Professional approach is must for chess: Koshy

Patna, May 4, 2010: International Master Varugeese Koshy advocated the need to inculcate professional approach towards the game of chess on the third day of ongoing 7-day Residential Chess Training Camp at RBI residential premises at Rajendra Nagar, here on Tuesday.

Bihar players lack this quality because of least home preparation, this was discovered when the trainees were asked to write correct continuation of moves in several middle-game positions. Koshy’s illustration of standard drawn positions followed by categoricaldiscussion on “Bahr’s 7 golden rules’’ on Pawn at the Rook file, method of counting of tempi in the end-game and thus ascertaining the ratio of advantage between the side with extra pawn and the defender’s side were unique lesions to our players.

Giving this information Arvind Kumar Sinha, secretary All Bihar Chess Association said that the evening session started up with lessons on “covering your weaknesses and exposing opponent’s’’.
Koshy illustrated several exercises of Mark Dortoyvsky, who was trainer of Garry Kasparoy and discussed teachings of Grand Master Arthur Yusupov on the topic. Koshy was greatly satisfied to have from the trainees about 45 per cent correct continuations with little effort, he added.

On the second day the training session witnessed tough tussle among the trainees fighting a given middle game positions to achieve a potentially favourable end-game position under the able guidance of international master Varugeese Koshy.

After the theoretical discussions on the typical games played by the Grandmasters in the morning session, Koshy illustrated the pre-conditions required for one opting exchange of heavy pieces and transiting towards the end game.

In the evening session of the day, several standard end-positions were analysed to formulate the strategy adopted by the great masters of the past.

Arvind Kumar Sinha, FIDE master and secretary, All Bihar Chess Association said that Koshy was satisfied with the positional understanding of Bihar players and he hoped magical enhancement in their performance in the coming nationals.

Photo caption: International master Varugeese Koshy is being greeted upon his arrival in Patna on May 2, 2010.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui