41st National 'B' Chess Championship

Relieved at attaining the prestigious Grandmaster status after missing the coveted grade by a whisker on several occasions, 20-year-old Sandipan Chanda was now aiming to improve his opening and achieve an ELO rating of 2500 to further his ambitions.

Chanda, who returned to a warm welcome in the city today after obtaining the elusive third GM norm at the Benasque Open Chess tournament in Spain earlier this month, said he would now choose tournaments selectively, with the sole objective of increasing his ratings.

"I will turn out in only those tournaments which have a high competition level. My immediate target is to reach the 2500 (ELO) mark," Chanda, the country's ninth and latest GM, told newspersons.

Chanda, a product of the Goodricke National Chess Academy, now has an ELO rating of 2469.

Looking visibly happy in the company of family members, friends and members of the local chess fraternity, Chanda said he felt relieved at having at last made it into the GM club.

"I had come pretty close on several occasions in the near past. At the Aeroflot Tournament in Moscow in February, I only needed a draw in the last round, but lost to my opponent," he said.

Chanda acknowledged that he had to further improve his game, particularly the opening, to continue his onward march in the international circuit.

"I'm now taking the help of Surya (GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly), who has a very strong opening," he said.

(Agencies)