P. D. S. Girinath

5. P. D. S. Girinath: Seeded 18; Rating 2383; Performance of 2444 against opponents with an average rating of 2269. A gain of nine rating points.

THIS soft-spoken and humble man from Andhra Pradesh is known to be most dangerous when in time-pressure. He takes his time to nail his rivals. What made his return to National `A' possible was his somewhat lucky victory over youngster Lalith Babu in the 10th round. In the remaining three rounds, he did not have to stretch much to draw. Remained unbeaten with six wins and seven draws. Victory over Karnataka's N. Sanjay in the ninth round brought him back into contention. Qualification was a just reward for his perseverance.