Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: FM Nitish Belurkar was crowned the champion of the 1st Goa Online Chess league , which was a 12-match online league series organised by each of the 12 Taluka chess associations under the aegis of Goa Chess Association.
Nitish, who only last month, was crowned champion in Category E of the Shri. Manohar Parrikar International Open Grandmaster Online Chess Tournament, continued his good form, as he won the last league match organised by Dharbandora Taluka Chess Association, scoring 8.5 points in 9 rounds.
Ritviz Parab won gold medals in the last three matches, creating a close contest as the final winner was decided only in the last league match. Ritviz, with 7.5 points was placed second while Ayush Shirodkar, with 7 points was placed third in this last league match. The total prize money for this league was Rs. 1.20 lakh and the same was promoted by GCA to keep chess activities live as offline events could not be conducted due to the Covid-19 situation.
Nitish came up with his best performance in this online league by winning medals in each of the 12 league matches, as he won 6 gold, 5 silver and a bronze medal for a tally of 12 medals, thus winning the league Gold medal.
Ritviz Parab finished second and won the league silver medal with a tally of 8 medals which included 5 gold and 3 silver medals. Vivaan Ballikar with a gold and bronze had a tally of 2 medals and was placed third and had to settled for the league bronze medal. Mandar Laad (3 silver, 2 bronze), Shekhar Sirsat (1 silver), Devesh Naik (3 bronze), Aayush Shirodkar (2 bronze) and Sairaj Vernekar, Shane Braganca , Parth Salvi (1 bronze each) took up the 4th to 10th place respectively.
Other prize winners of the 12 match series were , WCM Swera Braganca (Best woman above 15), Vasant Naik (Best veteran, above 45), Saras Powar and Aditya Dublay (1st and 2nd U-7 boys), Diya Sawal and Muriel Fernandes (1st and 2nd U-7 girls), Ethan Vaz and Aditya Tamba (1st and 2nd U-9 Boys), Vaishnavi Parab and Saeeja Dessai (1st and 2nd U-9 Girls), Edrick Vaz and Aniket Ekka (1st and 2nd U-11 Boys), Arya Dublay and Valanka Fernandes (1st and 2nd U-11 girls), Joy kakodkar and Love Kakodkar (1st and 2nd U-13 Boys), Sayuri Naik and Netra Savaikar (1st and 2nd U-13 girls).
Overall Tiswadi Taluka came first with 6 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze medals followed by Salcete Taluka (6 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals) while Bardez Taluka settled for third (4 silver and 3 bronze medals).
Other prize winners of the Dharbandora Taluka Chess league were, 4th to 15th place: Reuben Colaco , Sairaj Vernekar, Devesh naik, and Paarth Salvi (6.5 Points each), Ethan Vaz, Mandar Lad, WCM Gunjal Chopdekar, Vivaan Ballikar, Edrick Vaz, Aakash Shetgaonkar and Tejas Vernekar (6 points each) and WCM Swera Braganca (5.5 points) while Snehal Naik (Best Woman above 15), Saras Powar and Netra Saavaikar (1st and 2nd best below Elo 1500), Samrudh Borker and Saeeja Dessai (1st and 2nd Best below Elo 1300), Aditya Dublay and Diya Sawal (1st and 2nd – Under 7 Boys & Girls), Kanishk Sawant and Vaishnavi Parab (1st and 2nd – Under 9 Boys & Girls), Aarth Karapurkar and Aarya Dublay (1st and 2nd – Under 11 Boys & Girls) and Joy kakodkar (1st – Under 13 Boys) were the other winners.
President of Goa Chess Association Nilesh Cabral congratulated Nitish and all the other winners. Tournament Director, Secretary of GCA, Shri. Kishor Bandekar thanked all his members at GCA who contributed in the successful conduct of this 12 match Goa Chess League series, which was held despite the pandemic situation
