Grandmaster Iniyan P delivered a commanding performance throughout the tournament to clinch the Masters title at the Global Chess Festival in Mumbai on Friday, living up to his status as the top seed.
Having virtually sealed the championship in the previous round, the 24-year-old reigning national champion agreed to a quick draw with Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy in the final round, securing the crown in his maiden appearance at the event and taking home the winner’s cheque of Rs 8 lakh.
In the other sections, Nithin Babu emerged victorious in the Challenger Category, while Madhvendra Pratap Sharma claimed top honours in the Junior Master Category. Their triumphs also earned them direct entry into the Masters Category for the tournament’s 10th edition next year.
Representing Erode, GM Iniyan finished with an impressive tally of 7.5 points, remaining unbeaten throughout the competition and dropping only three draws. Russia’s Boris Savchenko ended his campaign in second place with 6.5 points after sharing the point with Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi in the final round.
Also read: FIFA: Mexico beat South Korea 1-0 securing place in Round of 32
In the Challenger section, sixth seed Nithin Babu defeated Ashirwad Swain in a hard-fought encounter on the top board to secure the title. Earlier leader Viresh Sharnarthi, who had won his first six games in succession, suffered defeats in the last two rounds and slipped to 10th position in the standings. Nithin was rewarded with a trophy and prize money of Rs 3 lakh.
The Junior Masters crown went to 13-year-old top seed Madhvendra Pratap Sharma, who settled for a short draw against A Amanlal in the concluding round and finished with eight points. Madhvendra received Rs 2 lakh along with the winner’s trophy in what is regarded as the world’s richest prize-money chess event for children.
Balananda Ayyappan secured second place in the Junior Masters with 7.5 points. Amanlal claimed third position after edging out Aahna Gulati and Eeshwar Veerappan Aiyappan on tie-breaks, with all three players ending the tournament on seven points.
