Adhiban Becomes Youngest IM
By Arvind Aaron

B Adhiban, a 14-year old boy from Chennai became our latest International Master when he completed the final norm by winning the Asian Under-16 Championship with a round to spare at Uzbekistan today.

For Adhiban, a student of Cambridge Matriculation School in Royapettah, Chennai this year has gone like a dream. He won the first two International Master norms in the Parsvnath International Open at Delhi and the second norm from the Dubai Open this April.

Adhiban is already rated 2406 and his growth graph is clearly pointing upwards. With the third norm he has assured himself of the International Master title. He will become India's 53rd International Master. He is slated to gain about 30 points from the National B at Dindigul last month. He qualified for the National A for the first time. He also won the State Under-25 held at the Jawahar Vidyalaya and would be adding 19 points. Together will the points from Uzbekistan, his Elo is moving up and very fast.

His trainers are GM R.B.Ramesh and IM T.S.Ravi, both from Chennai. His parents Mrs and Mr Baskaran run Page Offset, a printing press in Triplicane, Chennai. Adhiban's favourite player is Garry Kasparov but he says he drives his inspiration from the progress made by Viswanathan Anand. Anand invited him for a dinner this May and the boy asked him for lines to play as black. When Anand suggested an opening, he said "that gives only equality". "Is equality not enough when you play black?" asked Anand. Every one laughed, but this boy clearly wants to win with black too.

Adhiban is an attacking to-the-point player. His best game was against GM Koneru Humpy at Dubai this April when he made a draw after sacrificing a piece. Adhiban learnt chess at 6 and his hobbies are reading.

Since the start of this year, his chess career is hot and he is accomplishing things fast. On August 15 this year he will turn 15. Expect to read more of him as he now sets his eyes on the Grand Master title.

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Published : 07  July , 2007