Gala time goes on for Orissa chess

Gala time for chess in Orissa has not ended with the grand hosting of the 1st SCS International Open GM Tournament earlier this month here. It goes on with five leading chess players of the state all set to undergo or already into a busy international schedule, featuring tournaments in Sri Lanka, France, the Netherlands and Spain. International Master Swayangsu Satyapragyan, the higest rated player of the state leaves tomorrow as part of a 12-member India team for Paris International Open to be at Paris from July 4 to 12. According to All India Chess Federation (AICF), Orissa’s other International Master, Sekhar Sahu and RM Dongre would accompany the team as coach and manager respectively. Other 11 members of the National team include Akshay Raj Kore, Parimarjan Negi, Deepan Chakkravarthy, K Ratnakaran, Sriram Jha, Krutika Nadig, Nisha Mohta, Eesha Karwade, Mary Ann Gomes, Amrutha Mokal and Pon N Krithika. Meanwhile, two Orissa Woman International Masters — Kiran Manisha Mohanty and Padmini Rout — left Bhubaneswar today to represent the country in the girls’ category of the Asian Junior (under-20) Championship slated to be held at Colombo (Sri Lanka) from July 2 to 8. Anwesh Upadhyaya, another Orissa teenager has already left to participate in the open category of the Asian junior meet as a doner entry. After the Colombo event, Kiran and Padmini would leave for the Netherlands to play three open international tournaments there from July 9 to August 9. Apart from these player, Debasish Das, the second highest rated player of the state, advanced to the joint third position with 3.5 points after the end of fifth round of the 5th Sort Open International Tournament at Sort in Spain. Debasish beat compatriot Devangi Patankar in the fifth round today and would next meet Armenian Grandmaster Karen Movsziszian. The Cuttack teenager won three out of five games to progress 16th to eighth position in the ranking list. Earlier this month, all the five Orissa players participated in the 1st SCS International Open GM Tournament held here at Hotel Swosti Plaza. Debasish in Sort Open (Up to 5th round): Beat Beltre Pedro (Dom), drew with Abhishek Kelkar (Ind), beat Aniruddha Deshpande (Ind), lost to Alexei Barsov (Uzb) and beat Devangi Patankar (Ind).