CHESS

Leonard Barden

Ameet Ghasi became England’s 42nd and latest grandmaster this month when the Birmingham 37-year-old shared first prize with 6.5/9 in the international tournament at Fagernes, Norway. Ghasi, an amateur who works full-time, is the oldest English player ever to qualify for the GM title, which requires three norms at 2600 level plus a published Fide rating of 2500. He had been trying for his final norm for a few years, and the decisive trigger came with help from the new Department for Culture, Media and Sport grant for elite chess, which enabled him to target Fagernes as a norm prospect and to prepare for the event. His best win there was against a Norwegian GM, where Ghasi attacked, broke through with a rook for bishop sacrifice, then finished with a…

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Guardian Weekly (Digital) - 1 Issue, 25 October 2024

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