GM Pravin Thipsay triumphs in Mangalore

GM Pravin Thipsay triumphs in Mangalore

By Praful Zaveri

About 350 kms west of the major IT hub of India – Bangalore – lies the coastal city of Mangalore. This city, known for its long history of maritime trade, is surrounded by the Western Ghats on the East and the gigantic Arabian Sea on the west.

The 'Beach Country' is a tourist heaven with its virgin unexplored beaches, lush green fields and enchanting forests, that draws tourists all through the year. With an important port, an international airport and well connected rail network with all the major cities of India, the coastal town of Mangalore is a major commercial centre. If you are driving on the National Highway No 17, you will find that the road almost runs parallel to the sea for nearly 100 Kms! This bustling city still retains its charm of the old tile-roofed buildings with coconut trees, fishing boats silhouetted against the darkening skyline, fishermen hauling in rich catch of fish, sea food served in spicy coconut curries.

The magnificent beaches of Mangalore

The city played host to one of its biggest sporting extravaganza by hosting the Mangalore FIDE Rated All India Open Chess Tournament 2007 at Radhkrishna Temple Hall. It attracted a total of 271 entries, including one GM, 8 IMs, reigning World age-group champions, Girish Koushik (U-10) and Ivana Furtado (Girls U-8) who were vying for the Indian Rupees 1.50 Lakhs (Euro 2750 approx) prize fund event.

The winner: GM Pravin Thisay

With the participation of GM Pravin Thisay and other strong IMs, it was virtually a 'Chess Boom' at Mangalore. The Indian sports media, which thrives on nothing but cricket, went out of the way to cover this event and spectators were thronging to see the stars in action! In return, the players gave the spectators their moneys worth with a scintillating display of chess in a bid to lift the coveted trophy.

Anxious parents and chess stores – a familiar sight in Indian tournaments

The first player to create the mother of all upsets was the veteran national player Abdul Majeed (Elo 2128) of Kerala who defeated the GM in their third round encounter. In a Sicilian defense game, Thipsay, playing white, enjoyed better space advantage for most part of the game but the experienced Majeed nullified the effect by exchanging most of the pieces by move 25. In a position with each having a rook, bishop and a queen, the game appeared to be heading towards a draw. However, Thipsay, fancied his chances with his queen-side pawns and overstretched the position. Majeed romped home on move 51 when Thipsay resigned with imminent mate threat.

Thipsay,Pravin (2474) - Majeed,Abdul N (2182) [B85]
Mangalore FIDE Rated All India Open (3.1), 03.07.2007
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be2 Be7 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Be3 0-0 9.f4 a6 10.Kh1 Qc7 11.Qe1 Bd7 12.Qg3 Rad8 13.Rae1 Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Bc6 15.Bd3 Rd7 16.e5 Nh5 17.Qh3 g6 18.f5 dxe5 19.Bxe5 Bd6 20.fxe6 Bxe5 21.exd7 Nf4 22.Rxf4 Bxf4 23.Ne4 f5 24.Nc5 Bxg2+ 25.Qxg2 Qxc5 26.Rf1 Bc7 27.Qxb7 Qd6 28.Rf2 Qxd7 29.Qxa6 Be5 30.Qc4+ Kg7 31.c3 Rd8 32.Be2 Qa7 33.Rg2 Qb7 34.Bf1 Rd1 35.Qe2 Qd5 36.c4 Qd4 37.b4 Qa1 38.Rf2 Re1 39.Qd3 Bd4 40.Rf4 Rd1 41.Qe2 Re1 42.Qg2 Qb1 43.c5 Qxb4 44.c6 Qd6 45.Rxf5 Rc1 46.h3 Bb6 47.Rf3 Qd5 48.a4 Rc2

49.Qg3? 49.Qxc2 was fine – now 49...Rc3 is embarrassing. 49...Bc7?? (allowing simply 50.Qxc7) 50.Qg4?? (allowing mate) Rh2+ 51.Kg1 Qc5+ 52.Rf2 Qxf2# 0-1. [Click to replay]

This shock defeat of GM Thipsay not only threw the tournament wide open but also served as the wake-up call for this five-times Indian National Champion. Thipsay recovered in the fourth and fifth round, but the victories had the hangover of the earlier defeat. He came back to the high standards set by him in the sixth round by scoring a crushing victory over the former Asian Girl’s Champion, A.G. Nimmy of Kerala, from the black side of the risky Wilkes-Barry (Traxler) variation of the Two Knight’s Defense.

Nimmy,AG (2167) - Thipsay,Pravin (2470) [C57]
Mangalore FIDE Rated All India Open, 05.07.2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6.Kf1 Qe7 7.Nxh8 d5 8.Be2 Bb6 9.Bh5+ g6 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.Bxg6+ Kd8 12.d3 Bg4 13.Qd2 Kd7 14.Ke1 Rg8 15.Qg5 Nd4 16.Na3 Ne6 17.Qh6 dxe4 18.Nc4 Nf4 19.Bxe4 Nxe4 20.Nxb6+ axb6 21.dxe4 Qb4+ 22.Kf2 Qc5+ 23.Kf1 Qc4+ 24.Kg1 Qd4+ 25.Kf1 Qd1+ 26.Kf2 Qe2+ 27.Kg3 Qxg2+ 0-1. [Click to replay]

While Thipsay was consolidating his position, no other player was able to assert any dominance over the field. Former national champion, IM Konguvel, Sarvana Krishnan, IM Saptarshi Roy, B.S. Sivanandan, M.S. Thejkumar and Vishnu Prasanna shared the lead just after the half-way stage with a score of 5.5/6. While the round seven witnessed the narrowing down of the lead to three players, IM Saptarshi Roy and the duo of local Karnataka players, B.S. Sivanandan and M.S. Thejkumar with a score of 6.5 /7.

The sole leader was spotted at the end of the eighth round as B.S. Sivanandan of Kartnataka surged ahead in the lead by defeating IM Saptarsshi Roy. Playing black, IM Saptarshi Roy, opted for the sharp Scandinavian Defense against Sivanandan. The game went on equal footing in the opening stage with White holding a slight initiative. However, Saptarshi played a weak h5 on 15th move, which allowed Sivanandan to launch a blistering attack on black’s king. IM Saptarshi Roy surrendered on move 40 when faced with heavy material losss.

Sivanandan ,B S (2358) - Roy,Saptarishi (2421) [B01]
Mangalore FIDE Rated All India Open (8.1), 06.07.2007
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.d3 c6 6.Bd2 Qc7 7.Qe2 Nbd7 8.a4 g6 9.Nf3 Nb6 10.Bb3 Bg7 11.Ne5 Nbd5 12.f4 Be6 13.Nxd5 Bxd5 14.c4 Be6 15.d4 h5 16.Nxg6 Qb6 17.Ra3 fxg6 18.Qxe6 Qxd4 19.Bc2 Rh6 20.Rb3 Rd8 21.Be3 Qd7 22.f5 g5 23.Bxg5 Rh8 24.Rd3 Qxe6+ 25.fxe6 Nh7 26.Bc1 Bd4 27.Rb3 Nf8 28.Rxb7 Nxe6 29.Rf1 Rg8 30.Be4 1-0. [Click to replay]

With two rounds remaining Sivanandan had emerged as the likely contender to win the championship but he had a formidable opponent in top-seeded GM Pravin Thipsay waiting for him in the penultimate round and, once again, the GM rose to the occasion to prevail over Sivanandan.

Thipsay,Pravin M (2470) - Sivanandan,B S (2358) [B01]
Mangalore FIDE Rated All India Open (9.1), 06.07.2007
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4 4.Be2 Bxe2 5.Qxe2 Qxd5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.c4 Qf5 8.0-0 0-0-0 9.d5 Nb4 10.a3 Nd3 11.Qc2 e6 12.Be3 Bd6 13.Rd1 Ne5 14.Qxf5 exf5 15.Nbd2 Ne4 16.Rac1 Rhe8 17.c5 Bxc5 18.Bxc5 Nd3 19.Bxa7 Nxc1 20.Rxc1 Nxd2 21.Nxd2 Rxd5 22.Nc4 Kd7 23.Be3 f6 24.h4 Re6 25.a4 b5 26.axb5 Rxb5 27.Rc3 Rc6 28.b3 Ke6 29.Bf4 Kd7 30.Rd3+ Ke7 31.g3 Ke6 32.Ne3 Rc1+ 33.Kg2 Rb1 34.Nc2 c5 35.Re3+ Kf7 36.Na3 R1xb3 37.Nxb5 Rxb5 38.Bd6 g5 39.Re7+ Kg6 40.h5+ Kxh5 41.Rxh7+ Kg6 42.Rc7 f4 43.gxf4 gxf4 44.Bxf4 Kf5 45.Be3 Rb8 46.Kf3 Rh8 47.Rxc5+ Kg6 48.Rc6 Kf5 49.Rxf6+ 1-0. [Click to replay]

The ninth round loss of Sivanandan also witnessed the change of guard as M.S. Thejkumar gained a lead of half-point over the rest of the field with his victory over the N. Sanjay. In the crucial tenth and last round, Thipsay needed a win against Thejkumar, who needed only a draw to clinch the title. However, Thipsay, playing white, used his vast experience to prevail over his opponent.

Thipsay ,Pravin M (2470) - Thejkumar,M S (2326) [B18]
Mangalore FIDE Rated All India Open (10.1), 07.07.2007
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.N1e2 e6 8.0-0 Bd6 9.f4 Qc7 10.f5 Bxf5 11.Nxf5 exf5 12.Rxf5 Nbd7 13.Bf4 0-0-0 14.Qf1 Bxf4 15.Qxf4 Rhe8 16.Qxc7+ Kxc7 17.Ng3 Nb6 18.Bxf7 Re7 19.Bb3 Rxd4 20.Rxf6 gxf6 21.Nf5 Red7 22.Nxd4 Rxd4 23.Rf1 Rd6 24.Rf4 Rd1+ 25.Kf2 Rd2+ 26.Kg3 c5 27.h4 Kd7 28.a4 Ke7 29.a5 Nd7 30.Rg4 b5 31.axb6 Nxb6 32.h5 h6 33.Kf3 c4 34.Ke3 Rd5 35.Bxc4 Rxh5 36.Rg7+ Kd6 37.Bd3 Rc5 38.Kd2 a5 39.Rg6 Rg5 40.Rxf6+ Kc5 41.g4 Nc4+ 42.Kc3 Ne3 43.Ra6 Nd5+ 44.Kb3 Rg7 45.Rxa5+ Kd4 46.c3+ 1-0. [Click to replay]

The crucial last round encounter between GM Thipsay (right) and Thejkumar

With this win Thipsay pocketed the first prize of Rs.30,000 and the champion’s trophy, while Thejkumar had to contended with the second prize of Rs. 20,000. On the second board, B.S. Sivanandan, after a loss to Thipsay in the penultimate round, took no further risk in his game against IM Atanu Lahiri and both players agreed for a truce. Sivanandan secured third place and a cash prize of Rs.15,000.

The Chief Guest for the prize distribution ceremony was Mr. Ananthakrishna, Chairman of the Karnataka Bank Limited – the sponsors.

More photo impressions

An aerial view of the tournament hall

Players in action

"Yakshagana" – a play from the great Indian mythological "Mahabharata", which was staged after the close of penultimate round

Prize Winners

Category Prize List

Praful Zaveri is based at Mumbai. He runs a chess academy for the beginners and is author of the chess book for beginners The Chess Course. He has officiated in more than 25 FIDE Ratings, National and International tournaments as the Chief Arbiter. He is a freelance writer on chess. His ChessBase.com articles include: The Swiss King of India Commonwealth Chess Championship in Mumbai Nigel Short wins Commonwealth Championship 44th Indian National Championship 2006 D.P. Singh has survived his 'Agni Pariksha’