Old is Gold
The two veterans finishing in the top 2 places feels good and shows the beauty of our game. Following a two-way tie for the championship, Balasubramaniam secured the title with 7.5 points out of a possible 8, relegating Ram S. Krishnan to the runner-up spot on tiebreaks. With this victory, Ramanathan Balasubramaniam proudly lifted the Adyar Times trophy for a record-extending sixth time. The total prize fund was ₹3,00,000 with the top 3 prizes of ₹40,000, ₹30,000 and ₹20,000 along with trophies.
Replay final round game of Balasubramaniam
The Long History of Adhyar Times Rating Tournament
While several of India’s most traditional chess events, such as the Guruswamy Memorial in the South, the Piloo Mody Memorial in the North, the S.K. Vaidhya Memorial in the West, and the Telegraph School Tournament in the East, have unfortunately come to an abrupt end over the years, the Adyar Times FIDE Rated Open Chess Tournament continues to thrive. Now heading toward its silver jubilee, the tournament recently celebrated its 24th edition in Chennai. Founded in 2000, this premier South Indian event has seen only two disruptions in its history, skipping 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 24th edition took place from October 17 to 20 at the D.B. Jain College Indoor Stadium in Chennai's southern suburbs. The event attracted 337 players representing four national federations—England, South Korea, the USA, and host nation India—with domestic participants drawing from 11 different states. The four-day tournament was formally inaugurated by Mr. B. Raghupathy, I.P.S., Deputy Commissioner of Police, Pallikaranai, Chennai, in the presence of Mr. D. V. Sundar, former Vice President of FIDE, and Shri Manuel Aaron, India’s first International Master and Arjuna Awardee.
The opening day coincided with the onset of the Northeast monsoon, which brings crucial rainfall to Tamil Nadu. In an unexpected deluge on October 17, the city recorded a staggering 35 centimetres of rain in a single day, prompting a government red alert. Despite the severe weather, players, officials, and organizers braved the elements to ensure everyone reached the venue safely and on time each day.
Final Ranking after 8 Rounds
Rk. | Name | Typ | FED | RtgI | Club/City | Pts. | TB1 | TB4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | IM | S55 | 2020 | Tamil Nadu | 7,5 | 39 | 0 | ||
2 | FM | S18 | 2019 | Tamil Nadu | 7,5 | 38 | 0 | ||
3 | CM | U12 | 2038 | Karnataka | 7 | 38,5 | 0 | ||
4 | S18 | 2037 | Tamil Nadu | 7 | 38 | 0 | |||
5 | S18 | 2002 | Andhra Pradesh | 6,5 | 42 | 0 | |||
6 | AFM | S18 | 1985 | Tamil Nadu | 6,5 | 39,5 | 0 | ||
7 | 1826 | Tamil Nadu | 6,5 | 37,5 | 0 | ||||
8 | AIM | U16 | 1930 | Tamil Nadu | 6,5 | 35,5 | 0 | ||
9 | S18 | 1857 | Tamil Nadu | 6,5 | 35 | 0 | |||
10 | S18 | 1853 | Tamil Nadu | 6,5 | 34,5 | 0 |
Important Links
TamilNadu Chess Association, Adhyar Times
About the Author
Paul Arokia Raj is a Grade-A International Arbiter and Candidate Master. He is one of the most reputed arbiters of India. He has officiated many top events. He is a former National Sub-Junior champion and his career high rating was 2205. He was also the coach of University of Madras for nearly 20 years. Best among his products is GM Sundararajan Kidambi. He is now working as Assistant Traffic Manager in Chennai Port Authority and he was All India Major Ports Chess Champion for nearly 20 years.
