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By Casto Abundo, Chief Arbiter, 15th Asian Games, Doha 2006

GMs Krishnan Sasikiran and Pentala Harikrishna beat GMs MOhamad Al Modiahki and Al Sayed Mohamad, respectively, to power India to a 2:1 victory over Qatar. Former women`s world champion Zhu Chen beat Rapid Chess gold medalist Koneru Humpy to prevent a shutout. The win gave India 7.5 points for solo lead followed by Vietnam with 7 points after they beat Uzbekistan 2:1. Qatar, China and Indonesia trail with 6.5 points each. Mixed teams from 21 countries are competing in the Asian Games Chess Team Championship from 1-15 December 2006 in Doha, Qatar. India faces Vietnam while China matches with Indonesia in tomorrow`s 4th round.

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With only nine rounds in the tournament, players are trying their best to gain every point. In the last two rounds, GM Al Mohdiaki of Qatar was always the last to finish, squeezing wins out of two drawish looking positions. Each point counts since the final standings are based on game points. The Qatar team is highly motivated and has strong hometown moral support. And the husband and wife team of Mohammed and Zhu Chen is the darling of the crowd.

If you consider the just concluded Rapid Competition as a team event then the two medals of China would give them the team award. But top seed India pointed out that they have the edge in the standard time control on which ratings are based. `That was Rapid chess. This will be different`, promised Bharat Singh, Zone President of the Indian subcontinent.

Vietnam, host of the 2003 Southeast Asian Games, the first regional games to include chess is close on the heels of the leaders, clearly conscious of the importance of the Asian Games.

What is the significance of chess in the Asian Games? Being part of something bigger enhances our sport. Delegations to the Games are fully funded by their governments, something national chess federations around Asia have been struggling for all these years. We enjoy the tremendous publicity in the print and broadcast media coverage of the Games.

Individual players as well are poised to make huge financial gains. The government of Iran is rumored to give bonuses close to $100,000 for a gold medal in the Games, with $1,000 monthly stipend for life. Murtas Kazhgaleyev can expect a hero`s welcome when he returns to oil-rich Kazakhstan. A silver or bronze are also handsomely rewarded.

Chess needs heroes for the youth to idolize. The Asian Games produces national heroes.

The Chinese chess team is particularly conscious of the fact that their performance in Doha will determine whether they can convince their National Olympic Committee to push for chess to be included in the next Asian Games in Guzngzhou in 2010.

How did chess get into the Asian Games in Doha? Thank Qatar Chess Federation president Khalifa Al Hitmi for that. The door was opened by the International Olympic Committee recognition of chess as sport. This provided Khalifa the opportunity to lobby for chess in the Asian Games in Doha.