BHUBANESWAR 29-Jan-2012 164
Odisha’s Prachurya Pradhan retained the title in the Junior (U-19) National Chess Championship for the Blind at Andhri Sports Complex, Mumbai today. The 15-year-old boy from Boden in Nuapada district, finished at the top of the table with seven points from as many rounds. He beat Shashank Gupta (Delhi) and Banshi Krishnan (AP) in the last two rounds.
Krishnan finished runners-up with 6.5 points, while West Bengal duo of Yuddhajeet Dey and Deeptajeet Dey occupied the third and fourth position respectively with six points apiece. The top four finishers qualified to represent India in the ensuing England tour. Prachurya`s younger brother Soundarya won the first prize in the under-13 age group, securing five points.
Prachurya, who bagged his previous Junior National title at Latur in 2010, and his younger brother Soundarya are blind from birth due to a genetic disease. But that has never been an obstacle for either of them to excel in chess. Sons of college teacher Rabi Ranjan Pradhan, Prachurya and Soundarya were initiated to the 64-square sport by their uncle Kesha Ranjan Pradhan, who has represented Orissa in the National `B` chess championship. The siblings later received coaching from Durga Prasad Mohapatra at Bhubaneswar and IM Sekhar Chandra Sahu at Mumbai.
But they still take tips through internet from their uncle Kesha Ranjan, who works as a college teacher at Padampur in Bargarh district. ``We are preparing them, keeping in mind the international Blind Chess Olympiad to be held at Chennai in 2012,`` says Kesha Ranjan. Speaking on his future goals, Prachurya says: ``I want to be an International Master and then a Grandmaster.``
