Team Herald
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PONDA: Mandar Lad from Bardez emerged unbeaten with a flawless 9/9 score to win the all-Goa Open Rapid Chess tournament 2025 organised by Serials Chess Academy and GVM’s Chess in School, at the GVM’s Higher Secondary School premises, Ponda, recently.
Saras Powar and Paarth Salvi followed in second and third places respectively, both finishing with 7 points.
Top 20 overall winners: Mandar Pradip Lad, Saras Powar, Paarth Salvi, Chaitanya Gaonkar, Bezstrakhov Dmitry, Shubham Sawaikar, Mayuresh Desai, Hriday Morajkar, Aarth Shenvi Karapurkar, Joshua Telles, Rachel Pereira, Valanka Fernandes, K Suresh Navin, Atharva Sawal, Vihaan Tari, Kanishk Sawant, Adarsh Patekar, Avaneeshwar Guin, Hawal Shreyash, Mayank Kurtikar
Category winners: U-15 boys: Asarsh Naik, Chaitanya Patil, Manjunath Dessai. U-15 girls: Sayyed Maizah, Saeeja Dessai, Desai Anvi. U-13 boys: Shlok Mesta, Atharva Borkar, Cardozo Nathan. U-13 girls: Terse Asmi, Tanisha Naik Dessai, Sawant Aarna. U-11 boys: Atharv Ghatwal, Advaith Prasanna, Aryan Naik. U-11 girls: Skyla Rodrigues, Tvisha Dessai, Redkar Shanvi. U-9 boys: Prayank Gaonkar, Naik Aarav, Sarthak Naik. U-9 girls: Dukle Vania, Rao Shivanya, Amaira Borkar. U-7 boys: Evan Telles, Schaffer Antunes Viegas, Kadam Vivaan. U-7 girls: Adhvi Terse, Jigyasa Gawas. Barreto Eliaza Phacelia.
Special awards: Best Veteran: Kiran Chopdekar, Nitinchandra Dighe. Best Women: Arya Dabholkar, Shree Ghonsekar. Best Ponda players: Swayam Kamat Bambolkar, Samruddh Borkar, Avnish Borker. Best GVM’s players: Nishesh Gaude, Aarya Amey Kamat Helekar, Avani Sawaikar. Best Serials Chess Academy players: Neevaan Mandlekar, Shivam Maharana, Anvay Borkar.
Dignitaries present at the prize ceremony included Krishna Shetye (chairman, GVM’s), Vishwas Naik, Sanjay Kavlekar (SAG coach), Sagar Sakordekar (president, PTCA), Wilson Cruz (vice-president, PTCA) and Sandesh Naik (joint secretary, PTCA). Tournament Director Veena Naik was joined by Chief Arbiter FA Tanishq Kavlekar and Deputy Chief Arbiter SNA Anish Naik.