The Hindu : Sport / Chess : A proud moment for Gopal and Ratnakaran

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 12, 2006
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A proud moment for Gopal and Ratnakaran

P.K. Ajith Kumar

KOZHIKODE: The last time a Kerala player - M.B. Muraleedharan — competed in the National `A' chess championship was in 1997. Later this year, when Rajkot hosts the 44th edition, there will be two Kerala players.

Of course there are more qualifying spots in this year's National `A' than ever before, but Gopal and Ratnakaran have reasons to feel proud since only a few players have represented Kerala in the National `A' so far.

Gopal earned his berth by taking the runner-up spot in the National junior meet in New Delhi late last month, while Ratnakaran qualified by finishing seventh in the National `B' championship, which concluded in Ahmedabad on Sunday; and all he needed to was finish inside the top 30 to make the grade.

Talented

They are undoubtedly two of the most talented players the State has produced since N.R. Anil Kumar, the first player to represent Kerala in the National `A', in 1982.

"I am impressed with both of them," says Anil, who played for India in the 1982 Olympiad in Switzerland after finishing fourth on his National `A' debut. "Both of them are excellent players."

Ratnakaran, 24, and Gopal, 17, have been doing rather well in National and international tournaments.

In 2001, the Kozhikode-based Ratnakaran had become the first Keralite to win a medal at an international chess tournament when he clinched the bronze at the Asian junior championship in Teheran.

Two years ago, he had won a gold medal at the World Railway championship in Slovakia.

"To qualify for the National `A' was something I always wanted very badly to do," says Ratnakaran, who is also the first Kerala player to get an International Master (IM) norm.

"I am glad that I could meet the qualifying mark in Ahmedabad without too much trouble."

Gopal of course didn't even have to play in Ahmedabad, having made the grade from Delhi itself.

Determined

"I was determined to qualify from the National juniors itself, though I am a bit disappointed that I couldn't win the title there," he says.

The Kochi lad had won the event in 2004, a year which saw him finish third in the Asian under-16 championship, second in the Commonwealth meet (under-18) and fourth in the Youth Olympiad.

With two IM norms under his belt, he is looking forward to getting that final norm that could make him the first ever Kerala player to get the IM title.

Both Ratnakaran, who is the Indian No. 19 currently with an impressive Elo rating of 2439, and Gopal (2346) have a lot of natural abilities and are sure to improve further.

Their presence in the National `A' should do a lot of good to Kerala chess (they will meet Varughese Koshy in Delhi, who cannot be called a Kerala player though, having played outside the State).

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