Vinodhkumar Balaguru wins Basel Xmas Festival 2024 Below 2100 Rating Tournament

by Shahid Ahmed - 11/01/2025

Vinodhkumar Balaguru, Emile Roubert (FRA) and Stephan Buettiker (SUI) scored 6/7 each at Basel Xmas Festival Experts (Below 2100) Rating Tournament 2024. Vinodhkumar won the tournament on tie-breaks, Emile and Stephan were placed second and third respectively. Balaguru drew with Emile and defeated Stephan. The total prize fund was CHF 5000. The top three prizes were CHF 1000, 700 and 500 along with a trophy each. The five-day seven-round Swiss league rating tournament was organized by Claudio Boschetti - Swiss CHess Tour at Mövenpick Hotel - Aeschengraben in Basel, Switzerland from 26th and 30th December 2024. This was the sole rating tournament Balaguru played in 2024 and he won it. Photo: IA Tiziana Balzarini

Vinodhkumar clinches the sole rating tournament he plays in 2024

The total participation at the Basel Xmas Festival 2024 was - 185, 65 in Masters (>2050), 97 in Experts (<2100) and 23 in Blitz. 15-year-old IM Marco Materia (FRA) won he Masters section which witnessed the participation of 4 GMs, 4 IMs and 4 WIMs from 18 countries across the world. The total prize fund in the Masters was CHF 8500. The top three prizes were CHF 2000, 1500 and 1200 along with a trophy each.

Top 3 (L to R): 2nd Emile Roubert (FRA) 6/7, 1st Vinodhkumar Balaguru 6/7 and 3rd Stephan Buettiker (SUI) 6/7 | Photo: IA Tiziana Balzarini

Vinodhkumar Balaguru during one of his games | Photo: IA Tiziana Balzarini

Vinodhkumar Balaguru scored an unbeaten 6/7, won the tournament on tie-breaks and gained 22.8 Elo rating points

Group photo of various prize winners | Photo: IA Tiziana Balzarini

The non-rated Blitz tournament had a prize fund of CHF 620. The top three prizes were CHF 200 + trophy, 150 and 100 each respectively.

Blitz: 3rd Vinodhkumar Balaguru 5/7 (second from right) and 1st FM Kevyan Farokhi (GER) 6/7 (third from right) | Photo: IA Tiziana Balzarini

The tournament hall at Mövenpick Hotel - Aeschengraben in Basel, Switzerland | Photo: IA Jean Dominiqie Coqueraut

A total of 97 players took part from 16 countries across the world in the Experts (<2100) group. The tournament was organized by Claudio Boschetti - Swiss CHess Tour at Mövenpick Hotel - Aeschengraben in Basel, Switzerland from 26th and 30th December 2024. The seven-round Swiss league Rating tournament had a time control of 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment from move no.1.

Final standings in Experts (<2100)

Rk.	SNo		Name	Typ	sex	FED	RtgI	RtgN	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	K	rtg+/-
1	2		Balaguru Vinodhkumar			IND	2073	0		6	29	32,5	1923	20	22,8
2	13		Roubert Emile			FRA	1991	0		6	29	32	1913	20	36
3	23		Buettiker Stephan			SUI	1912	1877	Olten	6	28	31,5	1931	20	53,8
4	18		Kostov Kyrill			BUL	1964	2045	Genève Club	5,5	27	29,5	1894	40	40,4
5	42		Gkegkas Michail			GER	1828	1887	Sc Heitersheim	5,5	24,5	26	1817	20	41,6
6	9	FM	Adzic Slobodan	S60		SUI	2012	2010	Chur Sc	5,5	23,5	26	1868	20	13,8
7	28		Artan Tamir	U16		SUI	1901	1998	La Garde Du Roi	5,5	22	24,5	1826	40	52,4
8	6		Angst Oliver			SUI	2038	2095	Olten	5	31,5	35,5	1913	20	7
9	14		Greussing Stefan			AUT	1978	1906	Sc Lindau	5	25,5	28,5	1880	20	12
10	33		Wolff Calvin	U16		GER	1855	1794	Heilbronner Sv	5	24	25,5	1883	40	70,8

Details

A total of 23 players including an IM took part from 8 countries across the world in the Blitz Open tournament. The tournament was organized by Claudio Boschetti - Swiss CHess Tour at Mövenpick Hotel - Aeschengraben in Basel, Switzerland on 28th December 2024. The seven-round Swiss league tournament had a time control of 5 minutes each.

Final standings in Blitz

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	RtgI	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	3	FM	Farokhi Keyvan	GER	2324	6	31	28,5	2141
2	2	IM	Pinter Gabor	HUN	2348	5,5	28	25	1901
3	4		Balaguru Vinodhkumar	IND	2126	5	30	27	1984
4	7		Budisin Stanislav	SUI	2070	5	27,5	25	1944
5	14		Hagenmeyer Felix	GER	1931	5	26,5	24	2031

Details

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