Chennai boy Adhiban is Grandmaster

CHENNAI: City boy Baskaran Adhiban has done again what world chess champion Viswanathan Anand achieved 22 years ago. On Thursday, when he won the Oloumac tournament in the Czech Republic, the Chennai lad became a Grandmaster at 18, the youngest from Tamil Nadu after Anand. Curiously, Anand's record as India's youngest GM was broken thrice this decade as first P Harikrishna and then Koneru Humpy became Grandmasters at the age of 15, and Parimarjan Negi when he was 13 years and 3 months old.

The Chennai lad, who completed his third GM norm in the Oloumac Summer Tournament in Czech Republic on Thursday, is the country's 23rd Grandmaster, the youngest from TN after Viswanathan Anand. Adhiban won the Czech tournament on Thursday with a score of seven points from nine games.

Adhiban, who won two National B championships, earned his first GM norm last year from the Premier National which he won with a round to spare. Then he tied for first place in the SCS GM tournament in Orissa earlier this year for his second GM norm.

Adhiban, who will turn 18 on August 15, missed his third GM norm from Paris Open, Czech Open and the Asian junior. "I had a chance to play in the World junior championship now on in Chotowa as a donor but then my coachVisweswaran suggested that I play in the Oloumac event as I stood a better chance to pocket my final GM norm," said Adhiban after completing his GM title.

Adhiban is expected to reach a rating of 2515 in the next list. "I have been on or about 2500 in the last one year and it is nice to complete my title with a good gain," said an elated Adhiban, who will be back in Chennai on Saturday. Adhiban has just completed his 12th standard from Velammal School with 88 per cent and hopes to combine study with chess as IOC has given him a scholarship.

The Chennai lad, who becomes the ninth GM from Tamil Nadu, said he treasured World champion Viswanathan Anand's wish that he (Adhiban) would become a GM soon. "He told me soon after I won the National B last year that I would turn a GM," he said. He will go to October's Chess Olympiad in Russia as a proud boy as he will be joining other Indian GMs with the same status. "I wanted to complete the GM title before the Olympiad because otherwise I would have been the only one without it," said Adhiban, who will officially receive his GM title in Russia during the Olympiad. "Now that I have got what I wanted, I would like to set higher standards for myself," said Adhiban as he left for the airport on his way back to India.

Adhiban's parents, Baskaran and Leela said they were waiting for their son to come back to celebrate the achievement on his birthday on the Independence Day.