~ Mayank Chakraborty (India) in the Open Category while Nurgali Nazereke (Kazakhstan) in the Girls Category win the Gold on day one of the Rapid Section
National, September 11, 2023: The Tata Steel Asian Junior Open and Girls Championship 2023 commenced today at the JRD Tata Sports Complex. This prestigious event has attracted a total of 106 talented players from 7 nations, promising thrilling chess encounters. The inauguration of the championship was an auspicious moment, graced by Grandmaster Praveen Thipsay and Naresh Sharma, the Treasurer of the All India Chess Federation. They initiated the competition with the symbolic first move over the chessboard.
The first day of the chess championship (the opening day) featured Rapid matches. The initial rounds of the rapid section witnessed some thrilling moments such as Vivaan Vishal, playing with white pieces defeated top seed International Master Aleksey Grebnev in 60 moves, while in the Girls Category, India’s Dhanishree, with an Elo rating of 1525, showcased her prowess by holding Nurgali Nezreke of Kazakhstan to a draw. The second round continued the trend of upsets as International Master Avinash Ramesh faced a defeat at the hands of Candidate Master Arun. After five rounds in the Open Category, L Srihari and Srihari L R of India emerged as leaders with 4.5 points each, setting the stage for an intense competition. In the Girls’ Category, Mrittika Mallik and L Jyotsna, both with 4.5 points, shared the top position, promising a fierce battle for the championship title.
However, in the last round of the rapid section in Girls Category, Nurgali Nazereke of Kazakhstan defeated Rindhya V of India and emerged as the winner by scoring 7.5 points out of 9 rounds. Women International Master Mrudal Dehankar defeated Women FIDE master Jyothsna L to win the silver medal as Jyothsna L settled for a bronze.
In the Open Category, Mayank Chakraborty clinched a must-win match to secure a gold. He defeated Srihari L who was leading by half points although he managed to get a silver place. International Master Rohith Krishna S held the former classical champion GB Harshvardhan to draw securing 3rd place and won a bronze.
The final results after 9 rounds were as follows:
| Tata Steel Asian Junior Open and Girls Championship 2023 | ||
| Day 1 | Rapid Section Results | ||
| Results | Open Category | Girls Category |
| First (Gold Medal) | Mayank Chakraborty (India) | Nurgali Nazereke (Kazakhstan) |
| Second (Silver Medal) | Srihari L (India) | Jyothsna L (India) |
| Third (Bronze Medal) | Rohith Krishna S (India) | Mrudul dehankar (India) |
This tournament is under the expert supervision of Dharmendra Kumar, Chairman of the Arbiter’s Commission, serving as the Chief Arbiter. Assisting him are Deepak Kumar and Aprajita Gochhikar, entrusted with the roles of Deputy Chief Arbiters, along with IA Jayant Kumar Bhuyan, IA Vishal Kumar Minz, and FA Chandan Kumar Prasad, who are diligently working as match arbiters.
(Annexure: GM- Grand Master, IM- International Master, IA- International Arbiter, FA- FIDE Arbiter)
