Aravindh Chithambaram scores a hat-trick of National Rapid triumphs

by Shahid Ahmed - 26/02/2023

India's first triple crown champion, GM Aravindh Chithambaram creates history again. The Tamil Nadu GM becomes the first Indian to win National Rapid Championship for three consecutive edition. He achieved it by remaining undefeated. His scores were 10.5/11 in 2019, 8/9 in 2022 and now 8.5/11 in 2023. It will be years for anyone to match his feat, let alone break it. Despite the championships not taking place in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, Aravindh did not lost his touch. Five more players scored 8.5/11. IM Nubairshah Shaikh (MAH) and GM Mitrabha Guha (WB) were adjudged second and third according to tie-breaks. Round 1 of MPL National Blitz Chess Championship 2023 starts tomorrow from 9 a.m. IST. Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Six players score 8.5/11

Apart from Aravindh, Nubairshah and Mitrabha, GM Raja Rithvik R (TEL), IM Prraneeth Vuppala (TN) and IM Avinash Ramesh (TN) also scored 8.5/11 each. They were placed fourth to sixth respectively. Srihari L (PUD) is the only untitled player to make a top ten finish. He scored 8/11 to finish at ninth place. The tournament had a total prize fund of ₹400000. The top three prizes were ₹75000 + ttrophy, ₹60000 and ₹50000 each respectively.

Champion - GM Aravindh Chithambaram (TN) 8.5/11 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

I just want to keep on playing the game - GM Aravindh Chithambaram | Video: ChessBase India

Runner-up - IM Nubairshah Shaikh (MAH) 8.5/11 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Second Runner-up - GM Mitrabha Guha (WB) 8.5/11 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Top 3 (L to R) - 3rd GM Mitrabha Guha (WB), 1st GM Aravindh Chithambaram (TN) and 2nd IM Nubairshah Shaikh (MAH) | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Round 9

GM Raja Rithvik R (TEL, 2370) shook things up in the very first round of the final day, as he defeated the tournament leader, GM Mitrabha Guha (WB. 2374). India's 70th GM got himself in the lead along with IM Nubairshah Shaikh (MAH, 2310) who defeated former National Challengers champion, IM Ravi Teja S (AP, 2360).

GM Raja Rithvik R (TEL) - GM Mitrabha Guha (WB): 1-0 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

IM Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad (AP) - GM Aravindh Chithambaram (TN): 0.5-0.5 Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

IM Ravi Teja S (AP) - IM Nubairshah Shaikh (MAH): 0-1 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

IM Ameya Audi (Goa) - WGM Divya Deshmukh (MAH): 0-1 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

IM Avinash Ramesh (TN) - GM Neelotpal Das (WB): 1-0

WIM Savitha Shri B (TN) - WGM Swati Ghate (LIC): 1-0 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Ojas Kulkarni (MAH) - IM Padmini Rout (PSPB): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Round 10

GM Aravindh Chithambaram (TN, 2557), IM Prraneetth Vuppala (TN, 2351) and IM Avinash Ramesh (TN, 2211) defeatted GM Raja Rithvik R (TEL), IM Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad (AP) and IM Sidhant Mohapatra (RSPB, 2243) respectively to be in a three-way lead at 8/10 each.

GM Aravindh Chithambaram (TN) - GM Raja Ritthvik R (TEL): 1-0 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

GM Mitrabha Guha (WB) - IM Nubairshah Shaikh (MAH): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

IM Prraneeth Vuppala (TEL) - IM Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad (AP): 1-0 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

WGM Divya Deshmukh (MAH) - IM Ravi Teja S (AP): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

WGM Kiran Manisha Mohanty (LIC) - WIM Savitha Shri B (TN): 0-1 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Round 11

Four playeres - GM Aravindh Chithambaram (TN), IM Nubairshah Shaikh (MAH), IM Prraneeth Vuppala (TN) and IM Avinash Ramesh (TN) were in the lead 8/10, heading into the final round. Aravindh and Nubairshah drew with Prraneeth and Avinash respectively. GM Mitrabha Guha (WB) and GM Raja Rithvik R (TEL) defeated WIM Savitha Shri B (TN) and WGM Divya Deshmukh (MAH) respectively. Thus, six players finished at 8.5/11 each. Aravindh, Nubairshah, Mitrabha, Rithvik, Prraneeth and Avinash were placed first to sixth respectively.

GM Aravindh Chithambaram (TN) - IM Prraneeth Vuppala (TN): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

IM Nubairshah Shaikh (MAH) - IM Avinash Ramesh (TN): 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

WIM Savitha Shri B (TN) - GM Mitrabha Guha (WB): 0-1 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

GM Raja Rithvik R (TEL) - WGM Divya Deshmukh (MAH): 1-0 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Srihari L (PUD) - IM D K Sharma (LIC): 1-0 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Photo Gallery

4th GM Raja Rithvik R (TEL) 8.5/11 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

5th IM Prraneeth Vuppala (TEL) 8.5/11 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

6th IM Avinash Ramesh (TN) 8.5/11 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

7th IM Ravi Teja S (AP) 8/11 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

8th IM Raahul VS (TN) 8/11 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

9th Srihari L (PUD) 8/11 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

10th IM Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad (AP) 7.5/11 | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

For more Round 9-11 and Prize distribution ceremony photos, please click here.

A total of 125 players including 5 GMs, 11 IMs, 3 WGMs and a WIM are taking part in this three-day eleven-round Swiss League Rapid Rating tournament. It is being organized by Crown Trust from 24th to 26th February 2023 at The Kangra Fort, Jammu. The time control is 15 minutes + 10 seconds increment.

Round 11 results in Rapid

Bo.	No.		Name	Gr	Typ	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Gr	Typ	Rtg	Club/City	No.
1	1	GM	Aravindh, Chithambaram Vr.			2557	Tamil Nadu	8	½ - ½	8	IM	Prraneeth, Vuppala			2351	Telangana	6
2	10	IM	Mohammad, Nubairshah Shaikh			2310	Maharashtra	8	½ - ½	8	IM	Avinash, Ramesh			2211	Tamil Nadu	18
3	8	WIM	Savitha, Shri B			2317	Tamil Nadu	7½	0 - 1	7½	GM	Mitrabha, Guha			2374	West Bengal	3
4	4	GM	Raja, Rithvik R			2370	Telangana	7½	1 - 0	7½	WGM	Divya, Deshmukh			2238	Maharashtra	17
5	2	IM	Dhulipalla, Bala Chandra Prasad			2388	Andhra Pradesh	7	½ - ½	7	FM	Aradhya, Garg			2193	Delhi	20
6	5	IM	Ravi, Teja S.			2360	Andhra Pradesh	7	1 - 0	7	IM	Sidhant, Mohapatra			2243	Railways	15
7	16		Srihari, L			2241	Puducherry	7	1 - 0	7	IM	Sharma, Dinesh K.			2315	Life Insuranace Corporation Of Indi	9
8	11	IM	Audi, Ameya			2309	Goa	7	½ - ½	7		Ojas, Kulkarni			2122	Karnataka	25
9	13	IM	Padmini, Rout			2292	Odisha	7	0 - 1	7	IM	Raahul, V S			2202	Tamil Nadu	19
10	12	GM	Neelotpal, Das			2302	West Bengal	6½	½ - ½	6½	WGM	Kiran, Manisha Mohanty			2174	Life Insuranace Corporation Of Indi	24

Details

Final standings in Rapid

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	FED	RtgI	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4	TB5
1	1	GM	Aravindh, Chithambaram Vr.			IND	2557	Tamil Nadu	8,5	78	83,5	63,00	0	6
2	10	IM	Mohammad, Nubairshah Shaikh			IND	2310	Maharashtra	8,5	75,5	80,5	60,75	0	6
3	3	GM	Mitrabha, Guha			IND	2374	West Bengal	8,5	75	81	60,25	0	7
4	4	GM	Raja, Rithvik R			IND	2370	Telangana	8,5	73,5	79	59,25	0	7
5	6	IM	Prraneeth, Vuppala			IND	2351	Telangana	8,5	72	77	58,00	0	7
6	18	IM	Avinash, Ramesh			IND	2211	Tamil Nadu	8,5	71	76	55,75	0	7
7	5	IM	Ravi, Teja S.			IND	2360	Andhra Pradesh	8	73,5	79,5	54,50	0	7
8	19	IM	Raahul, V S			IND	2202	Tamil Nadu	8	68,5	72,5	50,50	0	7
9	16		Srihari, L			IND	2241	Puducherry	8	62,5	67,5	47,00	0	8
10	2	IM	Dhulipalla, Bala Chandra Prasad			IND	2388	Andhra Pradesh	7,5	76	80	52,25	0	5
11	17	WGM	Divya, Deshmukh		w	IND	2238	Maharashtra	7,5	69	74,5	47,50	0	7
12	20	FM	Aradhya, Garg			IND	2193	Delhi	7,5	68,5	73,5	47,25	0	6
13	25		Ojas, Kulkarni			IND	2122	Karnataka	7,5	65	69,5	45,50	0	6
14	11	IM	Audi, Ameya			IND	2309	Goa	7,5	64,5	69	44,00	0	6
15	8	WIM	Savitha, Shri B		w	IND	2317	Tamil Nadu	7,5	64	69	45,50	0	7
16	31		Kumar, Gaurav			IND	1983	Bihar	7,5	58	61,5	38,50	0	7
17	15	IM	Sidhant, Mohapatra			IND	2243	Railways	7	75,5	81,5	49,25	0	5
18	12	GM	Neelotpal, Das			IND	2302	West Bengal	7	70,5	75,5	43,00	0	6
19	22	WGM	Swati, Ghate		w	IND	2178	Life Insuranace Corporation Of Indi	7	69	74,5	43,50	0	6
20	13	IM	Padmini, Rout		w	IND	2292	Odisha	7	69	73,5	42,00	0	5
21	7	GM	Sriram, Jha			IND	2338	Life Insuranace Corporation Of Indi	7	67,5	72	42,00	0	6
22	23		Kaustuv, Kundu			IND	2175	West Bengal	7	66,5	71,5	42,25	0	5
23	9	IM	Sharma, Dinesh K.			IND	2315	Life Insuranace Corporation Of Indi	7	66,5	71	42,50	0	7
24	50	AGM	Sa, Kannan			IND	1738	Tamil Nadu	7	65	68,5	39,50	0	6
25	52		Basak, Bishal			IND	1729	West Bengal	7	63	65,5	36,00	0	7

Details

Blitz Round 1 pairings

Bo.	No.		Name	Gr	Typ	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Gr	Typ	Rtg	Club/City	No.
1	60		Arvindu,			1631	Jammu And Kashmir	0		0	GM	Aravindh, Chithambaram Vr.			2578	Tamil Nadu	1
2	2	GM	Mitrabha, Guha			2520	West Bengal	0		0		Tuhin, Kashyap			1621	Assam	61
3	62		Aman, Kumar			1598	Bihar	0		0	IM	Ravi, Teja S.			2442	Andhra Pradesh	3
4	4	GM	Raja, Rithvik R			2411	Telangana	0		0		Chehal, Nikhil			1585	Punjab	63
5	64		Devansh, Singh			1585	Madhya Pradesh	0		0	IM	Dhulipalla, Bala Chandra Prasad			2394	Andhra Pradesh	5
6	6	IM	Sharma, Dinesh K.			2346	Life Insuranace Corporation Of Indi	0		0		Mishra, Kamad			1553	Madhya Pradesh	65
7	66		Unnikrishnan, M A			1540	Kerala	0		0	IM	Prraneeth, Vuppala			2345	Telangana	7
8	8	IM	Mohammad, Nubairshah Shaikh			2339	Maharashtra	0		0		Naveen, K S			1523	Tamil Nadu	67
9	68		Shah, Mihir			1520	Maharashtra	0		0	GM	Neelotpal, Das			2327	West Bengal	9
10	10	WGM	Divya, Deshmukh			2325	Maharashtra	0		0		Karthikeyan, G			1510	Tamil Nadu	69

Details

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