GM for GM

They were the early hope, but the Indian shooters have failed so far to bring home the yellow metal from the 15th Asian Games here.

They were the early hope, but the Indian shooters have failed so far to bring home the yellow metal from the 15th Asian Games here. It was left to Grandmaster Koneru Humpy to give the first gold at these Games, from the board game, introduced for the first time here. In the Swiss rapid meet, she earned 8 points from the nine rounds played to emerge comfortable champion at the Al-Dana chess hall.

Then, amid flashbulbs and kudos, she said she 8220;should have been expected to win, because I was top seed.8221; She was also the only men8217;s Grandmaster in the field. It was a modest celebration in the mixed zone, a muted set of questions that would have come in torrents had it been a tennis player. This evening, India8217;s gloom in the cricketing and tennis failures was swept aside somewhat.

The 19-year-old finished with a win over Dana Aketayeva of Kazakhstan. China8217;s Zhao Xue, a half-point adrift, was second.

In between the interviews, her father and coach Koneru Ashok rang up to congratulate. 8220;I wish he was here now to see this,8221; said Humpy, beaming ear-to-ear. 8220;He has been my first coach and always the main inspiration.8221; Her mother Lata was a step behind the media gathering, wearing a quiet smile, sure now how happiness feels. 8220;I have won the Asian title before,8221; said Humpy, 8220;but this, winning a medal for your country, this is different. I feel really proud. Rapid isn8217;t my favourite format,8221; said the player who idolises Hungary8217;s Judit Polgar, 8220;and that makes it feel better.8221; Her aim now is the world women8217;s championship, but her bigger aim is 8220;to play in men8217;s events only, like Judit.8221; On way to gold, Koneru won eight and lost one. Qatar8217;s Zhu Chen, with 6 points, won bronze.

The Indian men, though, failed to impress. GM Pentalya Harikrishna finished 11th, with 5.5 points, and GM Krishnan Sasikiran 13th, also with 5.5 points. The men8217;s rapid was won by Murtas Kazhgalyev of Kazakhstan 7.5 points, Vietnam8217;s Thien Hai Dao 7 won silver and China8217;s Bu Xiangzhi 7 bronze.

Harikrishna won four, drew three and lost two, while Sasikiran won three, drew five and lost one in their campaigns.

From here, to the classical format of the team championship, and Humpy, who started in chess from when she was six, feels that will be a different challenge. 8220;In a team game, there will have to be more co-ordination, and we must look after each other. We hope to do well in that too.8221;

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It has been a long journey for Humpy, having emerged into the open with the world junior championship. She went onto win the Arjuna Award in 2003, and became Asia8217;s youngest International Women8217;s Master in 1999 before finally graduating to win the men8217;s Grandmaster title. She was the youngest-ever woman to achieve the men8217;s GM title, at age 15 years, one month, and 27 days, beating Judith Polgar8217;s record of 15 years, 4 months and 27 days.

From now, it is a new journey on the fast track for Humpy.