BHUBANESWAR 23-Mar-2014 153
Tamil Nadu teenager S Jayakumar beat local prodigy Saina Salonika in the ninth and final round to emerge champion in the 2nd Bhubaneswar Open All-India FIDE Rating (1899 & below) Chess Tournament here at Hotel Empires today. Jayakumar logged 8.5 points to take home the top prize of Rs 20,000.
Woman Candidate Master Saina and Ashutosh Kumar (UP) finished second and third respectively with 7.5 points each. While Saina pocketed Rs 15,000, Ashutosh received Rs 12,000. Altogether 280 players, including one from Singapore, participated in the four-day tournament.
Postal Department Assistant Superintendent (Vigilance) Debri Prasad Nayak handed over the trophies and cash prizes at the closing function. Host Khorda District Chess Association secretary Subhasis Patnaik and All Odisha Chess Association joint-secretary Manoj Kumar Panigrahi were present on the occasion.
This was the first part of a twin tournament and the second part, meant for players with a FIDE rating of 2099 or below will take place at the same venue from March 24 to 27.
FINAL STANDINGS (Top 15): 1. S Jayakumar (TN, 8.5), 2. Saina Salonika (Odi, 7.5), 3. Ashutosh Kumar (Bih, 7.5), 4. J Charles (TN, 7.5), 5. Ashirwad Swain (Odi, 7.5), 6. Hinduja Reddy (AP, 7), 7. Alan Diviya Raj (TN, 7), 8. Pranay Rajak (WB, 7), 9. Arpita Mukherjee (WB, 7), 10. Ahmad Sayeed (UP, 7), 11. Shane Alvarin Braganca (Goa, 7), 12. Warude Satyam (Mah, 7), 13. Sayan Banik (WB, 7), 14. Bidhar Rutumbara (Odi, 6.5), 15. Vantika Agrawal (Del, 6.5).
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PHOTO: Top three finishers _ S Jayakumar (centre), Saina Salonika (right) and Ashutosh Kumar with their trophies in Bhubaneswar on March 23, 2014.
