open tournament, which he won, in October. He had made his first norm at the Biel International Open tournament in Switzerland in 2001 and the British championship at Torquay last year.

When he scored that final norm in Delhi all he needed to do was touch 2500 in Elo rating. ``He has done that following his superb performances during the last few months,'' said Mr. Koya. ``The rating points he won at the Piloo Mody open tournament in Lucknow hadn't been calculated earlier.''

The 27-year-old Indian Oil Corporation staffer may not have calculated that his wedding in August with Woman Grandmaster Aarthie Ramaswamy would bring him so much luck. Aarthie and Ramesh have now become India's first Grandmaster couple, winning the race against the Thipsays (Praveen and Bhagyashree) and the Baruas (Dibyendu and Saheli Dhar).

He had given Aarthie a perfect wedding gift by winning the National `B' championship at Nagpur, the last tournament he played before the wedding. He won the first tournament he played after the wedding too — the Piloo Mody open in September.

When The Hindu spoke to him on Monday, first he wanted to know whether his GM title had indeed been confirmed. ``Are you sure,'' he asked.

Then he said, ``Becoming a GM has been my aim for a long time, and I'm happy that I've done it. I wanted to complete the title by January 2004, and it is nice to know that I have made it just in time.''

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