Team Herald
PANJIM: Geno Pharmaceuticals brand ambassador Nitish Belurkar achieved yet another milestone in his budding chess career when he was awarded the FIDE Master title by FIDE , the world chess governing body, on recently.
Nitish, a Std IX student of Sharada Mandir School, Panjim, last played in two international tournaments in Serbia and was in good form as he defeated one International Master, one FIDE Master and drew with four Grand Masters, five IMs, one WGM and one FM gaining a huge 126 rating points to cross the 2300 ELO rating mark. Nitish, thus becomes only the third Goan and the youngest Goan player to achieve the FM title.
Dronacharya Awardee Raghunandan Gokhale, who accompanied Nitish to Serbia, was happy with Nitish performance. “The IM title is next,” he prophesised.
President Vinay Tendulkar and Secretary Kishor Bandekar of Goa Chess Association (GCA) along with Ramdas Sawant, treasurer, GCA; Mahesh Candolkar, president , TTCA ; Balkrishna V , Treasurer, TTCA and other office bearers of GCA congratulated Nitish on achieving the FM title.
Nitish will now participate in the Al Ain Classic Chess tournament in UAE from December 22 to 31.
