Calcutta: Grandmaster Surya Sekhar Ganguly emerged champion of the LIC International Grandmasters Chess tournament - organised by the Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy and Allsport Foundation - which concluded here, at the ICCR, on Tuesday.

Surya finished with 7.5 points in a battle of nerves on the final day of the competition. He opened up the kingside in a Sicilian defence and his two bishops ensured an attack that fetched him a pawn after which, it was a matter of technique for Surya.

Four players - Nigel Short, Lu Shanglei, Deep Sengupta and Sandipan Chanda - were tied with seven points apiece. Nigel, however, was placed second on better Buchole tie breaking points. Lu ended third, while Deep and Sandipan had to be content with the fourth and fifth places.

On the top board, though, the Nigel-Lu contest was by comparison a quiet affair with both players content to manoeuvre their pieces in a Catalan set up.

With neither side getting any breakthrough, a peace treaty was signed on the 41st move where both had a rook and knight, and four pawns left on the board.

Apart from Surya, the player who impressed most in the meet was unquestionably Sandipan. He played from the third round with one point to his credit. In the final round, Sandipan stunned IM K. Ratnakaran with a piece sacrifice, which led to mate in a Giuco Piano opening with black.

WGM Swati Ghate was declared as the best player of the tournament among women. She scored five points.