Mangalore: GM Barua Dibyendu of Kolkota Wins Chess Tournament
For Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (CN)
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje

Mangalore, Jul 26:Grandmaster Barua Dibyendu of West Bengal has secured the first place in the second FIDE rated All India Open Chess Tournament 2008 held in the city for the past eight days. The tournament, organized by South Kanara District Chess Association, concluded on Saturday, July 26.

Hailing from Kolkota, Dibyendu is the second Indian to become grandmaster after Vishwanathan Anand. Forty-two-year-old Dibyendu became grandmaster in 1991. He defeated world number two, grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi in 1982.

District commissioner, M Maheshwar Rao, presented him the prize during the valedictory ceremony and thanked the organizers for conducting the tournament smoothly. Praveen Kumar C and Prakash G B of Tamil Nadu, came in second and third, respectively.

Ananthkrishna, chairman of Karnataka Bank, was the chief guest of the occasion. Addressing the gathering, he said that chess doesn’t require any physical strength. Mental ability is enough for this game. Dakshina Kannada district has abundant mental strength and if given proper encouragement, the district will produce a grandmaster in the near future, he commented.

Ganesh Karnik, MLC, presided over the function. Sharavu Raghavendra Shastry, managing trustee of Sharavu Mahaganapati Temple, Anand Shetty, president of press club, Narendra, chief general manager of Corporation Bank, M R Vasudev, honorary president of the Chess Association, and secretary Lydia D’Cunha, were present on the dais.

Chief arbitrator Sheshadri, Chennai, presented the arbitrators’ report. M S Gururaj, president of the association, welcomed the gathering. A total of 280 people participated in the tourney, including grandmaster Praveen Thipsay of Maharashtra.