PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Sept 16: The culmination of the Tata Steel Asian Junior Open and Girls Chess Championship 2023 unfolded with an air of anticipation, as Manish Kumar, the Secretary of All Jharkhand Chess Association, made the ceremonial first move to kickstart the final round.
In the Girls Category, Board 1 witnessed a gripping clash between Bommini Mounika Akshaya and Tejaswini. G. Tejaswini opted for the King’s Indian defence with the black pieces against Bommini’s Queen’s Pawn opening. After an intense battle, Tejaswini managed to secure a comfortable draw, thus clinching the title of Tata Steel Asian Junior Girls Champion with an outstanding score of 7.5 out of 9.
This victory not only earned her the championship title but also catapulted her to the prestigious title of Woman International Master (WIM), achieving the required 2000-ranking benchmark.
Board 2 in the Girls Category featured an impressive performance by Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Bristy Mukherjee, who faced the tournament’s top seed, Woman International Master (WIM) Nurgali Nazerke.
Bristy employed the London System and secured a brilliant victory with the white pieces. This win propelled Bristy to an overall score of 7 out of 9, earning her the silver medal for India.
On Board 3 in the Girls Category, Mrudul Dehankar engaged in a complex battle against Salonika Saina in the Sicilian Najdorf.
Despite Mrudul’s persistent efforts to secure a win, the game eventually ended in a draw.
Board 4 in the Girls Category saw India’s promising talent, Mrittika Mallick, securing a convincing win against her opponent from Kazakhstan.
In the Open Category, the top board featured a dynamic draw between FIDE Master Ayush Sharma and International Master Rohith Krishna S, with white pieces. This game, played in the Sicilian Four Knights, was highly intricate, with both sides having the upper hand at various points during the match.
On Board 2 of the Open section, Grebnev Aleksey delivered a dominating performance, securing a decisive win over Alekhya Mukhopadhyay with the white pieces. Aleksey’s strong performance against the King’s Indian defence propelled him to the top position with 7 out of 9 points, earning him the championship’s gold medal.
Board 3 in the open section witnessed FIDE Master Aswath S achieving a sensational victory over International Master Sambit Panda. Aswath’s remarkable performance secured a silver medal for India, with a score of 7 out of 9. Additionally, this victory marked Aswath’s elevation to the title of International Master, securing the final IM Norm.
On Board 4 in the open section, Ajay Santhosh Reddy held his ground against his higher-rated opponent, Manish Anto Cristiano, resulting in a balanced draw. After the culmination of 9 intense rounds:
In the Open Category of classical format IM Grebnev Aleksey got Gold while FM Aswath S won Silver and IM Rohith Krishna S won Bronze.
In the Girls Category of classic format Tejaswini G won Gold followed by WCM Bristy Mukherjee who won Silver while WIM Bommini Mounika Akshaya won a bronze.
