Odisha teenager Soundarya Pradhan bagged the bronze medal in the IBCA Asian Chess Championship for Visually Challenged, which was held at Manipal University, Udupi, Karnataka from March 23 to 31, 2017. He scored six points out of a possible eight with five wins, two draws and one defeat.

This was the first international medal for Soundarya, who received a cash prize of Rs 30,000. He will next represent India in the 15th World Chess Olympiad for Visually Challenged, scheduled to be held at Ohrid, Macedonia from June 18 to 29, 2017.

Altogether 23 players from four countries participated in the Asian championship, which was organised by All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB), under the aegis of International Braille Chess Association (IBCA). Host India made a clean sweep of all three medals with Kishan Gangolli (Karnataka) capturing the gold and Ashvin K Makwana (Gujarat) taking the silver.

Plus-two science student of Biju Patnaik Junior College, Boden, Nuapada, Soundarya, in fact, tied for the second spot with Makwana. But the latter pocketed the silver medal by virtue of having better Buchholz tie-break score. Soundarya’s elder brother Prachurya also participated in the Asian championship, but finished 14th with four points. He won four games and lost the other four.

PERFORMANCE OF SOUNDARYA: Beat Jose Antonio M Maraguinot (Phi), lost to Kishan Gangolli (Ind), beat K Marimuthu (Ind), beat Rodolfo D Sarmiento (Phi), beat Aryan B Joshi (Ind), beat Ejaz Husain (Ban), drew with Ashvin K Makwana (Ind), drew with Swapanil Shah (Ind).

PERFORMANCE OF PRACHURYA: Lost to Kishan Gangolli (Ind), beat Jose Antonio M Maraguinot (Phi), lost to BL Somender (Ind), beat Liyana Arachchilage Upul Indraji (Sri), beat Rodolfo D Sarmiento (Phi), lost to Yudhajeet De (Ind), lost to Shirish Patil (Ind), beat Hiriyamulla Vithange Sanjeewa Ka (Sri).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO: Soundarya Pradhan with his trophy and medal in Udupi on March 31, 2017.