Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay will be the Head of Delegation (HOD) and coach of the Indian chess team that will take part in the Asian Individual (men and women) Chess Championship to be held at Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from May 6 to May 16. The selected players are Karthik Venkataraman, Surya Shekhar Ganguly and Neelash Saha in the Open category and Nandhidhaa PV, Priyanka K and Padmini Rout in the women’s category.
“The Asian Individual Chess Championship is one of the FIDE events for a few seats for the World Cup Championships. The World Cup and a few other tournaments then decide the eligibility of the players for the Candidates Tourney,” Thipsay told mid-day.
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Speaking of the team’s challenges ahead, the Indian Grandmaster added: “I think all our players are very strong. Surya Shekhar Ganguly has won medals in the past. The other players are much younger, but just as gifted as Ganguly. We can look forward to more than one medal. I am equally optimistic about the women’s section. They need to be guided better about the styles of their opponents on a daily basis. Selecting opening variations and individual game strategy will be key.”
When asked about the formidable field, Thipsay replied, “China could field a strong team in the men’s section. In the women’s category, as most of the top Chinese players are seeded for the World Cup, they may not play here. I expect the Indian women to dominate the Championship.”
