New Delhi (12 Sep 10) :- International Master Sahaj Grover of Delhi lived up to his top billing and won the 36th edition of National Sub Junior Chess Championship defeating G Akash of Tamil Nadu in the 11th and final round that concluded here. Sahaj talied an impressive 9.5 points and remained a half point ahead of Girish Koushik of Karnataka who finished sole second after drawing his last round game with Anurag Mahamal of Goa.
P V Nandhidhaa of TN won the girls’ title easily after splitting the point with Anjana Krishna of Kerala in the last round. Nandhidhaa also scored 9.5 points while B Pratyusha of AP finished second on 9 points. It was a tense affair for Sahaj in a topical French defense game where the class IX student of host Kulachi Hansraj Model School played with black pieces. Akash was well armed in the initial stages of the game as he played at quick pace. However as the game progressed Sahaj got firm control with a timely pawn grab and went for the trading of queens immediately after.
The endgame had some complexities but Sahaj made it all look light with his emphatic technique. It was after a double queen promotion that Akash called it a day. Speaking after the Sahaj said it was indeed a very complicated game, “Somehow I was able to concentrate better and when I won one pawn on the queen side I knew I had good chances. Akash just did not put up the best resistance otherwise a draw was quite possible”, said Sahaj who turned 15 during the course of the tournament.
The youngster did not miss an opportunity to thank his school which was the venue of the championship, “another place and another city, I might not have played the Sub Juniors in my last attempt as I arrived back in city from a training session abroad just on the day when the championship started. My school has been a source for inspiration for me all these years and I am really thankful to all my teachers and the DAV foundation for their support along with of course Mr. Bharat Singh Chauhan (President, Delhi Chess Association) who has helped in every way possible”, Sahaj said.
Although the eventual tiebreaker confirmed that Sahaj would have been the champion anyways, Girish missed a chance to make it a much closer fight. The Karnataka’s talent was in his elements for a long time in the game against Anurag and it was only in the endgame that he missed the thread of the position and landed in difficulties. The final outcome was a draw in this longest game of the day.
In a three way tide for the third place, Antonio Viani D’Cunha of Karnataka finished third on 8.5 points thanks to his best Bucholz tiebreak. Shardul Gagare was adjudged fourth while the fifth place went to Delhi’s Prince Bajaj. Of the three, Viani and Gagare scored easy victories against Sidhant Mahapatra of Orissa and D S Shashank of TN respectively while Prince was lucky to score over city-mate Rishi Thariani.
Amongst the Girls, P bala Kannamma of TN finished third while Sonakshi Rathore of Rajasthan had to be satisfied with a fourth place finish. The top three in boths ections will get a chance to represent the country in the World Youth Chess Championship while the top five in boys will form the Indian youth Olympiad team.
