WGM Divya settles for Asian silver

Principal Correspondent

RIDING HIGH her Woman Grandmaster title, Divya Deshmukh added another feather to her cap when she won another international crown the other day.

Brilliantly switching to the online event from Over The Board competition, Vidarbha’s first Woman Grandmaster Divya clinched the silver medal in the Asian Youth Chess Championship that was played online. 

In the Under-16 girls’ category, 16-year-old Divya finished on top but was declared second best based on the Buchholz Tie-Break Points system.

In the nine-round rapid competition, Divya won seven games, drew one, and suffered a loss in the last round to end at par with eventual winner Balabayeva Xeniya of Kazakhstan garnering 7.5 points each.

Divya, who was seeded third in the competition, started on expected lines winning five games she played. However, her winning run was stalled by Xeniya in the sixth round where both the seeded players split points. 

Divya then posted back-to-back victories in the next rounds. But in a bid to gain full points in the last round, Divya suffered a defeat at the hands of China’s Sun Jihan and settled for silver.

In her matches, the city’s only WGM beat Mongolia’s Urangoo Kherlenzorig, Fang Kun from Singapore, Vietnam’s Bui Ngoc Phuong Nghi and Ngo Xuan Quynh, Abbaspoorrad Nikoo of Iran and compatriots Bhagyashree Patil and Saniya Rafique Tadavi.

https://www.thehitavada.com//Encyc/2021/10/28/WGM-Divya-settles-for-Asian-silver.html

Jennifer, 13, grabs maiden U-15 national TT title

CLAIMS U-17 BRONZE AS WELL

Principal Correspondent

RISING table tennis player of city Jennifer Varghese claimed her maiden Under-15 gold in the national ranking table tennis tournament held at the Multipurpose Sports Complex in Mohali on Wednesday.

Jennifer, who claimed her maiden bronze medal in the Under-17 age category a day earlier, improved her performance in lower age category to notch up the gold medal in U-15 age group in the TTFI organised meet. In the final, the city lass, representing Maharashtra, defeated Sandika Bhattacharjee of Bengal 4-2 (11-9, 9-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-6).

Jennifer, the 2019 Cadet Nationals champion, made a bright opening against second seed Sandika. However, the West Bengal girl staged a nice comeback to lead 2-1. Undeterred, the lanky Nagpur girl fought well to thwart the initial threat from her opponent, taking the next three games. But it was not before winning the fourth game on extended points.

According to reports, the fourth game gave Jennifer confidence and brought some sanity to the haphazard game plan she dished out in the previous two games. By the time the fifth game began, the match was going only one way.

Earlier in the semi-finals, Jennifer thrashed M Hansini of Tamil Nadu 11-5, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7 while Bhattacharjee got the better of Sayani Panda 11-8, 8-11, 7-11, 12-14, 11-6, 11-7.

Jennifer Varghese, seeded fourrth, outplayed the top-seed Tamil Nadu paddler Hansini 4-1. 

The Tamil Nadu girl was visibly hampered and could not come to terms with Jennifer’s attacking approach. Hansini did take a game off her rival, but it was too little and too late, reported TTFI.

In the quarter-finals, Jennifer defeated Nandini Saha of Bengal 11-5, 11-7, 12-10, 10-112, 9-11, 11-1 to continue her march.

A day earlier, Jennifer had to be content with a bronze medal in the Under-17 singles category. Jennifer stunned several top-rated players on her way to winning her first national medal in the Under-17 age category.

Jennifer shocked second-seeded and Delhi’s top-ranked Lakshita Narang in the pre-quarterfinal.

At Mohali, unseeded Jennifer outlasted Karnataka’s Sahana Murthy and then posted a fighting 3-2 win over Haryana’s Gargi Dangi in the second round to set up a clash against Delhi’s second-seeded Lakshita.

Jennifer created a flutter as she stunned the second seed player in the pre-quarterfinal with a 3-2 verdict. In the seven-game quarter-final, the Nagpur girl demolished Bengal’s Srijita Shaw Bengal 4-1 to assure herself a medal by making it to the semi-finals.

She, however, went down fighting against Tamil Nadu’s Kavyasree Baskar in the semis.

https://www.thehitavada.com//Encyc/2021/10/28/Jennifer-13-grabs-maiden-U-15-national-TT-title-CLAIMS-U-17-BRONZE-AS-WELL.html

Best chance for India to lift T20 WC, says Munaf Patel

By Paritosh Pramanik

INDIAN pacers have done exceptionally well on Australia and England tours and former India seamer Munaf Patel feels that the team now has the firepower to take 20 wickets on any given 

surface.

The 38-year-old bowler also hoped that India will do exceptionally well in the T20 World Cup starting October 17.

“We have a very good chance this T20 World Cup. The wickets in the UAE would be the same as in India. We are good at playing on slow surfaces. Above all, I don’t see any other Asian team as strong as India. Teams like Sri Lanka, Pakistan are slowly creeping up but we are at the top. We are used to playing on slow and flat wickets as we have played on them for years. The conditions will also be similar there. So I think this would be our best chance (to lift the trophy),” hoped Patel while speaking with ‘The Hitavada.’

Indian captain Virat Kohli has decided to step down from captaincy after World Cup but Patel felt there was no need to do so. “We are already doing well under him (Kohli) so it was not needed. But if Virat quits, it would be a completely different scenario,” he said.

Patel credited India’s brilliant performance with the ball in the recent past to BCCI, NCA and IPL for working relentlessly behind the scene in producing these talented pacers.

“I think we have a bright future in the pace department. The best part is that BCCI is maintaining the fast bowlers by using rotation policy. Plus, with experienced Ishant Sharma in the side, the new seamers are definitely getting the best guidance. The thing is players like Ishant, Umesh Yadav who are playing for the past 10-15 years, are helping the new bowlers develop and produce exceptional performance consistently,” said Patel, who was in city for a fast bowlers’ talent hunt programme for IPL Franchise Rajasthan Royals. The one day talent hunt trials were held at Mujumdar Cricket Academy in Vasant Nagar.

Patel also credited IPL for giving new talents to the Indian side.

“IPL has also helped in players getting exposure and train with senior players. Like (Jasprit) Bumrah has learned a lot from Zaheer Khan (former India pacer) at Mumbai Indians,” said Patel who has played 13 Tests and 70 ODIs for India.

Patel was of the view that fast bowler Mohd Siraj has taken the responsibility very well and has a bright future. “He is playing with Virat Kohli in IPL. That experience counts a lot. He has learned a lot from Virat in all aspects, be it training, discipline, fitness,” said the former pacer.

Patel said the reason India have won on foreign soil (Australia and England) was because of top-notch fielding and the ability to take 20 wickets.

“We were always good in the batting department. But to win a Test match, a team needs to take 20 wickets. Even if you score 1000 runs and can’t take 20 wickets, then you can’t win a Test match. Indian bowlers are taking 20 wickets regularly nowadays and to add to it our fielding has improved immensely,” reasoned Patel, one of the architects of India’s 2011 World Cup title victory.

On the bench strength in the bowling department, Patel credited the system in place.

“Our system has improved a lot. Look at NCA, the IPL, BCCI... we got Siraj from IPL. Today, we have a proper structure in place. We conduct the world’s best league in IPL where all the best players play. NCA is available for all, not only bowlers, 24x4. Credit also goes to Virat who has done a lot to take this team to the top. He has improved the fitness standards of the squad,” mentioned Patel, a former Rajasthan Royals pacer.

“The rotation policy has really worked well for India pacers. If we look back in the recent past, we never used a pacer for all five Tests. After one or two matches, they were rested. That’s the reason the bowlers are producing such favourable results,” Patel explained. The former pacer was impressed with seamer Umran Malik who has generated pace in 150s this IPL.

“It feels good when you get such a pacer in India, knocking at 150s. We always wanted a bowler who could generate real pace. But at the same time, only pace won’t do for Umran. He will have to maintain his fitness level as well. I think Virat has taken the right decision in holding Umran back in UAE as a net bowler,” Patel concluded.

https://www.thehitavada.com//Encyc/2021/10/11/Best-chance-for-India-to-lift-T20-WC-Munaf-Patel.html

IM Sankalp earns maiden GM norm

Principal Correspondent

AFTER athletics and badminton, the game of 64 squares is making Nagpur proud.

Teenage chess players of the city are achieving titles and norms frequently now a days.

After Raunak Sadhwani, who became first player from Nagpur to become a Grandmaster and Divya Deshmukh’s Woman Grandmasters’ title a few days back, another promising chess player International Master Sankalp Gupta inched closer to fulfilling his dream of becoming a GM.

On Thursday, Sankalp earned his maiden Grandmaster norm after he earned the required rating points in the GM ASK 1 Chess Competition at Serbia.

Starting as the 10th seed, Sankalp registered some fluent victories and stunning results and is sitting at the second spot behind compatriot Iniyan P in the 11 round competition.

Sankalp is currently performing at 2734 and gaining 24.8 Elo rating points.

Sankalp, 17, is playing his fourth Over The Board Competition and used all his experience in securing seven points from nine rounds. he continued his fine form after clinching his maiden International Rating tournament in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

“I am very happy with my first GM norm. I will be playing a couple of tournaments in Serbia and Spain and try to get the remaining norms,” Sankalp told ‘The Hitavada’.

During the competition, Sankalp registered five straight wins over FM Acor Corey of the US, GM Damljanovic Branko of Serbia, Bosnian GM Emir Dizdarevic, Indian Ritviz Parab and Russian IM Makarian Rudik.

His winning run was stalled by Montenegro’s GM Kosic Dragan who played out a draw. Sankalp bounced back as he defeated compatriot Raahul V S in the seventh round and remained in contention. With the seventh round win, he needed only a draw to earn his first GM norm.

The Dr Ambedkar College student of commerce faculty did well to split point with Indian Shantanu Bhambure and achieved his first goal. His first defeat of the competition came against compatriot P Iniyan.

In the last two rounds Sankalp will be playing against IM S Nitin and WIM Harshita Guddanti.

City’s Divya becomes India’s latest WGM

She is final norm away from becoming International Master

By Paritosh Pramanik

SHE had to wait for this day for more than a year. The coronavirus pandemic halted her smooth surge towards achieving the coveted Women’s Grandmaster (WGM) title. Though she kept herself “in the game” by participating in a few online chess meets, she sorely missed her favourite Over The Board competitions.

The day finally arrived on Wednesday and city’s talented chess player Divya Deshmukh achieved her final norm to be crowned as India’s latest Woman Grandmaster.

Playing her first OTB competition after more than two years, Divya made it a point to collect those vital points as soon as possible. And she did it with aplomb at the First Saturday GM October 2021 Competition in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday.

Divya, 15, scored five points out of possible nine and performed at ELO 2452 to secure her final WGM-norm becoming the fifth women Grandmaster from Maharashtra and also the youngest from the State.

Divya also scored her second IM-norm and is now a final IM-norm away from becoming India’s latest International Master.

Divya achieved her first WGM norm at Velammal International Women Round Robin Tournament and then secured the second norm at Aeroflot Open in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic halted her surge for more than two years.

Divya, who started as the second seed in the Budapest competition, ended a creditable fifth winning three games and drawing four.

After achieving her first “target” Divya posted on twitter: “Completed my 2nd IM norm and my last WGM norm. Hoping to play some more good chess in the upcoming tournaments.”

Divya said she loved playing OTB competitions and missed them all these days.

“I am very happy with this title (WGM). I love Over The Board (OTB) competitions. I missed them very much in the past two years. I was very excited to play the OTB after a gap of more than two years. Now, I need to achieve just one more norm for an IM title. I will try to get it in the next tournaments in the next couple of weeks,” Divya said from Budapest.

Divya, who crossed 2400 rating points in April 2019, was playing her first Over The Board Tournament since COVID-19 put a break on all competitions.

Divya’s mother Dr Namrata said the WGM title would have come much earlier had there not been this pandemic break.

“She could have achieved this title much earlier but for the coronavirus break she had to wait for so long. We all are very happy with her performance. We all are proud of her,” said Dr Namrata, a gynaecologist.

But for Divya it was the same as it was two years back.

“Played OTB chess after almost two years. Yet, I didn’t feel like anything changed at all. The intense atmosphere, the vibe, the anxiety during time crunches, the nervousness, the great games, and just about everything. Missed every bit of this and I’m so glad to be playing again,” Divya tweeted.

Divya, who is with her father Dr Jitendra in Budapest, will now play a couple of tournaments in Budapest and Latvia where she would attempt to achieve the final IM norm.

The Budapest meet starts October 15 followed by Latvia competition 10 days later.

The All India Chess Federation also congratulated Divya for her WGM title.

“Congratulations @DivyaDeshmukh05, latest Woman Grandmaster of India. Nagpur teenager Divya Deshmukh becomes the latest Woman Grandmaster of the country after achieving her second International Master Norm (Final WGM Norm) at First Saturday Grandmaster October 2021, Budapest Hungary,” the federation tweeted.