KOZHIKODE: Till not so long ago, K. Ratnakaran used to see a gleam in the eyes of many a younger rival across the chessboard. Or so he thought. Those were the days when he was K. Ratnakaran, the talented, though somewhat inconsistent Kerala player with two International Master (IM) norms.

"Now I hope the children, who I thought smelt victory when they faced me, would treat me with a bit more respect, though I must admit that I did have a few embarrassing results against them," he laughs, basking in the contentment of finally becoming an IM. He made his final norm at the Kolkata Open International tournament in Kolkata a few days ago, to complete his title.

"The confidence that the IM title gives a player is not a small thing, I have found out," reveals Kerala's second IM.

"You know there were times when I doubted if I ever would complete my title, as I struggled to get another norm after making my first at the Commonwealth championship in Mumbai in 2004."

Eye on GM title

The Kozhikode-based Southern Railway staffer, who made his second norm at the National `A' championship at Valsad (Gujarat) last December, says he has now dared to dream about the Grandmaster title.

"If we had more tournaments like the Kolkata Open, which produced two GM norms and six IM norms, I am confident that I could become a GM too."

Though he was the first Kerala player to make an IM norm, G.N. Gopal got the IM title before he did. Gopal had completed his title at the Valsad National `A'. So within a matter of just over a couple of months, the Kerala has got two IMS.

The State, however, may have to wait for quite some before adding to that tally.

The gap between these two players and the rest of the field is as big as the one between those nations playing Test cricket and those who are not.

"I wish if we had a couple of more players like Gopal," says Ratnakaran, a former Asian junior bronze medallist. "If we had stiffer competition at home, Gopal and I could become even better players. The arrival of Gopal made me less complacent, I have to say. I think we two have proved that you could do well in life even if you choose to become chess players in Kerala." At Kolkata, Gopal had made his first GM norm, the first ever by a Keralite.

"He really played very well in that tournament," says Ratnakaran. "I too had a good time, as I drew with two GMs, Abhijit Kunte and Alexander Fominyh (Russia) and defeated a strong IM, Abdulla Al Rakib of Bangladesh."

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