Karthik Gopal wins Category B

TALEIGAO: Andhra Pradesh’s Karthik Gopal G (1766) won the Category B 2nd Goa International Open Grandmaster Chess Tournament, organised by Goa Chess Association in association with All India Chess Federation (AICF) at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Taleigao, on Friday.

Karthik defeated Karthikeyan in the crucial final round match to finished at top with nine points out of possible 10. Karthik pocketed home Rs 2 lakhs  along with the winners’ trophy, followed by Tamil Nadu’s lass Saranya Y who finished second with 8.5 points and had to settle for Rs 1,50,000 and Karthikeyan J finished third with eight points who had better tie-break points then nine others who also finished on eight points. Karthikeyen had to be content with Rs 1,25,000.

“The last game was the crucial game for both of us but Karthikeyen made a initial mistake and I capitalised and from there on I was sure to win the match,” said Karthik, who won his major title after a span of five years after he last won Supermind in Delhi.

“I would have finished in top five last year, but I lost the final round match which sent me back to some 16th or 18th position,” said Karthik, who participated in his second Goa GM tournament.

Selvamurugan and Pawar Hashit finished 4th and 5th respectively.

Goa’s Ayush Pednekar finished 66th with 6.5 points and was deservingly awarded the Best Goan player while Paarth Salvi finished 92nd with six points.

Sairaj Vernekar, Tanvi Hadkonkar, Sachin Gaude, Ethan Vaz and Pradip Mandar finished with six points while Women Chess Master (WCM) Gunjal Chopdekar finished with 5.5 points wherein they all finished in top 150.

Altogether 458 players which included over 400 rated player participated in the Category B.

Nilesh Cabral gave away the prizes in the presence of Corporate head Nestle Goa Sanjay Bandhari, Deputy Director of Aayush Dr Datta Bhatt, Tournament Director Kishor Bandekar, Chief Arbiter Gopal Kumar, GCA Treasurer Vishwas Pilankar, GCA Vice President Ashesh Keni, Arvind Mhamal Deputy Director arbiter, Sanjay Belurkar Dy Director Technical, Subhashehandra Gawas, STCA President and Dr Roopa Belurkar Dy Director Accommodation.