Guwahati, June 30: FIDE-rated Rajib Dhar emerged champion in the NIIT Mind Champions Academy?s Open Schools? Tournament (Assam leg) today but it was holder of the East Zone Rajkumar Shrinjan Singha who stole the show by making Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand wipe the sweat from his forehead over an exhibition table.

Dhar won the championship defeating Debashish Dutta in a meet in which 32 players from various schools of Assam participated.

Four of the participants, including last year?s national women?s B championship player, Nisha Singh, were from Dimapur.

Dhar will now head for the East Zone championship.

However, it was Singha, the reigning east zone champion and national runner-up in the championship?s 2004-05 edition, who played a brilliant game against Anand when the latter played on 27 friendly boards simultaneously.

Dhar went down to Anand in a 37-move game.

Singha finally had to bow before the Grandmaster in the 39th move after he found himself in a weaker position due to a ?mistake? which Anand later pointed out. Singha was the last to fall.

In his post-game conversation with Singha of Maria?s Public School, Anand appreciated the teenager?s skill and defensive play.

Singha is 1,945 in the FIDE rating.

?I have gained a lot of confidence from the game I played with the Grandmaster. It will help me in the National B championship in Delhi where at least five international masters are playing,? Singha said.

Later, talking to the media, Anand, who is preparing for the world meet in Argentina, said Gary Kasparov?s decision to retire would be a loss to chess.