Vrashank Chouhan, Rakshitta Ravi emerge champions at MPL National Junior Open Chess Championships

Vrashank Chouhan and Rakshitta Ravi emerged as champions at the MPL 51st National Junior Open & 36th Under-19 Girls Chess Championships, which concluded in Pune on Wednesday.

The week-long tournament was organized by Pune District Chess Circle in association with Maharashtra Chess Association under the aegis of All India Chess Federation (AICF) at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana.

Vrashank Chouhan of Rajasthan and Rakshitta Ravi of Tamil Nadu dominated the tournament to clinch the titles. While Chouhan bagged nine points, Rakshitta garnered 9.5 points to claim the Open Boys and Girls titles, respectively.

Chouhan, who fell back midway through the tournament, clawed his way back to emerge as champion at the end of the 11th and final round.

A Standard X student at Vidya Bhavan Public School in Udaipur, Chouhan outwitted Ayush Sharma in the Winawer Variation of French Defense in 34 moves.

It was a fairly even game but Ayush blundered on move No. 14 which Chouhan was able to spot. Thereafter, he easily converted the game in his favor.

Chouhan won a trophy and ₹1 lakh cash. AGM B Vignesh, who finished runner-up with 8.5 points, received a trophy and Rs.72,000 cash prize. AGM Vignesh of Tamil Nadu drew with Srihari L of Puducherry in the final round.

Chennai teenager Rakshitta Ravi finishes on top with 9.5 points in Jr National Chess

The 17-year-old Chennai girl WIM Rakshitta Ravi, a Standard XII student of Velammal Vidyalaya, had a dream run in the 11-round tournament.

Rakshitta, who is a product of Chess Gurukul under coach RB Ramesh and her parents Ravi and Sai Meera, drew her last game with Aditi Kayal to finish on top with 9.5 points. Rakshitta bagged a trophy and cash prize of ₹1 lakh.

WIM Bommini Mounika Akshya of Andhra Pradesh, who drew with Tamil Nadu’s WFM Jyothsna L, finished runners-up and received a cash prize of ₹72,000.

The prizes were given away by Dr Dipak Ripote (IRS), a member of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. Siddharth Mayur, working president of MCA, Purshottam Bhilare, VP of MCA, Sarang Lagu, Hon. Secretary of PYC, and Niranjan Godbole, Hon. Secretary of MCA were the guests of honor.

Shirish Sathe, Chess Department Secretary of PYC, Prakash Kunte, Trustee of Pune District Chess Circle, and Debashish Barua, Chief Arbiter, were also present on the occasion. Dipti Shidore welcomed the guests and proposed a vote of thanks.

Champions Rakshitta Ravi (L) and Vrashank Chouhan display their trophies at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana in Pune on Wednesday. (Pic credit: MCA)

Chess Results (11th and final round)

Boys Open

FM Ayush Sharma (MP) (8) lost to Vrashank Chouhan (Raj) (9)

AGM Vignesh B (TN) (8.5) drew with Srihari L (Puducherry) (8)

Aswath S (TN) (8) lost to Arun Kataria (Raj) (8.5)

Arnav Kherdekar (Mah) (7.5) drew with FM Mohamed Anees M (TN) (7.5)

Gaurang Bagwe (Mah) (8) bt Alekhya Mukhopadhyay (WB) (7)

Rishabh Gokhale (Mah) (7) lost to CM Mayank Chakraborty (Assam) (8)

Hriday Panchal (Delhi) (7) lost to Adireddy Arjun (TS) (8)

Krishnan Ritvik (Mah) (7.5) bt Jihan Shah (Guj) (6.5)

San Hariharan (TN) (6.5) lost to Anadkat Kartavya (Guj) (7.5)

Prathamesh Sherla (Mah) (7) drew with Soham Dey (WB) (7)

Mandar Lad (Goa) (7.5) bt Dhyey Agarwal (Guj) (6.5)

Yash Bharadia (Raj) (7) bt Mehta Naitik R (Guj) (6.5)

Om Lamkane (Mah) (6.5) drew with Ajay Parvathareddy (UP) (6.5).

Girls

WIM Rakshitta Ravi (TN) (9.5) drew with Aditi Kayal (Mah) (7.5 pts)

WFM Bhagyashree Patil (Mah) (8.5) drew with Tejaswini G (TN) (8)

WFM Jyothsna L (TN) (7.5) drew with WIM Bommini Mounika Akshaya (AP) (8.5)

Poorna Sri MK (TN) (8) bt WCM Bristy Mukherjee (WB) (7)

AFM Shubhi Gupta (UP) (7.5) drew with Rindhiya V (TN) (7.5)

Vijaya Subhasri S (TN) (7.5) bt Velpula Sarayu (TS) (6.5)

Sani Deshpande (Mah) (6.5) lost to Sai Mahathi A (TS) (7.5)

Kasthuribai R (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) (7) bt Divyabharathi Masanam (TN) (6)

Dakshita Kumawat (Raj) (6.5) drew with Meenathi Rajam V (TN) (6.5)

Dhanashree Khairmode (Mah) (7) bt Saswatha A (TN) (6)

WCM Sanskruti Wankhade (Mah) (7) bt Marium Fatima (Bihar) (6)

Saniya Tadavi (Mah) (7) bt Charvi Patidar (Raj) (6)

Disha Patil (Mah) (7) bt Aanya Chawat (Raj) (6)

Sachi Jain (Delhi) (6.5) bt Sherali Pattnaik (Uttarakhand) (6).