BHUBANESWAR 06-Sep-2016
Sidhant Mohapatra (IOCL) and Smaraki Mohanty (KIIT University) won the open and girls titles respectively in the Odisha State Junior (U-19) Open and Girls Chess Championship, which concluded at Pragati Utkal Sangha in Rourkela today.
Top seed Sidhant gathered 6.5 points out of a possible seven with six wins and a draw. Baivab Misha (Puri) settled as runner-up with six points. In the five-round girls’ category, second seed Smaraki finished at the top of the table with 4.5 points, while top seed WFM Rutumbara Bidhar ended runner-up, also with 4.5 points.
Altogether 75 players, including 17 girls, participated in the three-day championship, which was inaugurated by Raghunathpalli MLA, Subrat Tarai. OSAP Commandant Khageswar Gouda gave away the prizes in the closing ceremony. Former National-B chess champion Pabitra Mohan Mohanty, All Odisha Chess Association treasurer GC Mohapatra, host Pragati Utkal Sangha secretary RM Nayak and international arbiter Suresh Chandra Sahoo were present on the occasion.
Top four finishers in both the categories qualified to represent Odisha in the National Junior (U-19) Chess Championship, scheduled be held at Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh from October 8 to 16.
FINAL PLACINGS (Top 10):
OPEN: 1. Sidhant Mohapatra (IOCL, 6.5), 2. Baivab Mishra (Puri, 6), 3. Rakesh Kumar Nayak (Khurda, 5.5), 4. Mahitosh Dey (Khurda, 5.5), 5. Sarthak Debata (Sdgr, 5), 6. Ashutosh Mohanty (Sdgr, 5), 7. Pranab Kumar Patra (Jajpur, 5), 8. Koustuv Dash (Khurda, 5), 9. Aditya Ranjan Samal (Sdgr, 5), 10. Ansuman Samal (Cuttack, 5).
GIRLS: 1. Smaraki Mohanty (KIIT, 4.5), 2. Rutumbara Bidhar (Khurda, 4.5), 3. Anisha Mishra (Puri, 4), 4. Ananya Anamika (Khurda, 4), 5. Priyanka Routray (Sdgr, 3), 6. Karishma Mohanty (Sdgr, 3), 7. Ankita Singh (Sdgr, 3), 9. Akankhya Sahoo (Sdgr, 2), 10. Shraddha Suman Nayak (Sdgr, 2).
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PHOTO: Prize-winning players with guests and officials in Rourkela on September 6, 2016.
