Ashutosh, Akankhya win State u-13 chess titles

Bhubaneswar youngsters Ashutosh Mohapatra and Akankhya Kabi won the boys and girls titles respectively in the Orissa State Under-13 Chess Championship, which concluded at Marwadi Panchayati Dharmasala in Sambalpur today. Ashutosh collected seven points from eight rounds, while Akankhya secured 4.5 points from five rounds. Top four finishers from each category qualified to represent the state in the concerned National championship to be held at Delhi in December. The state meet was hosted by Koshal Chess Academy, under the auspices Orissa Chess Ad-hoc Committee. Final standings (Top 10): Boys: 1. Ashutosh Mohapatra, 2. Mohit Sahu (Bhubaneswar), 3. Rakesh Kumar Jena (Jajpur), 4. Sidhant Mohapatra (Bhadrak), 5. Rakesh Kumar Nayak (Bhubaneswar), 6. Bhaskar Sri Viswaroopanand (Puri), 7. Avilash Kabi (Bhubaneswar), 8. Sritam Biratia (Sambalpur), 9. Baivab Mishra (Puri), 10. Saswat Khuntia (Cuttack. Girls: 1. Akankhya Kabi, 2. Smaraki Mohanty (Cutt), 3. Sradhanjali Jena (Jaj), 4. Sunyasakta Satpathy (Jatni), 5. Shibani Mishra (Samb), 6. Sribinda Rout (Bhub), 7. Adyasha Patnaik (Cutt), 8. Adyasha Mohapatra (Bhub), 9. Nabanita Patnaik (Bhub), 10. Pratyusha Panda (Samb). PHOTO: State under-13 chess champions Ashutosh Mohapatra (Left) and Akankhya Kabi.