Geetha Narayanan Gopal


G.N. Gopal is an Indian Chess Grand Master from Cochin, Kerala. Gopal became Kerala's first Grand Master in 2007 at the age of 18 and the sixteenth Grand Master of the country.
Like World Champion Viswanathan Anand's phenomena in the country, Gopal effect has popularized chess in Kerala.
He won the bronze medal in the prestigious 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou,China in November 2010.
He also won the bronze medal in the World Team Championship held in Bursa,Turkey in January 2010.
According to the leading national daily, The Hindu- Gopal's achievement is unique since he became a Grand Master within just eight years of taking up the game.

Early life

Gopal was born in a Nair family in Muvattupuzha as the second son of Prof B. Narayana Pillai and Prof Geetha Prakasini. He has an elder brother Gokul who is a Computer Engineer.
Gopal started chess at the age of 10. He was initiated to chess by his father. He won his first National Championship in Chandigarh in 2001. He became the National Junior champion at the age of 15 in 2004.
He won his first international championship in his first international exposure in 2003 in Dubai Juniors, Dubai.

Personal life

Gopal is working as Assistant Manager in Bharat Petroleum. He lives in Aluva.
Key achievements
National events
Asian events
Olympiads and World Team 2010
Olympiads: He has represented India in three successive Chess Olympiads namely Dresden 2008,Khanty-Mansiysk 2010 and Istanbul 2012
World Team Chess Championship 2010: His team India won bronze in the prestigious World Team 2010
Other Achievements
He received the prestigious Tigran Mets Medal during the Lake Sevan 2007 where he was the joint winner. "The Tigran Mets Medal" is a highly prestigious and very special honor of the Republic of Armenia.