MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: In an electrifying display of chess prowess, IM Ritviz Parab of Salcete clinched the championship title at the Unity Club 2nd All-India Open Rapid Rating Chess Tournament 2024 held at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, recently.
Parab's exceptional performance throughout the tournament, staying unbeaten and amassing 8 points was awarded the championship on better tie break than IM Ethan who secured the same number of points. The first tie break system used was Bucholz cut 1 which adds the sum of the opponents points less the worst result of each player and the higher one wins.
IM Ritviz was awarded the coveted championship title, a cash prize of Rs 55,000 and a trophy. He had earlier beaten IM Nitish Belurkar and drawn with IM Ethan Vaz.
IM Ethan secured the second position with 8 points, having drawn the game with the champion in the ninth round and placing second due to the tie breaks. IM Ethan received a cash prize of Rs 33,000 and a trophy for his outstanding achievement. FM Apoorv Kamble of Karnataka claimed the third spot, defeating Mayuresh Laxlabh Desai in the final round, and was honoured with a cash prize of Rs 22,000 and a trophy.
Both the grandmasters, GM Venkatesh M R and GM Saptarshi Roy Chowdhury were paired on the second board and the draw result meant they had to contend with the fifth and seventh position respectively.
Kerala player Arpith Bijoy who beat GM M R Venkatesh in the fifth round, drew with IM Ethan in the seventh round but lost to eventual winner Ritviz in the eighth round had to contend with the fourth place. IM Nitish had to contend with the sixth position after a draw with FM Saurav Kherdekar in the eighth round.
The following players demonstrated their exceptional chess skills and secured places from 4th to 30th: IM Sammed Jaykumar Shete (Maharashtra), Shaun Deon Sequeira (Karnataka), FM Sauravh Khherdekar (Maharashtra), IM Ameya Audi, AGM Prashanth Naik (Karnataka), Gugan G (Tamil Nadu), Aayush Shirodkar, Aarth Siddhesh Shenvi Karapurkar, Balkishan A (Karnataka), Nameet Chavan (Maharashtra), FM Joydeep Dutta (West Bengal), Sharsha Backer (Kerala), Dmitry Bezstrakhov, Mayuresh Laxlabh Desai, Kanishk Sagar Sawant, Vivaan Sunil Ballikar, Tejas R Shet Verenkar, Saras Summer Powar, Shriya Patil, Aarush Bhat, Edrick Vaz, Anish Naik and Atharv Katkar.
In addition to the overall standings, the championship also recognised outstanding young talents and category champions: Best 1800-2000 – 1st place: Lad Mandar Pradip. Best 1600-1800 – 1st place: Ravindra Nikam, 2nd place: Thangraj Nadar, 3rd place: Joshua Mark Telles.
Best 1400-1600 – 1st place: Sarvang Pagi, 2nd place: Atharva Atul Borkar, 3rd place: Sahil Sachin Shetty.
Best Un-rated – 1st place: Raju Anand Bandodkar, 2nd place: Abhishesh N Prabhu Desai, 3rd place: Pranav Vinod Venkiteswaran.
All India Age Group Category: U-15 (Boys): 1st Place: Chaitanya Gaonkar. 2nd place: Aniket Ekka. 3rd place: Adrij Bhattacharyya. U-15(Girls): 1st place: Valanka Fernandes. 2nd place: Alysa Lavita Coutinho. 3rd place: Avni Atul Kamat.
U-13(Boys): 1st place: Hriday Tukaram Morajkar, 2nd place: Achinthya Bhat, 3rd place: Abhineeth Bhat. U-13 (Girls): 1st place: Maizah Sayyed. 2nd place: Saeeja Gunesh Dessai. 3rd place: Lincia Jocelyn D’Souza.
U-11(Boys): 1st place: Vipul Kadam. 2nd place: Aaryavrat Rasiket Naik Desai. 3rd place: Shourya Bagdia. U-11(Girls): 1st place: Skyla Rodrigues. 2nd place: Rizelle Alida D’Souza. 3rd place: Szurina Vasarhelyi.
U-9(Boys): 1st place: Vihaan Tari. 2nd place: Aayiu Atindrya Shetty. 3rd place: Siddhan Dewani. U-9 (Girls): 1st place: Avani Sawaikar. 2nd place: Shreya Ashish Jambhale. 3rd place: Shinel Rodrigues.
U-7(Boys): 1st place: Evan Antonio Telles, 2nd place: Prayank Gaonkar. 3rd place: Narayan Alias Aarav A Prabhu Dessai. U-7 (Girls): 1st place: Shreesha Sushant Ghadi, 2nd place: Sidonia Dacunha, 3rd place: Shivanya Rao.
All Goa Age Group Category: U-15 (Boys): 1st place: Atharva Sawal. 2nd place: Aiden Jesus Savio Grao. 3rd place: Manjunath Dhruv Desai. U-15 (Girls): 1st place: Shrusthi Shenvi, 2nd place: Aarvi Vikas Naik, 3rd place: Aditi Atul Kamat.
U-13(Boys): 1st place: Naksh Arsekar. 2nd place: Shlok Sanjiv Mesta. 3rd place: Erwin Albuquerque. U-13 (Girls): 1st place: Shrivalli Sanjay Gandhi. 2nd place: Jennica Sequeira. 3rd place: Riddhi Sanjay Gaude.
U-11(Boys): 1st place: Shubh Vishnu Borkar. 2nd place: Arthav Shirodker. 3rd place: Rhys Dominic Carvalho. U-11(Girls): 1st place: Muriel Shanessa Fernandes. 2nd place: Asmi Amit Terse. 3rd place: Diya Digamber Sawal.
U-9(Boys): 1st place: Sarthak G Naik. 2nd place: Aryan Naik. 3rd place: Zacharias Gonsalves. U-9(Girls): 1st place: Krutika Aggarwal, 2nd place: Drisha Ghonge, 3rd place: Shanvi Redkar.
U-7(Boys): 1st place: Advith Pravin Chodankar. 2nd place: Schaffer Antunes Viegas. 3rd place: Rihaan Ritesh Narvekar. U-7(Girls): 1st place: Aaradya Dessai. 2nd place: Amaira Borkar. 3rd place: Phacelia Eliaza Barreto.
Best Salcete Age Group Category: U-15(Boys): 1st place: Gomes Solaman Darius. U-13(Boys): 1st place: Tanish Bandodkar. U-13(Girls): 1st place: Archi Katkar. U-11(Boys): 1st place: Jess Nathan Cardozo. U-11(Girls): 1st place: Jensina Sequeira. U-9(Boys): 1st place: Samarth Siddhanth Naik. U-9(Girls): 1st place: Janelly Franshella Vaz.
The competition also celebrated experience and expertise, with awards for the Best Veteran Player (Above 40) presented to Wilson Cruz, and the Best Women Player (Above 15) awarded to Udupi Avani Acharya. First place was bagged by Wilson Andrade and second place was bagged by Raju Bandodkar for the special prizes for Best Parent.
The closing ceremony was graced by chief guest Chirag Naik of CD Developers and owner of Monginis franchise, Goa, and Vinay as guest of honor along with Ashesh Keni, secretary of Goa Chess Association; Damodar Zambulikar, vice-president of Goa Chess Association, and Pradeep Gaokar, president, Unity Club; Prashant Naik, Abhishesh Prabhudesai in applauding the achievements of the participants.
IA Ashesh Keni was the chief arbiter with FA Jostna Saripalli as deputy chief arbiter assisted by FA Asha Shirodkar, FA Kanchana Chowdhary and NA Ridikesh Vernekar, Himani Bajaj and Udupa KR Shashank.
