Chess is a traditional sport and has been patronised in our country for a long time. Mysuru has been producing talented players from time to time who have gone on to represent the country in different levels. One such player who has been consistently doing well in the National and International level is Mysuru-based IM M.S. Thejkumar of South Western Railways. Thejkumar, with a present rating of 2488, representing India in the Sri Lankan Open International Rating Chess Championship-2017 at YMBA Hall, Kurunegala, near Colombo, from Aug. 7-11, won the title by securing 10 points from 10 rounds. He won the title by maintaining a clean slate by beating all the ten players he met in the tournament. He is our ‘Star This Week.’

Thejkumar had wins over Dissanayake DM, Liyanage LDS, Menuka Udara, C.S. Kumarawadu, CM Lasitha Subash, Ratnayake (all from Sri Lanka), Y.G. Vijayeendra (India), Premnath Dinushki, Theekshana H.G. Denuwan and Kodiara K.K.M. Sichintha.

Mysuru lad Y.G. Vijayeendra (Rating 2116) finished second with 8.5 points and Sri Lanka’s Ratnayake with 8 points secured the third place.

Thejkumar will be taking part in the 55th National Challengers Chess Championships 2017 at Ahmedabad from Aug. 13-23, and intends to perform well in the Championships.

Thejkumar, who is the only chess player in Karnataka who has achieved three GM norms from Karnataka and needs another 12 points to become a Grand Master.

An employee of South Western Railways (Mysuru), he was part of the Indian Railway team which won the gold in the World Railway Championship. He is the only Karnataka player to win the National ‘B’ title. An Ekalavya award winner, Thejkumar won the Dhamso International Chess Festival title in the tournament held at Sri Lanka from April 27 to May 3, 2017 and also finished second in the Intl. Chess Tourney held in France recently.

He is being sponsored by Yahasvi Shankar of Saanvi Technologies, www.mysoresport.com and by Urs Kars, Mysuru. The DYES, Government of Karnataka, is also supporting him financially and UKCA and MDCA are also supporting his cause.

In order to share his knowledge to budding chess players, he has taken up coaching and has been teaching chess to school children in the city from the Mysore Professional Chess Academy. He intends to work hard in the days to come and improve on his rating.