First Indian Woman To Get International Grandmaster Award In Chess

                                                                             

Bhagyashree Sathe Thipsay is married to  Praveen Thipsa.Praveen Mahadeo Thipsay is an Indian chess Grandmaster.He won the Indian Chess Championship in 1982, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1992, 1993 and 1994 and played for India in the Chess Olympiads of 1982, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998 and 2002.

Bagyashree Sathe Thipsay
Number of games in database: 76
Years covered: 1982 to 2008
Current FIDE rating: 2136
Highest rating achieved in database: 2241
Overall record: +27 -36 =13 (44.1%)* 

Bhagyashree Thipsay crowned herself with glory by winning the title in the 28th YMCA National 'B' women's chess championship conducted at the YMCA premises in Visakhapatnam recently. Bhagyashree Thipsay, who displayed both focus and motivation to win the title.Bhagyashree never looked back. She established her position as the leader and continued to maintain the lead all the way till the end of the championship. 

  

As sharp as ever

IF there was one thing which made Bhagyashree Thipsay stand out from the rest during the women's National 'B' chess championship in Visakhapatnam , it was her steely determination to win. Her remarkable motivation and fighting spirit were also major plus points. 

All these years of having played the sport at the highest level and the numerous trophies she has bagged have not satiated the hunger for victory in this outstanding player. Countless matches against various kinds of opponents, many hard fought battles as well as some easy ones, have not robbed her game of any of its sharpness. 

If anything, she is now a more focussed and more motivated player. Her experience gives her the advantage of knowing exactly when to go all out, when to hold back and when to go for a quick, easy draw in order to preserve her energies for the bigger challenges that may lie ahead.Her ability to conceptualise an overall strategy, keeping in mind the main contenders in any particular tournament, and her ability to employ this strategy effectively, if necessary with some adaptations, give her a big advantage over many a less experienced player at this level in the country. 

Her campaign in the National 'B' was an ideal example of how she can chalk out a plan to suit the requirements and execute it to perfection.Unlike some of the other top ranked players in the fray, she preferred to go flat out right from the beginning. No doubt, her primary objective was to qualify for the National 'A', but this was not her only goal. The other ambition was to win this tournament. In this she differed from some of the others. Judging from their approach in the tournament, a few of the other leading players seemed to be happy enough only to qualify and did not stretch themselves to try and win the title. 

"I wanted to win this title and not merely qualify," said Bhagyashree later.But then, having made sure of that objective, I thereafter concentrated on winning the title and I did not take any match lightly," she said.

Talking about the level of competition in general, she said that she was happy to see so many youngsters doing well in the sport."It is a good sign that so many young players are taking to this sport. Moreover, they are doing well in it. I am sure we will see many top level players emerge from among these youngsters in the near future," said Bhagyashree. 

"But we need to have more GM level tournaments exclusively for women in our country. Then only do we have a realistic chance of getting the badly needed exposure and improve our standards," she concluded by saying.