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Beware,
The Indians Are Coming
By Arvind Aaron
The World Youth Chess Festival is more popular in numbers than the Chess
Olympiad. Held in the age grouo of 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 for boys and
girls, the next edition starts at Antalya, in Turkey from Nov 17-29.
Having won five out of the 12 sections at Batumi in Georgia in 2006,
expectations on India will be high. We returned with a huge ten medals
haul last year. The challenge should be high this time though there are
some safe sections for the Indians to win. The title expectations are
three at the lower end and six at the high end from the 12 sections as far
as India is concerned.
The World Youth Chess Festivals started in 1988. P.Harikrishna won the
first World Under-10 title in Menorca, Spain in 1996. Thereafter, Koneru
Humpy's fireworks started and she won the first title in 1997 at Cannes
and ignited what is now called an India dominated World Youth Chess
Festival.
India is fielding 24 boys and 25 girls as official entries and besides
this there are also other entrants. Together with the accompanying
members, Indian contingent should be the largest at the festivals. The
sections to expect titles for Indians are Boys-8, Boys-10, Boys-12,
Boys-14, Girls-8, 12. Expect medals in Boys-16, Girls-10, Girls-14 and
Girls-18.
Girish Koushik of Mysore is defending his Under-10 title, but there are
other Indians in that section who can trouble him. There are plenty of
well known names accompanying the team led by IM Manuel Aaron, IM Vishal
Sareen, IM G.B.Joshi, V.Ravichandran, etc. The donor list is also very
talented with someone like N.Srinath, former World Under-12 champion
playing in Under-14.
The list of players from India:
Boys Section: Under-8: G.V.Revanth Reddy (AP), Shivam Srivastav (UP),
Y.Sai Akshay (AP). Under-10: Girish A.Koushik (Kar), Vaibhav Suri (Del),
Shardul Gagare (Mah), Prince Bajaj (Del), M.Sathvik (Kar), Ch. Mohineesh
(AP).Under-12: Fenil Shah (Guj), Shiven Khosla (Mah), Sahaj Grover (Del),
G.V.Sai Krishna (AP), Utkal Ranjan Sahoo (Ori). Under-14: Vidit Santhosh
Gujrathi (Mah), S.P.Sethuraman (TN), Pranav Shetty (Mah), Mehar Chinna
Reddy (AP), Prasanna Rao (Mah). Under-16: R.Ashwath (TN), B.Adhiban (TN),
S.Nitin (TN). Under-18: M.R.Lalith Babu (AP), Dasari Sai Srinivas (AP).
Girls section: Under-8: C.H.Meghana (Ker), P.Preety (Pon), C.R.Varsha
(TN), Ivana Furtado (Goa). Under-10: Gorthy Aishwarya (AP), Sweety Patel (Guj),
U.Ashwini (TN), M.Mahalakshmi (TN). Under-12: Priyanka Kumari (Jha),
Michelle Catherina (TN), J.Vaishnavi (TN), Ch. Sahajasri (AP), B.Pratyusha
(AP), Mannepalli Navya Vaishnavi (AP). Under-14: Padmini Rout (Ori),
Shalmali Gagare (Mah), Kotepalli Nirupama (AP), J.Mohana Priya (TN).
Under-16: Bhakti Kulkarni (Goa), Pon N.Krithikha (TN). Under-18: Kiran
Manisha Mohanty (Ori), P.Uthra (TN), R.Preethi (TN), Mary Ann Gomes (Ben),
Kanuri Tejaswi (AP).
Photo gallery
Ivana Wins, Keeps Lead
Ivana Furtado Moves Into Lead
Vidit Gujrathi Wrests Slender Lead
Vidit Joins Lead In Boys Under-14
Mary Ann Gomes In Sole Lead
Indians Share Lead In Seven Sections
Indians Among Leaders In Ten Sections
More news - WYCC
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Published : 15th November, 2007
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