Team Herald
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PANJIM: Unbeaten throughout Mandar Pradip Lad (Bardez) (2166) outsmarted Chaitanya Gaonkar (Bicholim) (1899) to finish with 8 points in the final round to emerge champion in the Rotary All Goa Open Rapid Chess Tournament 2025 jointly organised by Rotary Club of Margao and Salcete Taluka Chess Association (STCA) under the aegis of Goa Chess Association (GCA), at the premises of Government College of Commerce and Economics, Borda, recently.
Anish Naik (Ponda) (1818) managed to outwit Aryan Shamrao Raikar (Salcete) (1753) to finish second with 7 points. Shubh Vishnu Borkar (Salcete) (1649) got the better of Arthav Shirodker (Mormugoa) (1622) to finish third with 7 points. Rishikesh Parab (Mormugoa) (1795) outplayed Mayuresh Laxlabh Desai (Sattari) (1745) to finish fourth with 7 points.
Chaitanya Gaonkar finished fifth with 6.5 points.
The 6th to 20th prize winners are as follows: Paarth Salvi, Atharv Katkar, Shane Alvarin Braganca, Rajveer Patil, Aryan Shamrao Raikar, Mayuresh Laxlabh Desai, Sachit Pai, Phal Satyam, Aaryavrat Rasiket Naik Desai, Israa Rikarty, Sameer, Adarsh Anand Patekar, Aashman Adhiraj Naik Desai, Ayush Sanjeev Naik and Avnish Borker.
The following are the category prize winners: Best U-15 boys: 1st place: Chaitanya Sushant Patil, 2nd place: Aarav Chopdekar. Best U-15 girls: 1st place: Saeeja Gunesh Dessai, 2nd place Jennica Sequeira. Best U-13 boys: 1st place: Nagesh Nayak, 2nd place: Arthav Shirodker. Best U-13 girls: 1st place: Asmi Amit Terse, 2nd place: Lavanya Naik.
Best U-11 boys: 1st place: Shaurya N Prabhu Agrasani, 2nd place: Nityam Gaude. Best U-11 girls: 1st place: Skyla Rodrigues, 2nd place: Diya Naik. Best U-9 boys:
1st place: Joash Cardozo, 2nd place: Yuven Santosh Mandrekar. Best U-9 girls:
1st place: Drisha Ghonge, 2nd place: Shaurvi Kankonkar. Best U-7 boys: 1st place: Nirbhay Gaude, 2nd place: Dwennon Jake Viegas. Best U-7 girls: 1st place: Yajwari Tukaram Shetye, 2nd place: Sanvi Pradeep Naik. The best veteran player (above 50 years) is Ambrosio Santana Vaz. The best Women Player (Above 15 years) is Arya Dabholkar.
The closing ceremony was held in the presence of chief guest Rotary Club of Margao President Dilip Naik and other dignitaries GCA Secretary Ashesh Keni, GCA Vice-President Damodar Zambulikar, GCA Joint Secretary Tukaram Shetye, STCA Treasurer Dilip Vernekar, Joint Secretary Prithviraj Katkar, Rotary Club of Margao member Vasant Kakodkar and Executive Committee Members Jostna Saripalli, Asha Shirodkar and Nilesh Shirodkar. Altogether 213 players including 78 rated players participated.