The Press Trust of India
November 27, 2008 Thursday

India to take on Armenia in friendship chess match

New Delhi Nov 27

Grandmaster and World Junior Champion Abhijeet Gupta will spearhead
Indian challenge as a five-member home team takes on Armenia in a
friendship chess match starting on Sunday.

The Indian team, comprising GMs S Arun Prasad and B Adhiban and GM
norm-holders Deep Sen Gupta and Gogineni Rohit, will play four games
each day with one player kept on reserve.

"Both the teams are very strong and we will put the best foot forward
and hope we can win the tournament," Abhijeet said.

India coach Vishal Sareen said there would be nothing friendly in the
match with the two team fighting it out hard.

"It will be a good contest as both the teams boast of quality players
and although its a friendship match, there is nothing friendly in the
event as both the teams will go for a kill from Sunday," he said.

The Armenian team will be led by GM and 2006 World Junior Champion
Zaven Adriasian, while GM Avetik Grigoryan, IM Hrant Melkumyan and FM
Samvel Sahakyan completes the rest of the team.

"The Armenian team will be reaching here tomorrow evening and we hope
this initiative will further strength the ties between the both
countries. This time the tournament is India and we hope to organise
it in Armenia next year," Armenian ambassador to India, Ashot
Kocharian said.

Following are the results: 1 Priya Sandhya (TN1) lost to Gagare
Shalmali (MAH) 2. Mohana Priya (TN2) bt Deshmukh Sonia (MAH)
3. Vanessa D’Souza (KAR2) bt Saranya (TN) 4. Bharathi (TN2) bt Janani
J (TN) 5. Supriya Joshi (MAH1) lost to Pujari Rucha (MAH) 6. Roy
Pallabi (WB2) bt Soumya Shrivastava (MAH) 7. S Aarthysri (TN1) lost to
Shristi J Shetty (KAR) 8. Diotima Dutta Gupta (WB1-1/2)drew with
Savetha (TN) 9. Visalatchi R (TN 1-1/2) drew with Jeyassri (TN)
10. Krushna Mishra (ORI 1-1/2) drew with Aparajita Gochhikar (ORI)