Lanka Ravi

HYDERABAD: At 43, Lanka Ravi could have been dismissed by any enthusiastic chess buff as a spent force. But Andhra's first International Master proved the critics wrong by winning the prestigious National `B' chess championship in Ahmedabad on Sunday. He happens to be the first Hyderabadi to do so after more than three decades.

This Deputy Manager in ONGC owes the impressive title-triumph in his 14th appearance (he was joint-winner earlier with N. Sudhakar Babu) to the interactive sessions he had organised recently for the ONGC players including Krishnan Sasikiran, Koneru Humpy, Verghese Koshy and Neelotpal Das.

But what difference will this title make to a seasoned campaigner like Ravi? "It is significant as I am preparing for the Spanish international tournament next month. I hope to pick up some crucial ELO points and thereby improve my current rating of 2390," he explained in a chat with The Hindu from Ahmedabad.

Ravi is looking for financial support for his trip to Spain from the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh. It is an acknowledged fact that he is considered a highly intelligent player in chess circles but one who rarely played to his potential consistently. It is not for nothing that the genius Viswanathan Anand had once even entertained the idea of hiring Ravi as his `second'.

Age no bar

For someone who picked the IM title way back in 1987, Ravi believes that this title could just be the turning point in his career, although he will be hogging the limelight in the twilight of his career. "No doubt, it has come a bit late. But, chess has no age bar," he smiles. "It may sound strange. But certainly the National `B' title has given me a fresh lease of hope and I should definitely extend my playing career," affirmed Ravi, who adores former world champion Gary Kasparov.

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