Veteran chess player V.S.T. Sai dies while playing tournament in Hyderabad
Veteran Chess Player VST Sai passed away while playing a game on Saturday. The 72-year-old has been an active player and was a regular participant in chess competitions despite his age.
He passed away while playing in the SLAN 1st International Below 1600 FIDE Rated tournament at Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy Indoor Stadium on Saturday.
Sai is a retired official of Life Insurance Corporation of India and has been playing the game regularly ever since his retirement. He was actively involved in Hyderabad Chess Centre as an executive committee member.
Despite his age, Sai has participated in several tournaments across the city. He was playing in Round 5 of the tournament during which he collapsed. A fellow participant saw him fall and intimated the officials. Soon, he was rushed to a nearby hospital. However, despite everyone's best efforts, Sai was declared dead. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
The former Chess International and current General Secretary of Hyderabad Democratic Chess Association Y Sameer Kumar addressed the media about the incident. He said that it was a sad moment for everyone. He credited the organizers and the medical team for their speedy action and also expressed his condolences to the family.
SLAN 1st International Below 1600 FIDE Rated tournament
The SLAN FIDE Rated tournament is currently being hosted by the Hyderabad Association at the Kotla Vijay Bhaskara Reddy Indoor Stadium.
The tournament, which began on 24th August, has a total of 150 participants in different age groups from India, Canada and the USA. After six rounds, Kesavan and Arav Baid are at the top of the rankings with a perfect score of six. Saikanth Nagsari and Pasupulety Nagsari are in the second spot with a score of 5 and a half. Sathwik is in the third spot with a score of five.
While the top 14 places are currently occupied by Indian chess players, Paras Radhey Shah of the USA is in the 15th spot. Canada's Aaqil Alpuri is in the 21st spot. Isaac Jendran from the USA is in the 136th spot.