Bhubaneswar, May 6: Chess whiz-kid Debashis Das has come closer to becoming the first Grandmaster in the state with only one Grandmaster norm and 13 Elo rating points to go.
The 19-year-old top ranked chess player recently returned here from Dubai with his second Grandmaster norm. Sports lovers here hope he will achieve the title soon.
To earn the title, a player has to have three Grandmaster norms and an Elo rating of 2,500.
At the Dubai Open chess championship, which concluded on April 15, Debashis pocketed 16 points and a Grandmaster norm by scoring well against Georgian Grandmaster Konstantin Shanava and Calcutta-based Grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly. However, a previous performance at another tournament led to Debashis losing six points. While he had 2,477 Elo points, he now has 2,487.
“Dubai Open is the second best tournament in Asia. The upcoming tournament I will take part in, the Asian Continental Championship at Philippines, to be held from May 17 to 27, is considered the toughest. I am working hard to put up a good performance and get one more Grandmaster norm and the requisite points,” said Debashis.
The youngster, pursuing graduation in science, has a tight schedule in the upcoming months. “I will be touring Europe throughout June and July. There are tournaments in Bulgaria, Spain and the Czech Republic from June 10 to July 21. I want to earn the Grandmaster title before June 27, which is my birthday,” smiled the chess prodigy who started exploring his association with the chessboard as a six-year-old.
At nine Debashis debuted in the national arena and took the ninth spot in the U-9 championship. In 2005, as a 12-year-old, he stood fourth in the tournament where he made his international debut. However, lack of individual coaching and sponsorship mars the spirit of a player, feels the youngster.
“To keep going in chess you need to defeat international players much above your rating. That is only possible when you have individual coaching facilities and complete focus. Here, chess institutes organise workshops with international players. These are group workshops that do not offer much on an individual level. Plus, the constant anxiety about how to arrange funds to travel throughout the world for games and accommodation, since there is almost no sponsorship,” said the International Master.
Despite all worries of sponsorship and guidance, Debashis who lives in the small town of Odaspur, is an achiever in his own right. “There are no internet facilities here. Power cuts for several hours at a stretch are very common. No renowned educational institute or entertainment zones available. Yet, the biggest advantage of living here is that there is no distraction and that is the most important thing for me,” said the confident youth.
