It’s birthday gift for my father, says India’s latest GM Sankalp

 

 

 

IT WAS day of double delights for Sankalp Gupta who became the latest Indian Grandmaster on Sunday. Sankalp completed the final norm required to become a chess Grandmaster on his father’s birthday! Born in 2003, Sankalp became just second player from the city after Raunak Sadhwani to join the elite club. Overall, he is India’s 71st and Maharashtra’s 10th Grandmaster. To achieve the GM title a player is required to achieve three norms and cross the live rating of 2500 Elo points. Sankalp scored his final GM norm and crossed 2500 at GM ASK 3 Chess Meet that concluded at Arandjelovac, Serbia on Sunday. All three GM norms were scored in three consecutive events within 24 days and his performance has been 2599 and above in all of those. Sankalp performed at 2605 and gained 19.1 Elo rating points taking his live rating to 2504.2.

 

After winning his first Open Rating tournament in Bangladesh, Sankalp has been in top form taking his play to a whole new level etching his name in record books. No doubt the youngster was delighted clinching the coveted title. “It feels great especially as today is my dad’s birthday and I would like to gift him the title. The Grandmaster title could have come earlier but due to COVID, I couldn’t play more tournaments, but it’s okay. “After completing the first two norms in previous two events, I had to score 6.5 points out of nine from this tournament. And it came down to wire as it was a must-win game in the last round. I am very happy that I delivered,” said the 18-year-old Sankalp while sharing his views with ‘The Hitavada’. Regions best brains have worked hard to mould a new champion. “Nayandeep Kotangle sir was my first coach. After that Gurpreet Sir, Swayam Mishra Sir and currently Swapnil Dhopade Sir.

 

I would like to thank all my coaches, my family members and people who guided me. My college (Ambedkar College) has been very supportive and always encouraged me,” said Sankalp, who does not idolise any one player as he likes to pick specific things from many players. Sankalp completed his first norm in the GM ASK 1 Chess Meet when he collected seven points from nine games in 11-round tourney in Serbia. He followed it with his second norm winning the next meet at the same venue. Sankalp’s father Sandeep runs construction firm — Gupta Construction while mother Suman is a homemaker.