First-ever Rapid Rating Open tournament triumph for Aakash
On Sunday 11th December 2022, Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi clinched his first-ever State title - Maharashtra State Blitz Rating championship. He scored 8.5/9 and it was also his first Blitz Rating tournament victory. Two weeks ago, on 27th November, he won the SAS Ventures 2nd Rapid Rating Open 2022, finishing ahead of a GM and seven IMs. This time he was also unbeaten 8/9. Despite being a half point heading into the final round, he defeated Nikhil M and scored the same points as the top seed, IM Ravi Teja S 8/9. Both of them remained undefeated. Aakash drew with both IM Ravi and GM Laxman, two strong titled players he faced on his way towards the first place finish.
Thanks to Sudhir of SAS Ventures for sharing the photos.
A total of 286 players including a GM and seven IMs took part from all over India, one from Australia and Mongolia each, four from the USA. The two-day nine-round Swiss league Rapid Rating tournament was organized by SAS Ventures in association with and at St. Claret PU College in Bangalore, Karnataka on 26th and 27th November 2022. The time control of the tournament was 20 minutes + 5 seconds increment from move no.1.
Final standings
| Rk. | SNo | Name | Typ | sex | Gr | FED | RtgI | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 | TB5 | |
| 1 | 6 | Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi | IND | 2164 | 8 | 54 | 58,5 | 51,00 | 0 | 7 | ||||
| 2 | 1 | IM | Ravi Teja S. | IND | 2358 | 8 | 51 | 53,5 | 45,75 | 0 | 7 | |||
| 3 | 5 | IM | Ratnakaran K. | IND | 2241 | 7,5 | 51 | 55 | 44,25 | 0 | 7 | |||
| 4 | 3 | IM | Nitin S. | IND | 2315 | 7,5 | 48,5 | 53 | 42,50 | 0 | 7 | |||
| 5 | 56 | AGM | Lakshith B Salian | IND | 1420 | 7,5 | 48,5 | 52,5 | 42,50 | 0 | 7 | |||
| 6 | 53 | Advait Ratnakar Vibhute | U15 | IND | 1434 | 7,5 | 47 | 49 | 39,00 | 0 | 7 | |||
| 7 | 20 | IM | Ramnathan Balasubramaniam | IND | 1949 | 7 | 51 | 55 | 41,25 | 0 | 6 | |||
| 8 | 14 | Augustin A | IND | 2024 | 7 | 50 | 54,5 | 39,00 | 0 | 7 | ||||
| 9 | 4 | GM | Laxman R.R. | IND | 2266 | 7 | 49,5 | 53,5 | 39,75 | 0 | 5 | |||
| 10 | 15 | Morvekar Kedar | IND | 1979 | 7 | 49,5 | 53 | 40,50 | 0 | 6 | ||||
| 11 | 22 | Nikhil M | IND | 1908 | 7 | 48,5 | 53 | 38,50 | 0 | 7 | ||||
| 12 | 9 | IM | Ravi Thandalam Shanmugam | IND | 2111 | 7 | 48 | 52 | 39,50 | 0 | 6 | |||
| 13 | 16 | CM | Jain Naveen | IND | 1972 | 7 | 47,5 | 52 | 39,25 | 0 | 6 | |||
| 14 | 33 | Subramanian R M | IND | 1700 | 7 | 47,5 | 51,5 | 38,50 | 0 | 7 | ||||
| 15 | 54 | Leelajai Krishna N | IND | 1426 | 7 | 46,5 | 50,5 | 36,50 | 0 | 7 | ||||
| 16 | 43 | AIM | Yash Abhijit Patil | U13 | IND | 1521 | 7 | 46,5 | 49,5 | 35,00 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 17 | 31 | Kishore Kumar Jaganathan | IND | 1748 | 7 | 45,5 | 50,5 | 37,00 | 0 | 7 | ||||
| 18 | 12 | FM | Sauravh Khherdekar | IND | 2054 | 6,5 | 55 | 59 | 40,00 | 0 | 6 | |||
| 19 | 8 | Lokesh N. | IND | 2112 | 6,5 | 52 | 56 | 38,00 | 0 | 5 | ||||
| 20 | 10 | FM | Prasannaa.S | IND | 2091 | 6,5 | 51,5 | 55,5 | 36,75 | 0 | 6 | |||
| 21 | 18 | Barath Kalyan M | IND | 1970 | 6,5 | 51 | 53,5 | 35,50 | 0 | 6 | ||||
| 22 | 2 | IM | Das Arghyadip | IND | 2338 | 6,5 | 47,5 | 52 | 36,25 | 0 | 6 | |||
| 23 | 17 | Sudarshan Bhat | IND | 1971 | 6,5 | 46,5 | 50,5 | 34,75 | 0 | 6 | ||||
| 24 | 49 | Jake Shanty | U11 | IND | 1453 | 6,5 | 46 | 49 | 32,50 | 0 | 6 | |||
| 25 | 39 | Apoorv Kamble | U13 | IND | 1635 | 6,5 | 45,5 | 47 | 30,25 | 0 | 6 | |||
| 26 | 24 | Tamhankar Siddhant | IND | 1843 | 6,5 | 45 | 48,5 | 33,25 | 0 | 6 | ||||
| 27 | 66 | Swara Lakshmi S Nair | F18 | w | IND | 1351 | 6,5 | 44,5 | 47 | 32,75 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 28 | 51 | AIM | Premshankar B U | U11 | IND | 1443 | 6,5 | 43 | 46,5 | 30,25 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 29 | 69 | Madhesh Kumar S | U10 | IND | 1342 | 6,5 | 42,5 | 44 | 28,75 | 0 | 5 | |||
| 30 | 52 | AFM | Mohit S | U12 | IND | 1443 | 6,5 | 42,5 | 43 | 27,25 | 0 | 6 |
