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PANJIM: Maharashtra’s Atharva Madkar clinched the top spot in the Category B event of the Late Shri Manohar Parrikar 3rd Goa International Open Grandmaster Chess Tournament 2025, held at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Taleigao. Madkar scored 8.5 points from 10 rounds, earning a cash prize of Rs 1.75 lakh. Tamil Nadu’s AIM Ashwinth Michael and Gujarat’s Rudra S Pathak, both with 8 points, secured second and third places, winning Rs 1.35 lakh and Rs 1 lakh, respectively.
Rushikesh Kabnurkar (Maharashtra) and Gokul G (Tamil Nadu) completed the top five, each with 8 points. Notable performances included Aditya Shripad Joshi (Maharashtra) in 6th place, Kantilal Dave (Rajasthan) in 7th, and M A Unnikrishnan (Kerala) in 8th, all scoring 8 points.
Goa’s Devesh Anand Naik and U-11 prodigy Joshua Mark Telles stood out, finishing 10th and 15th, respectively, with 7.5 points. Other notable Goan players in the top 50 included Anirudh Parsekar (25th), WCM Gunjal Chopdekar (26th), Aayush Shirodkar (29th), Datta Kambli (42nd), and Joy Kakodkar (47th).
AFM Edrick Vaz from Goa won the Best Below ELO 1700-1799 award, while Rajveer Patil and Erwin Albuquerque claimed prizes in the Below ELO 1600-1699 and 1400-1599 categories, respectively. Shubh Vishnu Borkar, Rishikesh Parab, and Aaryavrat Naik Desai received Best Goan Player awards. WCM Chinnam Vyshnavi (Andhra Pradesh) was named Best Female Player, and IM Wazeer Ahmad Khan (Uttar Pradesh) won the Best Veteran Player (+60) title, followed by Goa’s Suhas Asnodkar.
Young talents Vihaan Mehra (Maharashtra, Best Unrated Player), Elesh Tripathi (U-15), and Rishaan Jain (U-11) earned top honours. Goa’s Evan Antonio Telles (U-7) and Saras Summer Powar (U-13, 3rd place) also shone, along with several other rising stars who won in their respective age and gender categories.
The prize distribution ceremony was attended by dignitaries including Rohan Gawas Desai, Utpal Manohar Parrikar, Naresh Sawal, and Gaurish Dhond. Goa Chess Association officials, President Mahesh Candolkar, Secretary Ashesh Keni, Treasurer Vishwas Pilankar and Amogh Namshikar, GCA member, graced the event.
