Sasikiran to spearhead Indian challenge against Israel

New Delhi: Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran will spearhead the Indian challenge when the team takes on Israel in a match spread over three days from April 2 to 4.

The year 2012 is special for both India and Israel as far as the game of chess goes. From May 10 this year, first sons in chess from both countries -- the defending World chess champion Viswanathan Anand and Israeli Grandmaster Boris Gelfand -- will battle it out for the ultimate title of the world champion in Moscow. This match is being organised as a curtain raiser to the World Championship. Besides Sasikiran, GM and current National Champion Abhijeet Gupta, Grandmaster B Adhiban and Grandmaster G N Gopal complete the Indian line up. The Indians are firm favourite to beat their Israeli counterpart here. From Israel, highly regarded Grandmaster Illya Smirin will don the top board and he will be assisted by Grandmaster Tal Baron, Grandmaster Vitaly Golod and Gil Popliski. The match will be spread over three rounds and each player will play against all players of the other country at least once. There will be 12 games in all. PTI