'Lend me your ears'

Posted by GSCA Vice President Augusto Pinto -

Friends Goans Countrymen
Lend me your eyes
If you can take your attention off the elections and the pigs for just a moment, here are the results of this year's (senior) state chess championships. I'd like you to note the ages of the players that I put alongside:
1. Anurag Mhamal - 12 years 1 month
2. Shubham Pinge- 15 years
3. Niraj Saripalli- 12 years
4. Standryk Colaco- 34 years
5. Bhakti Kulkarni- 15 years
6. Avinash Malvankar- 35years
7. Pranav Zantye- 11 years
8. Umang Kaisare- 13 years
9. Kelvin De Lima- 17 years
10. Suhas Asnodkar- 46years

The new champion, Anurag Mhamal equals the record set by Bhakti Kulkarni when she first won the state championship at the age of 12. No other sport, so resembles a children's tournament or has this kind of final result where youth so outclasses experience . Not in Goa, at least. And these youngsters not only have fresher, faster brains they have a fierce desire to win, and a few of them sometimes will resort to all sorts of gamesmanship to get their way. ( Not Anu or the others in the top 10 however; they don't need to)

On a personal note I thought I'd play in the championships this year. I knew of course that I'd little chance of winning, but I hoped I could get in a few good games. I started reasonably well with 2.5/ 3, then lost to one of the strong contenders, 23 year old Wilson Cruz.

In the next round I met Goa under - 9 champ, Harikrishnan. I had some important work that morning and decided to play fast, either win or lose quickly, and go for my appointment. I started with the King's Gambit, a risky opening. My young opponent sensing my impatience, took half an hour to play his second move, and then another half an hour for the third .By this time I was boiling with impatience, but there was nothing I could do, as we were playing with clocks ( for those who don't know, each player gets 2 hours to finish the game) and he was thinking in his own time.He took 1and a half hour to make 8 moves, while I was blitzing out my replies. In his last half hour he began to play faster, and I was still playing at lightning chess speed, hoping to make the appointment. Then I blundered, and lost. I missed the appointment.

In the evening round I met 8 year old Riya Sawant. There has been a rule change recently, whereby one has to first play one's move and then note it down, but used as I was to the old practice I couldn't help but write first and then play. She drew my attention to it, but old habits die hard.So she called the arbiter and complained . The arbiter said I wasn't doing anything intentionally, and asked her to continue, but by then i was so distracted, that I blundered again and lost.

Rather than suffer more torture from these young terrors, I withdrew from the tournament

Anurag wins Goa State Championship!

12 year old Anurag Mhamal won the Goa State Senior Chess Championship conducted by Cortalim Chess Club in association with Goa State Chess Association at Fr Agnel College, Pilar. He remained unbeaten, scoring 8 out of 9 points to bag the Hirabai Salgaocar Rolling trophy and Rs 5000/- first prize sponsored by Bank of Baroda. Shubam Pinge came 2nd with 7 points which is incidentally the third time that he has finished as runner up in this premier event. Commonwealth Under 18 Champion WFM Bhakti Kulkarni seemed to be out of form and had to be contented with the 5th spot after having won the top spot on the three previous occasions. There was a total of Rs. 30,000/- prize money for this event and a total of 94 players took part.

Anurag continued his recent run of good form which he had exhibited in the Sangli Open chess tournament. There he had beaten IM Ravi Hegde, S.S. Soman and Navin S. Hegde among others and drawn with upcoming star Vidit Gujarathi. Anurag left the Sangli tournament with a round remaining to return to Goa to participate in the State Championship and his sacrifice paid huge dividends. In this tournament he faced no serious opposition and actually won the title with a round to spare which showed his superiority in no uncertain manner. He is presently being coached by Akash Thakur and a lot more is expected from this talented phenom!

Meanwhile, Anurag, Shubam, Niraj Saripalli and coach Standrik Colaco have been selected to represent Goa at National 'B' event in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. The age-group prize winners were Riya Sawant, Ivana Furtado, Chinmay Patil, Rakshit Rai with Sahil Chopdekar and Akshay Devalkar emerging as best local players.