Goans improve their ratings in January 2008 FIDE list!

Goans improved their ratings considerably in the January
FIDE Ratings list thanks to their participation in various
National championships throughout the country. Woman FIDE Master
and WGM Norm Holder Bhakti Kulkarni gained 52 points after an excellent
performance in the National Junior Championship in Nagpur
which she won with a round to spare and by a margin of 2
points after going unbeaten in 11 rounds.

State Champion Anurag Mhamal overtook Swapnil Hobble
after a good performance in the National Subjunior Championship
in Chennai where he stood twelfth. Also gaining was Cyrus Perreira
who garnered 25 points from an impressive display in the National
Under 11 in Calicut and Mohanan Harikrishnan who gained 22
points after standing 4th in the National Under 9 Championships
in Bangalore.

In the year 2008, we expect to see a lot more Goans rated
with the National 'B' to be held in Goa and since it is 13 rounds, there
will be a golden opportunity for the upcoming Goan players to get
their initial FIDE rating with the home field advantage!

Some of the important ratings of the active players are as follows -

Bhakti Kulkarni 2164 (+52)
Anurag Mhamal 2106 (+14)
Swapnil Hobble 2105
Suhas Asnodkar 2031
Shubham Pinge 2012
Vasanth Naik 2002
Sumit Asnodkar 1999
P.M. Kantak 1990
P.P. Insulkar 1963
Standrik Colaso 1957
Manmesh Naik 1953
Niraj Saripalli 1952 (-15)
Sanjay Kavlekar 1947
Celianne Carvalho 1926
A. Malwankar 1914
Umang Kaisary 1889
Prasanna Swamy 1884
Cyrus Perreira 1870 (+25)
Keegan Furtado 1870
Amogh S. Namshiker 1859
Shradha Mohanan 1857
Nandhini Saripalli 1849 (-27)
Agasti Tari 1845 (-30)
Ivana Furtado 1834
V. Siva Swamy 1820
Pranav Zantye 1774 (-21)
Anuradha Chavan 1766
M. Harikrishnan 1752 (+22)
Brahmanand Kamat 1747
Chinmay Patil 1698 (-27)
Rakshith Rai 1659 (+3)
Sampada Barve 1651

Cash award for Ivana

Goanetters in Toronto today presented a cheque
for Rs 20,000 to Ivana Maria Furtado for winning
the World Under-8 chess event in Turkey recently.
Ivana retained the crown for the second successive year.

The award was presented by Mr Bosco D’Mello,
vice-president, at a function to mark the international
year end meet of Goanetters at Mira Mar.

Fr Ariosto Coelho, Mr Mariano A Pereira, Mr Eustaquio
Santimano, Mr Marlon Menezes, Mr Roy Pimento, Mr Cipriano
Fernandes, Mr Rajan Parrikar, Mr Jerry Fernandes,
Ms Ana Maria Goswami, Ms Melinda Powel, Mr George Pinto,
Mr Vivek Menezes, Mr Nacimento Caldeira, Mr Cecil Pinto
were among those present.

Mr Eli Furtado spoke and Ivana played simultaneously
with 6 youngsters.

Wilson tops Margao tourney

Wilson Cruz won the all-Goa open chess tournament 2007,
organised by Margao Chess and Rotary Club of Margao at
Rotary hall, Margao. In the final round, Wilson pipped
young Niraj Saripalli, who finished second, to score
8 points from 9 closely contested rounds.

Cyrus Pereira upset Nandini Saripalli to claimed third
spot. Special prizes in age group categories were awarded
to - Vipul Kulkarni and Sawant Riya (U-12), Akshay Deulkar
and Bhakti Naik (U-15), Anirudh Bhat and Gauri
Hadkonkar (U-8).

Mr Avdhoot Kare, president of Rotary Club of Margao,
Mr Shirish Naik, secretary and Mr Ashesh Keni gave
away the prizes

National 'B' in Goa will be a pivotal event - AICF

All India Chess Federation's (AICF's) decision of
giving status of GM norm for the National 'B' championship
to be held at Goa in June next is considered as a pivotal step
in the important process of having more Indian Grandmasters.
AICF's central council meeting here has made good use of
the International Federation's (FIDE) ruling by giving
GM norm for National 'B' tournaments. Hitherto, only
National 'A' was considered as GM norm tournament.

FIDE allows its national affiliates to have any one
of the domestic championships under GM norm regulations
without the mandatory foreign players' participation.
"It is a right step in the direction of giving scope
to a larger number of players to achieve the vital GM
(or IM) norm and it would help India have more than the
present 17 GMs in a shorter time," D V Sundar,
Secretary, AICF, said.

"I am delighted and honoured that AICF has chosen Goa
as the site for the first norm version of the National 'B'"
was the reaction of GSCA President Sameer A. Salgaocar,
who also happens to be Vice President of the AICF and attended
the crucial meeting in Chennai. "We will take all the steps
necessary to make it a show piece event", he added.

The meeting also decided the qualification criteria for
the National 'A' championship (a 14-player event from 2008).
The top 11 finishers in National 'B' (to be held in Chennai
from February 3 to 16, 2008) and three top seeded players
of National 'A' would be eligible to compete in 2008 National 'A'.

In 2005, the system had 22 players competing in all-play-all
format. The players' association requested for a change
since it was taking about 25 days to finish the event.
Consequently, the National Women 'B' would be a 12-player
event with nine qualifying from National 'B' and three seeded
stars from National Women 'A'. Players with highest FIDE ratings
(five each of men and women) would be allowed to represent
India in the Chess Olympiads.

For the 2008 Dresden Olympiad, the AICF has decided the FIDE April
ratings list as criteria for selection.

Gokhale Sir's felicitation kicks off Anniversary year!

The felicitation of Dronacharya Awardee Raghunandan
Gokhale at the hands of GSCA Vice President
M.R. Naik at the Mir Sultan Khan Chess Academy, Sanvordem
marked the commencement of the 30th
anniversary celebrations of Goa State Chess Association.

Gokhale, who is also due to celebrate his 50th birthday
few days later, remarked that a chess revolution is truly
underway in the tiny state of Goa. Although he is the Chairman
of Maharashtra Chess Association, Gokhale mentioned that
he enjoyed sepnding time in Goa and this was largely due to
the fact that he had received lots of love and affection from the Goan
officials, parents and children.

Sameer A. Salgaocar, President of GSCA, stated that
on Goa's Liberation Day, it was only fitting that we felicitate the
gentleman who had liberated our Goan students from the days
of directionless chess. 'With the advent of the Dronacharya,
Goa has seen its children rise to become World, Asian, Commonwealth
and National Champions and that too in such a short period of time',
he added.

Tatvesh Savant, a product of the Academy, was presented a digital
clock on the occasion by Gokhale for becoming the Under 7 State
Champion. His pet student Bhakti Kulkarni was later presented a
digital camera for earning her first Woman Grandmaster norm. Finally,
it was Niraj Saripalli who received a cash award for becoming the first
Goan boy to stand in the top 10 of three different National Championships.

The function was well attended by the officials, parents and children.
Sanjay Kavlekar, the Academy in charge, presented the Vote of Thanks.

'Benefits for the players and children in the 30th Anniversary year'

At the Special General Body Meeting of the Goa State
Chess Association held today
at the International Centre, Dona Paula
it was decided to sponsor two donor entries
each in the Under 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 categories
of the National Championships in both the Boys and
Girls sections. Also, a sum of Rs. 1,000/- will be
paid to all the selected participants towards their
expenses for the National tournaments.

This is part of the 30th year Anniversary celebrations of the Goa
State Chess Association. A special souvenir will also
be published on this occassion. This year's State
championship and Subjunior championships will also
have a record prize money of Rs. 50,000/- and Rs. 25,000/-
respectively. Porvorim Chess Club, Porvorim and Mir Sultan Khan
Chess Academy, Sanvordem have come forward to organise
these two prestigious tournaments.

Coaching camps for the upcoming players are planned with the
guidance of reputed International Masters such as Vishal Sareen,
Lanka Ravi and D.V. Prasad. Laptops, digital clocks and cash
awards will be given to deserving candidates. Many kids from other
states will be felicitated as well and their entry fees for various
tournaments will also be sponsored to garner goodwill for G.S.C.A.
among our colleague associations.

The year will officially kick off on December 19th when Dronacharya
awardee Raghunandan Gokhale and International Champion and Woman
Grandmaster Norm holder Bhakti Kulkarni will be felicitated.
Later during the year, a felicitation of Bhausaheb Padsalgikar,
the veteran organiser is planned at Taleigao Chess Academy.
The founder members of GSCA as well as the veteran players
will be honoured by the Association during the course of the year.

The final icing on the cake will be the hosting of the National 'B'
which will involve the participation of numerous Grandmasters and
International Masters and will be a full fledged norm event for the
first time in India. More than 400 players are expected to participate in
this tournament.