BHUBANESWAR 01-Feb-2013 307
Feb 1
Kishan Gangolli of Karnataka piped Tamil Nadu`s ST Saikrishna at the post to emerge champion in the KIIT Cup AICFB National `A` Chess Championship for the Blind at KIIT University Campus here today. Both Gangolli, who led the 13-player field from second to 11th round and Saikrishna, who joined the lead after 12th round, tied for the top spot, scoring 9.5 points each from 13 rounds.
In the tie-break system, Gangolli edged out National `B` champion Saikrishna to claim his maiden National `A` title. This was the second major achievement in six months for Gangolli, who had bagged a gold medal in the Chess Olympiad for the Blind at Chennai in August last year. Out of a total prize fund of Rs 50,000, Gangolli and runner-up Saikrishna received Rs 10,000 each.
There was a nail-biting fight between four players for the next three positions. In the end, all the four _ Krishna Udupa (Karnataka), Soundarya Kumar Pradhan (Odisha), Swapnil Shah and Gaurav Gadodia (both Maharashtra) landed at 7.5 points each. On the basis of tie-break system, Udupa, Pradhan and Shah finished third, fourth and fifth respectively.
The top five finishers qualified to represent India in the World Team Chess Championship for the Blind, scheduled to be held at Spain from June 11 to 21. School boy Soundarya, who hails from Boden block of Nuapada district, and Saikrishna, also qualified to participate in World Junior Chess Championship for the Blind to be held in Belgium later this year.
The prizes of the eight-day National `A` championship were distributed by KIIT founder Dr Achyuta Samanta and Century Resources Group`s South Asia manager Dr Maqbool Ali. All India Chess Federation For the Blind official Madan Bagayatkar and All Odisha Chess Association president Sekhar Chandra Sahu were present on the occasion.
FINAL RANKINGS: 1-2: Kishan Gangolli, ST Saikrishna (each 9.5); 3-6: Krishna Udupa, Soundarya Kumar Pradhan, Swapnil Shah, Gaurav Gadodia (each 7.5); 7. Madan Bagayatkar (7); 8. KM Shashidhar (6.); 9-10. Sanjay Karandikar, Prachurya Kumar Pradhan (each 4.5); 11. Sachin Lahu Waghmare (4); 12. Yudhajeet De (2); 13. Sankar Chakraborty (1).
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PHOTO: Top five finishers of the National `A` Chess Championship for the Blind in Bhubaneswar on February 1, 2013.
