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Satyapragyan promises Orissa its first
GM title by 2010
Chess is enjoying
a boom time in Orissa. To the extent
that it has made king cricket envious.
But chess needs to sustain its meteoric
rise. ``When can we have our first
Grandmaster,`` asks the state of the
64-square game. The question received a
positive answer when the state`s first
home-grown IM Swayangsu Satyapragyan
said that he was optimistic of getting
the first GM title next year.
‘‘After getting my first GM norm in
2006, I struggled for three years. But
the opportunity to represent the country
Paris Open and a long-cherished meeting
with reigning World champion Viswanathan
Anand at his home in Madrid helped me a
lot to secure the second norm at the
Kolkata Open GM Tournament. Now I am
playing well and feeling confident of
securing the third norm and the GM title
by 2010,’’ described Satyapragya after
being felicitated by Khordha District
Chess Association (KDCA) at a star hotel
in Bhubaneswar today.
Describing his meeting with Anand,
Satyapragyan said: ‘‘While playing Fide
rating tournaments in Spain, I became
eager to meet Anand for the first time
in my life. I jumped in joy when he
responded to my e-mail and invited me to
his home. I spent several memorable
hours there talking to him and seeing
his practice room. During the meeting I
was bowled over by Anand’s humble,
friendly and helpful personality. He is
not only a world champion but a true
icon as well.’’
Giving an example of Anand’s
down-to-earth characterstics,
Satyapragyan said: ‘‘I wanted to have a
photo of Anand and me together. But I
had no camera. When I told this to Anand,
he promptly obliged me with his own
camera and mailed me the photo from
there.’’
Satyapragyan said during the meeting
Anand strongly believed that I would be
getting my second GM norm soon. ‘‘His
words immensely boosted my confidence
and after missing the norm narrowly in a
couple of tournaments in Spain, I did it
at Kolkata,’’ he admitted. In the
Kolkata Open, the strongest tournament
in Asia, Satyapragyan defeated three
Grandmasters and held four more to draws
to finish a creditable seventh.
In the felicitation function, Justice
Bimal Prasad Das of Orissa High Court
lauded Satyapragyan’s talent and
achievement before presenting him
citation and memento.
KDCA president Trailokya Jena said by
virtue of his perseverance, Satyapragyan
had not only come closer the GM title,
he had also opened the door for five
youngsters to accomplish the feat.
KDCA secretary and well-known former
player Subhasis Patnaik threw light on
Satyapragy`s struggling days and saluted
the player`s parents for their support
to bring their younger son thus far. ``Satyapragyan`s
family lived without light and water for
two years. But they overcame all odds to
make Satyapragyan what he is now,`` said
an emotional Patnaik. He went on to say
that besides becoming a GM, Satyapragyan
would be settling down in life soon.
Thankfully, Patnaik stopped just short
of naming the star player`s would-be
wife.
Leading coaching academy S R Chess
Centre`s director S R Patnaik
highlighted Satyapragyan`s special
ability to excel in both chess and
academics. ``He also stood one among top
15 in the Plus Two examination.
Satyapragyan proved that one can do well
both in chess and studies,`` Patnaik
observed.
Giving the mood of the felicitation
function a different direction, Orissa
Chess Ad-hoc Committee chairman Asit
Mukherjee opined that Satyapragyan
should help better grooming of five most
talented yougsters of the state. But the
comment proved to be a spoil sport and
drew sharp response. The first to react
was Satyapragyan. ``I respect the
concern of the ad-hoc committee`s
chairman. But I know the youngsters
better aware than many people and I also
aware of my responsibility towards them,
he responded.
The ad-hoc committee sent me over 150
e-mails when I was busy in playing
tournaments. But it did not mail me a
congrts message when I got the second GM
norm,`` said a peeved Satyapragyan,
expressing identical feeling of the
chess-loving people present in the
function.
Courtesy :
www.orisports.com
Published on
25th Sep, 2009
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