The Hindu : Sport / Chess : State championship from today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 11, 2004

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Sport - Chess

State championship from today

By Manuel Aaron

CHENNAI, MAY 10. Five International Masters will be seen in action at the Tamil Nadu State chess championship for the V. J. Brahmiah Trophy which gets underway on Tuesday at the Kesari Higher Secondary School, Mylapore. This eight-day event which is being run by Saranya Chess Centre will be a 11-round Swiss System.

This year it is again a FIDE-rated championship and 171 players from all the affiliated districts and academies have entered.

At stake is a prize pool of Rs. 100,000 with a first prize of Rs. 30,000 and 15 other cash prizes plus four qualifying places from Tamil Nadu to the 42nd National "B" Championship to be held at Vijayawada from June 16 to June 27.

The International Masters in the fray are P. Konguvel of ONGC who is the top seed with a rating of 2402, T.S.Ravi of Indian Oil, N. Sudhakar Babu of Indian Bank, S. Poobesh Anand and the winner of the 2002 Asian junior girls championship M. Kasturi of Madurai.

However, the hot favourite is K. Gunasekaran of Thiruvallur District who has won this championship for the last two years when the event was held at Pollachi.

In 2003, five International Masters competed. Still Gunasekaran kept them away from the coveted title. Two rounds a day will be played on May 12, 13 and 15. On all other days there will be only one round. The last round will be on the morning of May 18. The championship will be directed by International Arbiter Paul Arokiaraj.

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