Goa will soon have a chess Grandmaster in Anurag Mhamal. The chess wizard, who is the beneficiary of a corporate sponsorship has made the most of his talent and has evolved by leaps and bounds to emerge as a master tactician in quick time which is certainly commendable for a State that hast just started to produce world beaters in this intriguing mind sport.An International Master now, the 21-year-old who is a GM-elect is standing on the cusp of becoming Goa’s highest rated chess player, a feat that is unparalleled in the annals of Goan chess. The fact is that Anurag needs just 2 Elo rating points to reach the magical figure of 2500 will elevate him to the Grandmaster status and catapult him to an elite zone altogether. Last weekend, Anurag made his country and State proud by winning the 27th Open de Gros International Chess Tournament in Spain and in the process pocketed 6 wins and 3 draws to remain undefeated after nine rounds of gruelling action. rVictory in Spain was vital for Anurag as it not only gave him a crucial 21 Elo points but also pushed him inches closer towards gaining the coveted norm of a GM. This is welcome news for Goa’s budding chess talent, especially at a time when kids look to emulate the success of their role models. As they say, success breeds success, Anurag’s elevation in chess norm will certainly inspire the next generation.rIt is a matter of great pride that the likes of Anurag have been trend-setters in an era where competition in sports has become fierce like never before where every penny spent needs to translate into worthy performance. rAnurag’s moment of glory will soon arrive but it also comes at time when Goa also got its first representative at the All Indian Chess Federation (AICF) when the State association secretary Kishore Bandekar was elected as the national association’s treasurer. Bandekar has wished Anurag on his recent success and has also vowed to spread the new wave of chess culture not only in Goa but also across other state affiliates in order to unearth new chess talent. Every sports requires support and talent has to be nurtured and developed. There is talent in abundance in Goa in every sphere of life. We hope to see several sports personalities making it to the world stage making Goa proud. For now, Goa is shining bright, thanks to stars like Anurag.
